Leeds United’s Relegation Worries Mount as Manager Sam Allardyce Faces Uphill Battle
Leeds United Manager Sam Allardyce Fears Relegation From Premier League
After three seasons in the top flight, Leeds United are on the brink of relegation from the Premier League. With only one game remaining, manager Sam Allardyce fears it will be a “big ask” to secure survival and avoid dropping back down to the Championship.
Injuries have mounted for Leeds at a crucial time with attackers Patrick Bamford and Rodrigo both doubtful for next week’s final game against Tottenham due to hamstring and foot problems respectively. If both players are unavailable, Allardyce admits that it will be difficult for his team to overcome Spurs and ensure their safety in England’s top tier.
The situation is complicated by Everton’s final match against Bournemouth and Leicester City’s last two fixtures which means that even if Leeds do win, they still need other results go their way.
All Hopes Rests on Availability of Key Players
All hopes rest on whether key players can recover from injury in time as without them available, Allardyce may resort to implementing an entirely different system; something he hopes he doesn’t have to do with so much at stake. The pressure is mounting ahead of what promises to be a tense afternoon at Elland Road.
“Slim” Chance But Still Hopeful According To Defender Ayling
Despite this bleak scenario there remains some hope within squad circles as defender Luke Ayling insists there is still a “slim chance” of staying up if everyone pulls together and gives it everything they’ve got. The goal now is simply taking care of business next week against Spurs who themselves still have plenty left play for after failing again this season short of expectations under new manager Nuno Espirito Santo.
Leeds put on a brave face following their 3-1 loss to West Ham, with Ayling acknowledging the daunting task ahead but urging his teammates not to give up and go out in a good way for the fans who have supported them throughout this difficult campaign.
No Clean Sheet For Leeds
Allardyce lamented his team’s quality at both ends of the pitch as they failed to capitalize on an early lead provided by Rodrigo’s goal which briefly took them out of the relegation zone before succumbing ultimately to defeat against West Ham United.
“When it was only 1-0 after 15 minutes, after we had played so well, given we have struggled to keep a clean sheet for a long period of time, I knew it was going to be hard,” said Allardyce. The Englishman believes he knows what is wrong at Elland Road and has over one thousand games under his belt as evidence that he can turn things around if given more time. However, whether or not he gets that chance remains uncertain.”