Leeds United had access to Sam Allardyce long before relegation became inevitable in 2022-23, but Angus Kinnear only made the call when there was no time left to fix it.
Leeds’ drop into the Championship at the end of the 2022 to 23 season was shaped by more than just results on the pitch. The decisions made above the dugout told their own story.
Sam Allardyce has now confirmed one of the most important details. He was available earlier in the season and made that clear directly to Angus Kinnear, but Leeds appointed Javi Gracia instead.
Of course, Leeds’ relegation to the Championship that season was nothing to do with Allardyce. It was a mess created by Jesse Marsch, before Allardyce. He told The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast:
Are we safe? Can we stop worrying now? 👊
“I worked with Angus at West Ham. I rang him and said, give me the 12 or 14 games left, give me a chance I think I can save you. They got rid of the American coach. Unfortunately, they went for Gracia.
“This is the first time I’ve ever said this. I looked at my phone, Angus: ‘Will you come?’ I said, ‘you’ve only got four games to go’. He said, ‘we’re desperate, we’ve just got rid of Gracia, I’ve just recommended you’.
“I said ‘you should have done that before, but of course I’ll come’. Leeds, isn’t it? Four games, thoroughly enjoyed it, apart from not being able to be effective. We were effective performance-wise, not results.”
Angus Kinnear should have made the switch a lot earlier
That quote alone defines the problem. Kinnear knew Allardyce, trusted him enough to recommend him, and still waited until the situation had already slipped beyond control.
Leeds chose a different path when Jesse Marsch was dismissed. Javi Gracia was appointed instead, but the decision did not hold. His short spell ended with the club still sliding, forcing another change.
By that point, the margin for error had gone. When Kinnear finally made the call to Allardyce, it was not a calculated appointment. It was a reaction.
The timeline matters. Allardyce was not an unknown option or a last-minute idea. He had already put himself forward, asking for 12 to 14 games to work with. Instead, Leeds handed him four.
Four games against elite opposition. Manchester City away. Newcastle at home. West Ham away. Tottenham at home. Leeds lost three and drew one. The single point came against Newcastle.
The defeats were expected on paper given the level of opposition, and that is exactly why timing mattered. Allardyce was clear on that as well. Performances improved, but results did not follow.
That distinction is important. Leeds were more competitive, more structured, and harder to break down in moments. But there was no time to turn marginal gains into points.
Could Leeds have stayed up if Allardyce was appointed earlier?
Survival battles are rarely decided in four matches, especially not against sides chasing titles, European places, or stability of their own. The reality is simple. Leeds did not fail because they turned to Allardyce.
They failed because they turned to him too late. Kinnear’s relationship with Allardyce removes any ambiguity. This was not a case of scrambling for an available name.
Besides Bielsa, who is YOUR favourite Leeds manager from the last decade? 🤔
- Uwe Rosler
- Steve Evans
- Garry Monk
- Thomas Christiansen
- Paul Heckingbottom
- Marcelo Bielsa
- Jesse Marsch
- Javi Gracia
- Sam Allardyce
- Daniel Farke
It was a delayed decision on an option that had already been presented. By the time the call came, desperation had replaced strategy. Allardyce accepted, as he said himself, because it was Leeds.
But even he acknowledged the limits of what could be done in that window. The outcome reflects that. Relegation followed, and the debate around that season continues to centre on the same point.
Leeds had a survival specialist ready earlier in the campaign. They chose another route, then circled back when the situation had already narrowed beyond repair.
That is not hindsight. That is the timeline as laid out by the man they eventually turned to.
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