Gary Neville has claimed Sam Allardyce is capable of pulling off the "shock of all shocks" on his Leeds United debut against Premier League leaders Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
Allardyce replaced Javi Gracia on Wednesday after the Spaniard was relieved of his duties at Elland Road following a run of just three wins in 11 league games.
Gracia leaves Leeds in 17th place and only outside the relegation zone on goal difference. Allardyce has four games to save them, and starts his rescue mission with perhaps the toughest assignment possible in the Premier League.
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Although Neville concedes Allardyce will need to deliver a "miracle", he still believes a result for Leeds is not an impossibility with Big Sam at the helm.
“In his dreams he’ll be thinking he can come here and get a point or somehow get a win and that would shock the world," Neville told Sky Sports.
“It’s something the Premier League could deliver and Allardyce could deliver. But I don’t think he’ll be thinking Saturday is the game where he picks up points. This will be the game where he wants to get to know his players and develop a spirit.
"And I’m sure he’ll be doing some things to develop that spirit before the game on Saturday but you come here and Guardiola will think a little bit more about the game, what Allardyce and his coaching staff could do that’s different, could they surprise us.
"But Leeds are very bad and have been very bad. They’ve got absolutely no discipline [in their play]. You’re thinking what’s he going to do to them in 48 hours, it would be the shock of all shocks but that’s what Allardyce has to try to deliver.
“They’re coming to one of the best teams in the world, certainly the Premier League, and they’re ill-disciplined in the way they play, they’re all over the place – everything you’d think an Allardyce team are not. He’s got to work a miracle in these next days.”
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