Leeds United legend Eddie Gray clinging to hope after visiting Sam Allardyce's Whites at Thorp Arch

Sunday's game brings the curtain down on the 2022/23 Premier League season and in truth it's not just must-win, it's must-win-and-hope.

The Whites need three points to overtake Everton by a point and leave the drop zone, but if the Toffees get a point against Bournemouth then Leeds will need a three-goal margin of victory over Spurs to level things up on goal difference and take it to their superior goals scored record.

Things became even more complicated when Leicester City earned a draw with Newcastle United on Monday, meaning in essence that the Foxes must not beat West Ham on Sunday. If they do, Leeds will require a win and a nine-goal swing, along with an Everton loss.

'Difficult' is the word club legend Gray would use to describe it.

"I just went up to see the boys," he said, of Tuesday's visit to Thorp Arch. The club published photos of the players and staff stood in a circle around Gray and fellow club hero Gary McAllister. A year ago Gray made the same trip to the training ground in the week leading up to another must-win finale against Brentford.

On that occasion he did not address the team and he insists, probably out of modesty, that he didn't give much of an address this time, either, but the club were evidently hopeful that the presence of greatness might draw something from the squad.

"It wasn't anything really, I didn't say much at all," said Gray.

"It's a difficult situation but you've just got to get a result yourself and hopefully everything falls into place for you. That's the situation we're in. It's been like that for a few weeks now. It doesn't come as a surprise, it might come as a bit of a shock to people when it comes to the final game but it was always going to come down to this looking at the fixtures and the way things were going."

'Difficult' is also how he describes the scenario Sam Allardyce has walked into at Elland Road. Appointed with four games to go against opposition that included Manchester City, Newcastle United and Spurs, it was always going to be hit and hope territory for Leeds.

As yet, they haven't really hit. A point against the Magpies is about the height of it, leaving Allardyce with one remaining opportunity to pick up a win that now might not even be enough.

"I think it was difficult for him, coming in at this stage of the season with this many games left," Gray told the YEP.

"You don't get a real opportunity to turn things around and get them playing how he wants them to play. It's a difficult situation for everybody. But the club probably had to try something to try and get us out the situation we're in."

Until difficult becomes impossible, Revie boy and former manager Gray will cling to hope for the perfect set of results.

"I'm hopeful, you've always got to have hope but the thing about it is, it's not in our hands now," he said.

"Even if you win the game, it's up to other clubs and what they can do. Elland Road will be rocking. I think the fans realise it's such an important game for the football club, we've got to get our result right but that doesn't guarantee success in the long run, we've just to wait and see how it goes [elsewhere.]"