Sam Allardyce said Leeds chairman Andrea Radrizzani was “hugely frustrated and disappointed” as the club stand on the brink of relegation.
The Premier League concludes on Sunday and Leeds must beat Tottenham at Elland Road while hoping relegation rivals Everton and Leicester both drop points in their final games.
Majority shareholder Radrizzani boldly declared last summer that another relegation battle was “impossible” after Leeds had survived on the final day with victory at Brentford.
But the odds of pulling off another great escape are even bigger this time round and Allardyce said: “He’s hugely frustrated and disappointed.
“He didn’t expect at the start of the season that the club would be in this position.
“He didn’t expect he would have to employ three managers to get out of this position. He’s hugely frustrated.
“The only way you sort that out is at the end of the season, have a look at the whole structure of the football club, and do whatever needs to be done.
“But in the meantime the only focus is one big game, one massive game for the players and for us all in controlling the destiny of Leeds, only by winning and hoping that other people lose.
“It’s not what we wanted, but it’s the position we’re in.”
Radrizzani is reported to be part of a consortium poised to complete a takeover of Italian club Sampdoria, in partnership with Paris St Germain owners Qatari Sports Investments.
The Italian, who turned to Allardyce with four games left in a last-ditch bid to retain Leeds’ top-flight status, is expected to expedite the sale of his remaining shares to 49ers Enterprises.
The financial arm of NFL franchise the San Francisco 49ers increased its stake in the club to 44 per cent at the end of 2021 and has an option to own 100 per cent by January next year.
Allardyce has taken one point from his three games in charge since becoming Leeds’ third manager of the season.
Marcelo Bielsa’s successor Jesse Marsch was sacked in February and his replacement Javi Gracia lasted 11 league games before he too was dismissed.
Allardyce, open to talks about staying in the role whatever Sunday’s outcome, said: “We’ll try and take advantage of the fact we’ve still got a small window of opportunity open.
“On the balance of where we are, there are two completely different avenues where the club goes down.
“You can pencil things in, but the only way you can put it in ink is whether you’re in the Premier League or you’re not.”
Allardyce invited in Leeds great Eddie Gray, plus former captains Gordon Strachan and Gary McAllister for inspirational talks with his players this week.
The former England boss added: “They had very successful times here and I think on the mentality side it’s about improving our mentality to deliver.
“So somebody speaking a different voice about football, about what they did at this club, how much they love this club, I think is really important.”
Bompastor promises more hard yards after Chelsea thrash Feyenoord
Sonia Bompastor has promised there is more hard work to come for her Chelsea players after they readied themselves for the Women's Super League season with a 9-0 hammering of Feyenoord.
Bompastor marked her first match at Kingsmeadow in fantastic fashion on Saturday, with the WSL champions proving far too good for their Dutch opponents.
Sandy Baltimore and Mayra Ramirez struck inside the opening 10 minutes, with Feyenoord's Celainy Obispo subsequently seeing red.
Chelsea were 4-0 up by the break thanks to finishes from Sjoeke Nusken and Wieke Kaptein, with Millie Bright heading home a fifth after the restart.
Substitute Aggie Beever-Jones netted a second-half hat-trick, with Maika Hamano also getting in on the act in a resounding victory.
Chelsea face Aston Villa in their WSL opener on September 20, and former Lyon coach Bompastor says the task is now to be fully prepared for that fixture.
"I can't wait to get to that moment, only two weeks now," she said.
"We are really excited to get to that moment, but we still have two weeks to work and we’ll make sure we work really hard to be ready for that first game.
"We had two main goals – the first one was defensively, we wanted to have high pressure, and be strong in transition. With the ball, I wanted them to play in a nice way, in an attacking style, so with nine goals, it was definitely good and it’s what we had been working on in training.
"I really liked the stadium, the atmosphere. It’s really cool, especially when you win and score a lot of goals. I hope all the games this season, they’ll have the same fun. We’ll keep working really hard to make sure they come and enjoy our games."
