Leeds United boss Sam Allardyce pre-Newcastle United press conference every word on Whites changes, survival target, Eddie Gray and Magpies must
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Allardyce has been brought in as United’s new boss for the final four games of the club’s desperate battle for Premier League survival, the first of which took Leeds to title-favourites Manchester City. The Whites were only defeated by a single-goal margin but the 2-1 reverse left Leeds fourth-bottom and hovering dangerously close to the division’s relegation zone, only above the dreaded dotted line on goal difference.
Leeds were then given a boost in the first of three fixtures on Bank Holiday Monday as relegation rivals Leicester City suffered a 5-3 defeat at Fulham which kept the Foxes fifth-bottom and level on points with the Whites.
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Hide AdBut United were dealt a double hammer blow from the day’s evening games as Everton firstly romped to a 5-1 success at Brighton before Nottingham Forest saw off Southampton 4-3 at the City Ground. Leeds have now been left second-bottom and two points adrift of safety with just three games remaining, the first of which presents a Saturday lunchtime visit of third-placed Champions League spot-chasers Newcastle United in a 12.30pm kick-off. Allardyce spoke to media at 2pm from Thorp Arch today and here is every word that was said by United’s head coach.
Every word from Leeds United boss Sam Allardyce’s pre-Newcastle press conference
Key Events
- Saturday 12.30pm kick-off at Elland Road
- Allardyce speaking at 2pm
On spelling out must not lose
“They know themselves don’t they. Their Premier League status is in jeopardy. The club worked so hard to get here and the first two years are always the hardest. In fact, contrary to what everybody says, year one’s harder than year two. But then when year three comes around, it’s probably I don’t know what the percentage is now but when I first started in the early 2000s with Bolton, we did those percentages and so we said get to year three, then your your chance of not getting relegated increases by another 25% and then then you go on to like West Ham, kept them in the Premier League for three seasons, now look where they are. Bolton with 10 seasons before I left and then they crumbled so you know you can build if you get past year one and two, you can then build for the future and a long term future if you get that right so we’ve got to try and survive this year. But this is year three.”
On Bamford’s task at the Etihad and then Rodrigo coming on and scoring, how do you approach that situation with those two vying for what we think is one spot? that
“There’s nothing wrong with the system, it’s just the players playing it. So the system when you are attacking is a 4-3-3 and then when you are defending it’s 4-5-1. It’s not the system that breaks down, it’s the players within the system and their inability or technical inability not to make it work as an attacking force. It’s what most clubs play these days.”