Leeds United are a side struggling, desperately hoping that they can steer themselves away from yet another narrow escape from the drop.
The squad has seen something of an overhaul in the last year or so, with Jesse Marsch having been overwhelmingly backed following their survival last season.
He was allowed to bring in a host of new faces to Elland Road, yet was dismissed just last month only for Javi Gracia to replace him. The Spaniard now must rally his troops, none of which were brought in on his request, and help return the Whites to previous winning ways.
It was under Marcelo Bielsa that they last tasted consistent success, as their return campaign in the Premier League merited widespread praise with a squad that was not laden with quality but certainly fought for the badge.
This side was underpinned by the impressive qualities of Stuart Dallas, with his leadership and steely resolve proving instrumental. It is something which they have lacked in his absence but could gain with the promotion of young midfielder Charlie Allen.
Who is Charlie Allen?
The 19-year-old bears plenty of similarities with the northern Irishman, most notably his ability to feature in numerous positions. Across his 267 appearances for the club (and counting, hopefully), the 31-year-old has been known to feature at both full-back positions, on the wing and central midfield.
With the latter being his favoured role, where his tireless nature is highlighted, Allen could be ready to soon step in as his potential predecessor is yet to recover from his broken leg.
Sharing the same nationality as Dallas, the teenage sensation has starred for the U21s this season in the engine room, boasting two goals and two assists in just 14 league appearances.
Across these games, Transfermarkt suggests that he too has featured on both flanks, in a defensive and offensive central midfield role and even as a right winger.
He even drew praise from Jim Magilton, his international elite performance director, who claimed:
“Charlie is one of those kids you can play anywhere and he’ll probably still be the best player on the pitch. He can play right back, central midfield, on either wing, at no. 10 or at centre forward.”
If this doesn’t liken him to Dallas, then the suggestion made by journalist Patrick Van Dort that he is “a dream to coach” only serves to exacerbate this link.
The ageing talisman’s former boss Stephen Baxter even issued a similar quote about the versatile stalwart, claiming that “he’s every manager’s dream.”
A utility man with an eye for goal, the future is remarkably bright for Allen, who will likely seek to emulate his compatriot in how he has endeared himself to the Leeds fans.