Sam Allardyce urges Leeds players to hold their nerve against West Ham

Sam Allardyce urges his Leeds players to hold their nerve on the road against West Ham as the veteran manager looks to spark his side’s great escape

• Since his last-ditch appointment Leeds have only claimed a single point
• Victory against West Ham on Sunday will be crucial as Leeds look to keep pace
• Allardyce admits comments on Pep Guardiola were ploy to take pressure off 

Sam Allardyce is targeting 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 at a time of crisis, but his first two matches harvested just one point.

Allardyce’s team are desperate for a win against the Hammers to boost their survival prospects heading into a potentially fraught final-day home clash with Tottenham.

Allardyce won Premier League survival scraps during spells in charge of Bolton, Blackburn, Crystal Palace, Sunderland and Everton before suffering his first relegation with West Brom in his last job.  

He said: ‘I’d love to be still in it next week at Elland Road against Tottenham, but we have to win at West Ham first. I think we will have given ourselves a chance to stay up by playing in the last game needing to win that to survive — that’s the best we can ask for.

Sam Allardyce is targeting a win at West Ham to keep leads in the fight to stay up next season

Rasmus Kristensen snatched a late equaliser to see the spoils shared when Newcastle visited Elland Road last weekend

‘If we know we will stay up with a win irrespective of what others do I think that’s a good place to be after only being here for these four games. If by any stretch of the imagination we get three points at West Ham and other teams have lost it still goes to the last game.

‘We would have to work out the maths of who does what and where, so we’ll have to wait and see. The most important thing is West Ham. Nothing after that matters now.’

From dancing on the pitch with Jay-Jay Okocha at Bolton in 2003 to raucously ripping back his jacket at Sunderland in 2016, Allardyce certainly knows how to celebrate Premier League survival.

He will draw on all his past experiences and those of a Leeds side who claimed a final-day win at Brentford last season to stay up. He added: ‘The players have gone into this particular situation before and so have I obviously during my managerial career.

‘At Crystal Palace, for example, we beat Arsenal 3-0 and then beat Hull City 4-0 to stay up 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 stay up on the final day.

‘With Blackburn, we beat Tottenham 2-1 at home and that set us on the way to staying up in 2008-09. We’ve managed to hold the nerve in my time [as a manager] but it doesn’t mean I can get these players to do exactly the same as they did. 

‘Hopefully, though, I can use my experience to help them over the line and they take that on board. 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 seasons past, Allardyce has cut an exuberant figure on the pitch when celebrating staying in the Premier League (pictured at Sunderland in 2016)

Allardyce believes the use of his substitutes at West Ham today will be crucial. He explained: ‘I think five substitutes will be a key element in the decision my staff and I make at the right time.

‘Whether it’s five, four or three, that’s a massive responsibility now as a head coach to adjust when you need to, to try and get better.

‘If you get that wrong, it can destroy the chances of the team doing well. If you get it right, it could give them a better chance of winning. 

‘That’s how calm you need to be to make those decisions under the enormous pressure of that game. Whatever team West Ham pick, we’ve got to play our best.’

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