8 managers who had an instant impact at their clubs this season

Sam Allardyce - Sunderland

Allardyce made some good signings in January to help Sunderland survive

When Dick Advocaat resigned as Sunderland’s manager early on in the season, Sunderland were staring at the barrel of relegation. They were 19th in the league table with 3 draws and 5 defeats in 8 games.

Incoming manager, Sam Allardyce, was famous for surviving relegation battles, but the Sunderland job was extremely challenging even for his ability. However, he won the backing of the fans in the best possible way by claiming their first win of the season in just his second game in charge against local rivals Newcastle with a 3-0 scoreline.

Even then, the squad at his disposal was not up to mark as Sunderland won 3 and lost 8 games before New Year. Big Sam used the January transfer window to make some shrewd signings in Wahbi Khazri, Jan Kirchhoff and Lamine Kone, and these players played a huge role in turning the club’s fortunes around.

In the second half of the season, the Black Cats lost just four games. Sunderland’s rejuvenated form in the second half saw them pull off two great home wins against Manchester United and Chelsea. In the end, they once again pulled off a great escape and this time at the cost of their arch rivals Newcastle United.