Ancelotti to continue coaching 'until the fire dies down'
Carlo Ancelotti has no plans to call time on his illustrious coaching career, saying he will only leave the sport when he no longer feels nervous ahead of games.
Ancelotti is one of the most decorated coaches in European football history, with his five Champions League titles as a manager being a competition record.
The fifth of those triumphs came with Real Madrid in June as they beat Borussia Dortmund in the final at Wembley Stadium, having progressed through a series of dramatic ties earlier in the tournament.
Los Blancos overcame Manchester City on penalties in the quarter-finals despite facing 33 shots on their goal in the second leg, a 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium.
They then salvaged victory from the jaws of defeat in the last four as Joselu scored twice – in the 88th and 91st minutes – to stun Bayern Munich at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Ancelotti so often appears an island of calm amid the chaos, but the Italian insists he still gets nervous ahead of big games and will do so until the day he retires.
"A life without pressure or a little stress does not exist. Too much stress, no, but a little is fuel. The day I don't have excitement before a match is the day I have to stop," he said at the Mexico Siglo XXI event.
"Before a match there is worry, there is a negative feeling thinking that it will not go well, that they will score a goal… When the match starts, everything stops.
"So, you have to look for calm to handle the situations of the game. I will continue coaching until the fire I have for football dies down.
"Some great things have happened in my life, some difficult moments. My life has been normal. I have been lucky to have a job that is my passion. I am grateful to football for giving me that opportunity.
"I still get nervous before a match, I feel pressure, and as long as that doesn't change I will continue here. I see myself coaching for a long time, yes."
Ancelotti is known for involving his big-name players in his decision-making, and he says that collaborative approach has been key to his success.
"It is very difficult to explain what a leader should be like. It is much more important to convince than to impose your opinion on them," he added.
"A leader must have the ability to listen to those who work with you. They can always give you ideas that can help you.
"It is important to listen and not think that you know everything because you are the boss. You can always learn."
T&T blanked 4-0 by Honduras as Nicaragua edge French Guiana in League A
Trinidad and Tobago started life without Angus Eve on a losing note as they were thumped 4-0 by Honduras in their opening Concacaf Nations League Group B League A contest in Tegucigalpa on Friday.
The result dealt and early blow to the Soca Warriors and interim head coach Derek King, as they are the group’s early cellar dwellers.
Honduras, with the win, assume pole position on three points, same as Nicaragua, who edged French Guiana 1-0, while Jamaica and Cuba both have a point from their goalless stalemate. Only the top two teams from the group will progress to the quarterfinals, while the bottom-placed team will be relegated to League B.
The tournament also determines which national teams qualify for the next edition of the Concacaf Gold Cup.
Honduras vs. Trinidad and Tobago
After struggling to break down Trinidad and Tobago’s defence early, Honduras eventually found the go-ahead goal when Alexander Lopez drove in a right-footer from outside the box.
Kevin Arriaga also showed his class with a well-struck right-footer in the 45+2 minute to put Honduras 2-0 up at the break.
Try as they did, Trinidad and Tobago had no response to Honduras in a hostile environment and soon found themselves further behind in the 54th minute. This, as Edwin Rodriguez was allowed too much space deep inside the 18-yard box to fire home from Luis Palma’s pass.
The win was then capped by David Ruiz, who slotted home in the 86th minute.
French Guiana vs. Nicaragua
The Central Americans extended their unbeaten run in the Concacaf Nations League to 13 matches by taking three points off host French Guiana at Stade Municipal Dr. Edmard Lama.
Both teams gave as good as they got in the attacking third, but it was Nicaragua that got the all-important strike through Widman Talavera in the 90+5 minute to secure the three points.
Group B action will resume on Tuesday, starting with Cuba facing Nicaragua, while Trinidad and Tobago will host French Guiana, and Jamaica will visit Honduras to close out the day.
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