Leeds United manager, Sam Allardyce, has taken a swipe at Liverpool head coach Jurgen Klopp and Manchester United counterpart Erik ten Hag, insisting that they are as guilty as the rest when it comes to time-wasting tactics.
The debate over time-wasting and how many minutes the ball really spends in play has been a scorching topic across the Premier League this season.
Newcastle United have come under the microscope in that respect amid their ongoing quest for a UEFA Champions League qualification spot.
Also, Klopp, Ten Hag and Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta are among those to have directly flagged up their concerns on the issue.
However, Allardyce has now defended his old club Newcastle,
Speaking on the development, Allardyce said at his pre-match press conference ahead of Leeds’ Premier League tie with Newcastle United on Saturday: “Who doesn’t do it? Who complained?”
When the reporter name dropped “Klopp and Ten Hag”, Allardyce responded: “Well, he [Klopp] wastes time. He [Ten Hag] wastes time as well.”
Allardyce continued: “They all waste time in the last five minutes if they are winning 2-1. Don’t be daft.”
He added, “Rubbish, that is. We’ve been talking about the ball in play, rather than time-wasting, and whether the ball in play can be improved, but the game is ferocious and quick enough as it is.”