Sam Allardyce bites back at Roy Keane’s claim he wouldn’t stay at Leeds because of his ‘ego’

Sam Allardyce has fired back at Roy Keane after the Sky Sports pundit said the Leeds boss wouldn’t manage in the Championship because of his ‘ego’.

Leeds were relegated from the Premier League following a 4-1 defeat to Tottenham on the final day of the season.

Allardyce, who joined Leeds at the start of May, was only contracted until the summer and there is uncertainty whether he will still be manager at Elland Road by the time they begin their Championship campaign.

Mail Sport reported that Allardyce is set for crunch talks with Leeds on Thursday to discuss his future, though it’s believed the 68-year-old is unlikely to stay on. 

Speaking to William Hill and Footy Accumulators’ No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, the Leeds boss has fired back at Keane while also claiming he’s a ‘much better’ manager than the pundit.

Sam Allardyce has fired back at Roy Keane over comments from the Sky Sports pundit who claimed the Leeds boss would leave the club as he wouldn’t manage in the Championship

Leeds’ relegation was sealed following their 4-1 defeat to Tottenham at the weekend

Allardyce (right) has insisted that ‘nobody has a bigger ego’ than the Sky Sports pundit (left)

He told hosts Tim Sherwood and Natalie Pike: ‘You mean my ego is bigger than Roy’s?

‘There’s nobody with a bigger ego than Roy. That’s some statement coming from him.

‘He mistakes ego for experience and confidence, and the ability to do the job, which was much better than Roy did (as a manager) wasn’t it?’

Allardyce then referenced his time at West Ham where he was relegated with the Hammers and got them promoted – hinting that he might not necessarily leave Leeds just because of their failure to avoid the drop.  

‘I managed in the Championship at Bolton where we got in the play-offs and got into the Premier League in 2001.

‘I did what I’ve done at Leeds with West Ham where I was there in the first year, where we got relegated and then got back into the Premier League through the play-offs and that was a lot of work.’

Keane made his comments on Sky Sports during their post-match coverage of the final day of the season.

Leeds were sent down after their heavy to defeat to Tottenham, as Everton’s victory over Bournemouth was also enough to send Leicester down.

Sam Allardyce (above) is set for crunch talks with Leeds regarding his future on Thursday

Allardyce is not expected to stay at Elland Road but will meet CEO Angus Kinnear for a debrief 

Keane said: ‘I can’t imagine Big Sam wanting to go back to the Championship. Not with his ego.’

Allardyce will meet with chief executive Angus Kinnear for a debrief about his spell in charge at Leeds.

Though it’s not out of the question that Allardyce is persuaded to throw his hat in the ring to take on the challenge of getting them back in the Premier League, it appears unlikely at this stage. 

It is understood that the former Bolton, Blackburn, West Ham and Crystal Palace manager was shocked at the Leeds players’ inability to put up a fight as they plummeted towards relegation.

The 68-year-old will tell the club that the imbalanced playing squad needs a complete overhaul

He will tell the club that the playing squad needs a complete overhaul.

With the club now facing at least a season in the Championship, the proposed takeover by the San Francisco 49ers franchise is up in the air.

It is unlikely the club will be able to make a managerial appointment until that process is resolved.

Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani – currently in Italy – hopes to discover whether the 49ers wish to buy him out or merely retain their current 44 per cent shareholding by the end of the week.

Kinnear will lead Leeds’ efforts to find a new manager and will speak to Allardyce and other candidates.