Survival expert: A look at some of Sam Allardyce's greatest escapes in the Premier League

Sam Allardyce has become a household name in English football, especially for his ability to save teams from Premier League relegation. Now Leeds United manager, he’ll have to try and reverse the mistakes of both Jesse Marsch and Javi Gracia at Elland Road as they are on the verge of dropping back into the Championship. Appointed short-term as a relegation specialist, it’s down to ‘Big Sam’ to try and keep Leeds up.

Despite his impressive record with relegation odds Premier League teams know what to expect from Allardyce stylistically. He faced criticism for his style of play, which some have deemed overly defensive. However, there is no denying his ability to get results when it matters most. With just three games to go at the time of writing, Allardyce's experience and expertise could prove invaluable in helping them secure their Premier League status.

The 68-year-old has shown he can do it several times before, but where would keeping Leeds up compare to some of his greatest escapes? Read on, as we look at some of Allardyce’s best work over 20 years in the Premier League and look at the different teams he helped save.

Bolton Wanderers - 2002-03

The first Allardyce 'great escape' came in his second season at Bolton Wanderers. The Trotters were in 19th place, six points adrift from safety with just eight games remaining. But Allardyce led his team to five wins and a draw in their final eight games to secure their Premier League survival. Despite having a talented side that included Jay-Jay Okocha and Youri Djorkaeff, the emphasis was keeping things tight at the back. The next season was more expressive at the Reebok Stadium as Bolton finished in eighth place and then sixth the year after.

Blackburn Rovers - 2008-09

Allardyce took over Blackburn Rovers in December 2008 with the team in 19th place after Paul Ince’s sacking. Despite losing his first game in charge, he went on to lead Rovers to six wins and six draws from their remaining 23 games. The January transfer window was a watershed moment for the side as Allardyce brought the likes of Pascal Chimbonda and Elrio van Heerden to Lancashire, who combined with top scorer Benni McCarthy to reach the FA Cup quarter-final and punch well above their weight in the league to finish 15th.

Sunderland - 2015-16

Just a year on from the tears of Dick Advocaat, and the big Derby wins over Newcastle, Allardyce took over at Sunderland in October 2015 when they were rock bottom of the Premier League. His influence on the team was immediate, and he instilled a winning mentality and self-belief in his players.

While Lamine Kone and Jan Kirchhoff were signed in the January transfer window, and proved to be crucial signings, Sunderland enjoyed another year of survival, but some argue that going down that year when they were stronger would have been the better thing for them. Allardyce became England manager that summer and a year later they were relegated with their big stars all moving on.

Crystal Palace 2016-2017

While his summer as England manager lasted just one game it didn’t take long before Allardyce was back in the Premier League. He took over at Crystal Palace in December 2016 when they were hovering just above the relegation zone. He inherited a talented squad that had underperformed in the first half of the season, but coaxed a number of impressive performances from Wilfried Zaha, Andros Townsend, and Christian Benteke. Palace won 8 of their last 14 games to secure their Premier League status, including wins over Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool. Allardyce once again proved his worth as a manager capable of pulling off great escapes.