Sam Allardyce takes aim at Mauricio Pochettino

Sam Allardyce slammed under-fire Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino’s defensive tactics and said he’s ready to sort them out.

The ex-England chief, 69, has been out of managerial work since leaving Leeds in June. Speculation is mounting that Pochettino – whose misfiring side face Leeds in tonight’s FA Cup clash – could be on his way out after a dismal campaign from the Blues.

And ‘Big Sam’ has offered his services with a tongue-in-cheek response on talkSPORT when asked if he’d be interested in taking over at Stamford Bridge. The former Bolton, Newcastle and Everton manager replied: “Oh yes, I’d fly back from Dubai tomorrow for that – get me there!”

Allardyce knows where the root of Chelsea’s issues are after they lost Sunday’s Carabao Cup final to Liverpool’s kids and wallow in mid-table in the Premier League. He blasted: “Sort the defence out. It’s the worst defending I’ve seen in the Premier League for a long, long time.

“People see that as a negative punt. There’s a big thing on Monday Night Football about Manchester United and how many shots they’ve conceded and then looking at the top teams like Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal.

“They have the best defensive records. It’s a simple mathematical equation. You win the league if you have the best defence not the best attack.

“The best attack gives you the opportunity to get the points in the end but the defensive side of it wins you the league. The defending has been ignored for many years now and I’ve never seen such bad defending for a long time.”

Pochettino is expecting promotion-chasing Championship high-fliers Leeds to heap on the pressure, too. He said: “The players are aware, we are aware and, of course, it’s going to be tough. Leeds is going to be 4,000, 5,000 fans and it’s going to be nice, the atmosphere.

“I understand the disappointment from our fans, but we need their help, like always. It’s important to create a very good atmosphere because Leeds is going to be pushing with 4,000 or 5,000 fans. I know it’s going to be really tough, the game.”