Sam Allardyce has explained what a team fighting for Premier League survival needs, as he prepares to take over at Leeds United.
The 68-year-old is expected to replace Javi Gracia in the Elland Road dugout after a torrid month under the Spaniard has seen the Whites fail to escape the clutches of the relegation battle.
However, one thing that Allardyce must do if he arrives at Leeds is bolster up the defence with Leeds leaking goals like they're going out of fashion - something that he believes is the first thing any manager must do in a relegation battle.
"It only takes one goal to win a game," Allardyce said as he appeared on Sky Sports back in 2017. "Only one goal to win your three points and most of the teams in the Premier League are the ones with the best defensive records.
"When you look at the clean sheets records, it gives you the platform to be successful in the season. You can't always score two or three goals depending on your squad and your position in the league. That and scoring first. Clean sheets and scoring first are the two easier ones for everybody to look at."
Other points Allardyce bought up were 'Don't lose possession in your own half' and 'Play the first pass forward' - both indicators of how he likes to set up his sides.
"The Premier League is so good because your opponents will capitalise massively on those mistakes. If you're playing the ball to your midfield player, he can't be facing his own goal square on because if somebody shuts him down or is around him, how can that be a positive pass?" added Allardyce.
"Another one is winning the knock-down balls in transition. If you're static, you're not going to put yourself in a good position to win the ball. If you're on the move when the ball is on the move, you can adjust into a place where you can regain possession.
"Set pieces as well. When I was at Crystal Palace, I didn't actually improve the 'Set Piece Goals For' record, but I certainly improved the 'Set Pieces Goals Against' record.
"That's just down to training ground stuff - man marking in certain positions, who you're going to mark. Every week it's just a brief highlight of this is who we're playing against, this is how we're marking today, this is what they do."
Allardyce has often hit out against the stereotype tagged onto him about his 'long ball' or 'hoof ball' style of play, and claims that better players allow you to play multiple different styles.
He explained; "I think as we [Bolton Wanderers] grew, it became a little bit less [long ball] but when the tag is already put on you, it's very hard to get it off. But it wasn't about that in the end, it was about the quality of players we ended up with.
"But we had such a good squad of international players that we still played like that sometimes, but not as often because we have better talent, better quality and produced much better, exciting football and that's why we ended up in Europe."
READ NEXT:
Sam Allardyce and Victor Orta verdict as Leeds United plan major shake-up
Sam Allardyce to Leeds United hailed by pundit pair amid 'lost lamb' Javi Gracia claim
Leeds United director of football Victor Orta reportedly set for Elland Road departure
Leeds United news as Jamie Carragher outlines two key Sam Allardyce concerns over Whites job
Leeds United supporters deliver twin verdicts on seismic Victor Orta and Sam Allardyce reports
