Sam Allardyce urges his Leeds players to keep their nerves ahead of the game against West Ham as the veteran manager tries to unleash his side’s great breakaway
Sam Allardyce targets another epic escapology act with Leeds United heading into Sunday’s must-win clash at West Ham.
The 68-year-old arrived at Elland Road with four games to go and in a time of crisis, but his first two games yielded just one point.
Allardyce’s team are desperate for a win against the Hammers to improve their chances of survival heading into a potentially fraught home draw with Tottenham on the final day.
Allardyce won Premier League survivals during spells in charge of Bolton, Blackburn, Crystal Palace, Sunderland and Everton before suffering his first relegation at West Brom in his last job.
He said: ‘I’d love to still be there next week at Elland Road against Tottenham, but we need to win at West Ham first. I think we gave ourselves the chance to survive by playing in the last game we need to win to survive – that’s the best we could wish for.
Sam Allardyce aims for victory at West Ham to keep lead in battle to stay on top next season
Rasmus Kristensen grabbed a late equalizer to see the spoils shared as Newcastle visited Elland Road last weekend
“If we know we’re going to keep winning no matter what others do, I think that’s a good place to be here after only being here for four games. In our opinion, if we take three points at West Ham and have lost other teams, it will still go to the last game.
‘We would have to calculate who does what and where, so we’ll have to wait and see. The most important is West Ham. After that nothing matters anymore.’
From dancing on the pitch with Jay-Jay Okocha at Bolton in 2003 to taking his coat rough at Sunderland in 2016, Allardyce sure knows how to celebrate survival in the Premier League.
He will draw on all his past experience and that of a Leeds side who managed a last-day victory at Brentford last season to stay afloat. He added: “The players have been in this particular situation before and so have I, of course, during my managerial career.
“At Crystal Palace, for example, we beat Arsenal 3-0 and then beat Hull City 4-0 to survive in 2017.
‘At Sunderland we beat Everton 3-0 in the penultimate game of the season and in 2003 with Bolton we beat Middlesbrough 2-1 at home to survive on the final day.
“With Blackburn we beat Tottenham 2-1 at home and that put us on track to survive in 2008-09. We managed to keep the nerves in my time [as a manager] but that doesn’t mean I can make these players do exactly what they do.
“But hopefully I can use my experience to help them cross the line and they will take that with them. I’ve been here before so know what it feels like. I’m calm enough to hopefully give players the right direction to make the right decisions on the day.”
In recent seasons, Allardyce made an exuberant figure on the field as he celebrated his stay in the Premier League (pictured in Sunderland in 2016)
Allardyce believes the commitment of his substitutes at West Ham will be crucial today. He explained: “I think five substitutes will be a key element in the decision my staff and I take at the right time.
“Whether it’s five, four, or three, it’s a huge responsibility now as a head coach to adapt when you need to, to try and get better.
If you get that wrong, it can destroy the team’s chances of getting it right. If you do it right, it can give them a better chance of winning.
“You have to be that calm to make those decisions under the enormous pressure of that game. Whichever team West Ham choose, we have to do our best.’