Sam Allardyce didn't hide his surprise after being confirmed as the new manger of Leeds United.
With the club perilously placed in 17th in the Premier League, outside of the relegation zone on goal difference with just four league games to go, the 4-1 defeat at Bournemouth on Sunday proved one debacle too many under Javi Gracia. And now the Elland Road hierarchy have turned to the man famously dubbed 'Fireman Sam' for his track record of saving sides from the drop.
Spaniard Gracia, appointed in February, has been dismissed after just 10 weeks and 12 games in charge after taking over from Jesse Marsch. And despite the wretched form, the timing of the latest managerial change has taken many - including Allardyce himself - by surprise.
Speaking on the White and Jordan show on talkSPORT after his appointment was confirmed on Wednesday, the 68-year-old was asked about his initial reaction to the approach: “Shocked, I never thought at this, at this stage of the season, there would be jobs offered," he admitted.
However, the former England boss insists he had little hesitation in answering the call, “When the phone popped up with a name that I knew pretty well, I knew who it was straight away," he added. "So it took me about two seconds to say yes."
He also confirmed that Karl Robinson, who was sacked as manager at Oxford United in February, would be joining his coaching staff along with former Leeds striker Robbie Keane. And despite acknowledging the precarious situation he's walked into, it's nothing Allardyce hasn't seen before.
“Obviously there’s a tingle that runs through your veins when you take over a football club. “I know it’s in a lot of trouble. I’ve seen a lot of trouble before and hopefully – I could have done a little bit more time, but four games – hopefully we can make a difference and keep this fabulous club in the Premier League.”
To achieve that, Allardyce will undoubtedly have to inspire short-term improvements from his players, given the complexity of their run-in. Discussing the run-in. Champions elect Manchester City, Newcastle, West Ham and Spurs all stand in the way of survival.
Leeds have shipped a league-high 67 goals this season, including 18 goals in their last five matches and Allardyce knows they must improve defensively in the coming weeks.
“The first thing that we’re going to have to do is to stop that if we’re gonna get out of trouble, because it means that we’re needing to score two and three goals every game to try and win it and if we’re left to do that, that would be nearly an impossible task," he said,
“You can all point out where the easiest fixture might be and of course, there are no easy fixtures in the Premier League. But we can only go and do what we can try and achieve."
