Sam Allardyce has refused to rule out the prospect of continuing as Leeds United manager despite suffering relegation from the Premier League.
Following the dismissal of Javi Gracia earlier this month, Allardyce was hired at Elland Road on a short-term basis with just four games of the season remaining in an attempt to steer the Whites away from the bottom three.
However, Leeds picked up just one point from a possible 12 available under the 68-year-old, and a heavy 4-1 home defeat against Tottenham Hotspur in their final game on Sunday confirmed their demotion to the Championship after three years in the top flight, finishing 19th in the table and five points adrift of 17th-placed Everton.
Allardyce is now set to see his short-term deal at Leeds expire, and the former England boss has stated that he will hold talks over his future as soon as he and the club "get over the disappointment" of relegation.
Speaking at a press conference after the defeat to Spurs, via LeedsLive, Allardyce said: "If I do anything (in management) it will be here (with Leeds), but those discussions will happen across the next few days.
"I will sit down for a couple of days and thrash it out for both sides to be comfortable. The last thing I want is to walk in and not go the direction we agreed.
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"I will discuss my future next week when we get over the disappointment. The last thing was to be the man who took Leeds down. We tried everything we could try to get better results. All three of us (Karl Robinson and Robbie Keane).
"Hugely disappointed, but grateful for the opportunity. The staff and what we tried to do has not been good enough with results. We tried all we could to get better results out of the players.
"I am glad I came back, but can't say I enjoyed it when you're not winning. The disappointment is huge. Being at the training ground every day and trying to solve it has been the best bits. No stone left unturned. Apologies to the fans."
Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, Allardyce added: "There is a lot to be done, even for the Championship. Goals to be scored and goalscorers to score them. That is an area [for improvement].
"The squad is a little on the young side and lacks experience. That could be not as big a problem in the Championship, as those lads could make a big impact. The size of the squad is another factor over 46 games.
"Which way does the club want to go? It is a huge disappointment to me not to have gotten more results from the players. I can't blame them for not trying. They gave everything they have but you can't make those errors at this level."
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Leeds have released an apologetic statement in response to the club's relegation from the Premier League, which read: "Everyone connected with Leeds United is deeply disappointed by the club's relegation back to the Sky Bet Championship, after three seasons in the Premier League.
"Relegation is painful, and we apologise to our fanbase that the performances this season have not seen the club consolidate our status as we had all hoped.
"However, Leeds United remains in a strong position to build a team that can challenge for promotion from the Championship next season.
"We know things have not been good enough, we know we have to improve, but please be assured that behind the scenes we have worked hard to ensure that the past will not be repeated. Our focus is now on how we get straight back to the Premier League.
"Thank you for your unwavering support for the players and the badge, our objective is to continue to build the club into the one you deserve."
Leeds join Southampton and Leicester City in swapping Premier League football for the Championship in 2023-24.
Oliver Thomas
