This coming weekend will be the most important in Leeds United’s recent history, with the Elland Road outfit still able to stay in the Premier League if results go their way.
If they’re able to beat Tottenham Hotspur at home, and then Everton lose at Goodison Park to Bournemouth and Leicester City don’t get more than a draw at home to West Ham United, the improbable will become reality and Sam Allardyce will have pulled off one of the greatest escapes of his career.
Of course, the chances of all three results going their way is unlikely, but possible.
Regardless, ‘Big Sam’ can’t be expected to stay beyond the four games for which he was contracted, albeit if he becomes the architect of keeping Leeds in the English top-flight, there’s a cogent argument to actually keep him and his staff in situ.
One man who will definitely be staying at the club even if all around him are sent packing is first-team coach, Michael Skubala.
Skubala worked under Javi Gracia initially and, according to Yorkshire Evening Post reporter, Joe Donnohue, there could be a different role for him at the club at season’s end.
‘Michael Skubala took on a first-team coaching role under Javi Gracia and now Sam Allardyce and is expected to stay at the club even if Allardyce and assistants Robbie Keane and Karl Robinson depart,’ he wrote.
‘There is the possibility Skubala returns to coach the Under-21 side with whom he enjoyed success this season, given current 21s lead coach Paco Gallardo was a Victor Orta hire.’
Were Leeds to go down, there’s a certain inevitability that vastly paid first-team stars will leave, perhaps with general staff at the club given that costs across the business will need to be trimmed.