Leeds United are set to confirm Javi Gracia’s sacking and Sam Allardyce’s arrival on Wednesday (3 May).

The new manager’s first training session with the Whites squad is scheduled to come the same day with him due in Yorkshire to commence the rescue job in the morning.

The former Sunderland and Newcastle manager takes over after Gracia couldn’t arrest an alarming slide in results that saw one point picked up in five games while conceding 18 goals – the Spaniard has already been informed of his departure.

Hay reports that other staff took training on Tuesday with Allardyce’s appointment imminent.

The Whites’ fourth manager of the season will have the same amount of games to turn things around but faces the toughest of tasks first up with a visit to Manchester City on Saturday (6 May).

There is clearly no time to lose with under four weeks left until the end of the season and while it would be a major surprise for Big Sam to inspire the Leeds United players to get anything at the Etihad he can’t discount the game entirely.

Under Gracia, and even Michael Skubala to an extent, there was some form of new manager bounce so the hope has to be that the benefit of a third will keep the club in the top flight.

The season has descended into somewhat of a farce with Andrea Radrizzani now sacking Victor Orta after six years at Elland Road, at the tail end of a season where the director of football’s decisions led the way.

The Spaniard stuck by his choice in Jesse Marsch way past the point where it would have made most sense to remove him, only for the American to be sacked just after further backing in the January transfer window when all the preferred candidates to replace him were unavailable.

Gracia was belatedly settled on and had brought about some improvement with three wins after as many months without, but the former Watford boss has looked utterly powerless to respond as results fell apart.

Orta was still backing his compatriot to the end but ultimately they have both paid for the situation with their jobs, with Radrizzani’s summer sale to the 49ers hanging in the balance in its current form, but whether the owner going for the nuclear option of Premier League veteran Allardyce has come too late only the next few weeks will tell.