When Sam Allardyce's wife heard that he would be returning to management after nearly two years away, she did not believe him. She believed he was sexting her.
Allardyce and his wife Lynne were carefree after returning from a family tour across the Caribbean. They were taking advantage of his informal retirement. With his podcast keeping him occupied and any thoughts of a coaching comeback at bay, he had even discovered a new interest.
Allardyce had been trying to stay active despite his reluctance, but it was getting boring. It was falling short of the Premier League's fervor.
Tim Thornton, a senior correspondent for Sky Sports News, speaks with new Leeds manager Allardyce about life without football. "It's about getting out of the house," he says. There's all that fitness stuff, but working out alone while walking is really dull.
"'You need to walk 10,000 steps today,' and such. Without even realizing it, I may stroll around here for more than 10,000 steps.
Allardyce gave in to temptation when the opportunity to perhaps have his final fill of football management arose in improbable circumstances.
So, anticipating a call, the former England manager sat his wife down and informed her that their lives would soon change.
As for his wife, Allardyce claims, "She thought it was a joke."
"You're winding me up," Lynne murmured to her husband as the situation's reality set in. You won't be going, are you?
Allardyce informed his wife of the plan's official introduction. "The phone rings, it's real, and I tell her I have to go,"
After 49 years of marriage, Lynne knew her husband all too well and remarked, "Well, I didn't expect anything else from you."
With her approval, Allardyce made a big impression during his first press conference as Leeds' manager upon his return to the Premier League. The only trace of the life he had once led was his excellent tan.
There is no one ahead of me in terms of football, despite the fact that I am 68 and appear ancient and out-of-date, he claimed. Not Arteta, Klopp, or Pep. Everything is with me. I do what I do, and they do what they do.
Allardyce said it was a job well done, with the entire football world in shock.
After that, I don't really care about the opinions people have, he tells Sky Sports. "I've provided individuals with conversation starters. I considered the technique to be rather sound because I gave the media a wonderful title.
Does he, however, genuinely believe what he says?
Allardyce asserts, "You don't stay in the game as long as I have, managing over 1,000 games, without having that belief," before titling his subsequent statement, "I hadn't planned it, but, of course, that's me.
I can act on a "there and then" basis instinctively.
For the task at hand, he will need a lot of confidence. Only goal differential keeps Leeds out of the relegation zone, and he only has four games to preserve the club's survival.
What will Allardyce face first? 'Big Sam's' supposed equal, the man. In an effort to win the triple, Pep Guardiola and the reigning champions Manchester City will host Leeds at the Etihad on Saturday.
When asked if he could pull it off in Guardiola's absence, Allardyce responds, "Absolutely. You become a great coach and manager because of the players. Your responsibility is to be able to interact with those guys, and while I wouldn't say it's easier, I do think it's a lot more fun to compete for the title than to avoid relegation.
"I'd sleep soundly tonight if I had those players," he continues.
The day before Guardiola's return to the Premier League dugout on Saturday, Allardyce daydreamed about the wealth at his disposal. "I was thinking the other day, he's got two unbelievable teams," says Allardyce. "Which one would win the league? Would they finish first and second? He seems to have two highly-intelligent, quality players in every single position."
When asked how it will feel to be standing pitchside behind the dugouts with Guardiola at 3 o'clock, Allardyce responds, "It's the best place to be on a Saturday afternoon."
Allardyce has been inundated with congrats calls, including one from Sir Alex Ferguson, but hasn't had time to reply to each one. His concerns are more urgent at the moment.
He believes that a tornado, as opposed to a whirlwind, more accurately describes the past week since being dropped into Thorp Arch (a training facility) with the only purpose of keeping Leeds in the game.
Tottenham, West Ham, Man City, and Newcastle are blocking his path. Three of those four contests are against the top seven teams right now, and the other is a challenging trip to east London.
Allardyce's task is not something to take lightly, even with his experience.
The upcoming games for Leeds United
Premier League match on May 6 at 3 p.m. ET, live on Sky Sports. Man City (A).
Premier League game on May 13 at 3 p.m., Newcastle (H).
Premier League game on May 21 at 1:30 p.m., West Ham (A).
Premier League game on May 28 at 4:30 p.m., Tottenham (H).
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