West Ham 3-1 Leeds: Sam Allardyce accepts survival a 'big ask' after defeat

1 year ago 27

Leeds manager Sam Allardyce fears it volition beryllium a "big ask" to unafraid Premier League survival, peculiarly if injured attackers Patrick Bamford and Rodrigo are not acceptable for adjacent week's last crippled against Tottenham.

Three seasons aft they were promoted to the apical flight, Leeds cognize they volition beryllium relegated backmost to the Championship if they neglect to bushed Spurs.

Even that volition not beryllium capable if Everton triumph their last crippled against Bournemouth oregon Leicester prime up 4 points from their past 2 matches.

After Sunday's 3-1 nonaccomplishment astatine West Ham, erstwhile Manchester City defender Micah Richards told Sky Sports: "It looks beauteous atrocious for Leeds now. It is devastating for them."

Who volition past relegation battle?

Full-back Luke Ayling insists Leeds inactive person a "slim" accidental of staying up. But Allardyce feels it depends connected the availability of Bamford, who had to beryllium replaced successful the archetypal fractional against West Ham with a hamstring injury, and Rodrigo, who was yet substituted aft playing done the symptom of a ft problem.

"If some are missing, it is simply a large ask. Fact," helium said. "I can't fell that. I mightiness person to play a wholly antithetic system."

'I americium not huffy - I conscionable emotion football'

Leeds fans deterioration Sam Allardyce facemasks astatine West Ham

That Allardyce concluded his post-match quality league by crossing his fingers, and saying helium "hoped" immoderate post-season discussions with the Leeds hierarchy would beryllium with the Elland Road nine inactive successful the Premier League, says plentifulness astir the occupation they are in.

"Lots of radical said I was huffy to instrumentality the job," helium said. "I americium not mad. I emotion shot and it was excessively large a occupation to crook down, nary substance however abbreviated it was."

Ayling knows the predicament Leeds are in. But contempt galore visiting supporters leaving London Stadium earlier the end, the defender continues to look astatine the concern optimistically.

"There is inactive a tiny spot of hope. We person to drawback connected to that," helium said. "We conscionable person to spell retired determination adjacent week and effort and instrumentality attraction of our business.

"We cognize it a slim accidental but we person to bent connected to that and effort and spell retired successful a bully mode due to the fact that the fans merit that."

'We deficiency prime astatine some ends'

The occupation for Leeds came successful Allardyce's appraisal of what went incorrect against West Ham.

Leeds started brightly, with Rodrigo putting the visitors successful beforehand with a extremity that, briefly, took them retired of the relegation zone.

But they failed to afloat capitalise connected a decent commencement and erstwhile West Ham got into their groove they were excessively good.

"When it was lone 1-0 aft 15 minutes, aft we had played truthful well, fixed we person struggled to support a cleanable expanse for a agelong play of time, I knew it was going to beryllium hard," said Allardyce.

"Our prime astatine some ends is what we lack, to support amended and make much opportunities. Those 2 captious areas are peculiarly disappointing for america and erstwhile you are looking for your substitutes to marque a difference, nary of them did."

Allardyce says helium knows what is incorrect astatine Leeds and has the acquisition of much than 1,000 games to recognize however to enactment it right.

But having won conscionable 1 constituent from 3 games aft being brought successful to salvage a hopeless concern erstwhile Javi Gracia followed Jesse Marsch successful getting sacked, whether helium gets asked is different substance entirely.

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