Leeds United: Sam Allardyce reveals brutal Georginio Rutter verdict | OneFootball

Former Leeds United manager Sam Allardyce has issued a scathing verdict on Georginio Rutter during the 2022/23 Premier League season

Former Leeds United manager Sam Allardyce has revealed a scathing verdict on Georginio Rutter, who was deemed as "not good enough" during the veteran's brief stay at Elland Road.

The ex-England and West Ham United boss was appointed as manager of Leeds following the dismissal of Javi Gracia, with just four matches left to play of the 2022/23 Premier League campaign.

Allardyce was brought in to help the Whites fend off relegation to the Championship but failed to win any of his four encounters, with Leeds finishing the season in 19th-place after defeats to Manchester City, West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur. He soon departed the club following relegation, representing the shortest permanent managerial tenure in the Premier League.

During his short stint with Leeds, Allardyce found himself at odds with Leeds' squad, some of whom had arrived at the club for significant fees and did not align with his way of thinking. Allardyce often leaned upon more senior members of the squad to help the fight against relegation, deeming others unfit to guide the team in the dogfight.

Sam Allardyce's scathing Leeds United, Georginio Rutter verdict

Georginio Rutter had arrived as Leeds' record signing just months before Allardyce was appointed, joining for a reported £25m sum including a further £10m in add-on clauses from Hoffenheim.

However, Allardyce scarcely called upon the Frenchman during his four games in charge. Rutter failed to play a single minute of league action under Allardyce until the final match of the season against Tottenham, where he was handed just 23 minutes on the pitch.

Supporters had rightly wondered why the club elected to pay so much money for a player who simply could not get in the side amid a relegation battle. Now, though, Allardyce has decided to bluntly break his silence.

"He wasn’t good enough," Allardyce told the Under The Cosh podcast when quizzed on Rutter.

"I just couldn’t believe they paid that much money for him. Under those circumstances he was too young. Coming in and playing in a struggling side in the Premier League that young was a lot to ask."

Georginio Rutter proved Sam Allardyce wrong at Leeds United

Allardyce can be reasoned with for citing Rutter's age and inexperience, but the argument that Rutter simply was not good enough has since been contradicted.

Rutter was among a series of high-profile exits from Daniel Farke's side over the summer, and joined Brighton and Hove Albion after they triggered his reported £40m release clause.

Of course, the fact that a progressive and upwardly-mobile top-flight club - who are in a considerably better position than Leeds were under Allardyce - decided to spend such a large sum of money on the 22-year-old shows that he is good enough, and he was not handed ample opportunity to prove his worth in 22/23.

Rutter was sensational for Leeds as they came within 90 minutes of securing an immediate return to the Premier League last season, only losing out to Southampton in the play-off final.

He scored seven goals and made a further 15 assists from attacking midfield, providing glue to his side's attacking dynamic and offering fresh creativity and flair in central areas.

Make no mistake about it, Rutter was right up there with the best players across the Championship and is more than capable of flourishing at Premier League level with Brighton this term.