Analysing Richard Keys’ strange obsession with Sam Allardyce

With Leeds staring relegation from the Premier League directly in the face, they’ve hit the Big Sam Button. No, really. In 2023.

In the words of Eric Bischoff’s theme music, he’s back and better than ever. Does he still have the knack for making things better, though? We’ll see in approximately four games’ time if Leeds are still a top-flight club.

One person who doesn’t need to see how those four games play out to cast judgement on Sam Allardyce, though, is Richard Keys.

You remember him, right? Author of the world-famous Richard Keys blog, extremely highly regarded sports broadcaster and pundit for beIN Sports.

Not ringing any bells? Fine. The one that left Sky Sports and has become increasingly gammon ever since, spouting his strange views on all things football despite nobody really asking him to anymore.

But while Keys has picked up a reputation for his often brash and negative analysis of most things we love in the beautiful game, one person that seems to tip him the other way is Allardyce. Keysey just loves him. And it’s really weird.

Not in the happy-go-lucky sense that most football fans do, appreciative of his cult hero status within the Premier League as a slightly outdated manager who used to be able to get the job done when the going got tough at the bottom end. No, much weirder.

Keys’ feelings towards Big Sam appear to go a little further than just appreciation for his slightly humorous cult hero status.

And with the England manager who boasts the best win rate of all-time – that is an undisputed fact – back in the Barclays at Elland Road, now is as good a time as ever to take a deep dive into Keys’ love affair with Big Sam.

Welcoming him back to the Premier League

As mentioned, Keys was very keen to wish Allardyce well amid his impending return to the touchline, in the form of a tweet.

Big Sam is back! There’s a theme here. The return of the dinosaurs. 🦕. Hodgson Warnock Allardyce. You can’t buy experience. Welcome back big man. What an incentive for him – keep Leeds up and relegate Everton.

— Richard Keys (@richardajkeys) May 2, 2023

Here’s a thought, Rich. If you were on close enough terms with Allardyce that you could refer to him as ‘big man’ surely you’d be texting him instead of showing off to your Twitter following?

Nice use of emojis, too. Very subtle. Adds to his excellently witty tenor.

What stands out here is not just his love for Allardyce, though, but his strange affinity for the…