Pep Guardiola hails West Brom's Sam Allardyce a football genius
Pep Guardiola has described Sam Allardyce as a ‘genius’ when it comes to saving teams from relegation.
Allardyce was tasked with lifting the Baggies away from relegation danger after being brought in at The Hawthorns following the sacking of Slaven Bilic in December.
Guardiola said: “It is not easy to take over a team during the season, but against Wolves, Liverpool, other clubs he got good results.
“Sam Allardyce is a genius to take these teams when everyone believes it is over and get results.”
City are in a strong run of form having won their last six Premier League matches since a draw with Albion in December.
Guardiola said: “The results give you an incredible boost, an incredible confidence. What is first – do results make you play good, or do you play good if you get results?
“I think both are connected but we are just at the end of January, so it is just West Brom, trying to analyse them and make a good game to get another victory.”
Victory over second-bottom Albion would take City back above Manchester United to the top of the table, for a day at least.
Guardiola said: “The leader is United. They are top of the league.
“The moment we have all games together we will see.
“Now we are not top of the league and the difference (to) third, fourth, fifth and sixth is so close, so narrow.
“But I didn’t look at the table much when we were 12th and eight or nine points behind the leaders, and now is the same.”
