Sam Allardyce hoping West Brom can spoil Leeds United's final day Elland Road party

Outgoing West Bromwich Albion boss Sam Allardyce is aiming to spoil Leeds United's final day Elland Road party.
West Brom boss Sam Allardyce. Pic: GettyWest Brom boss Sam Allardyce. Pic: Getty
West Brom boss Sam Allardyce. Pic: Getty

The Whites host the Baggies in Premier League action this afternoon in LS11.

Marcelo Bielsa s side have already secured a top half finish in their debut campaign amongst England's elite for 16 years.

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United, if results go their way, could realistically finish as high as eighth as the best of the rest should they secure all three points against Albion.

Leeds will welcome around 8,000 supporters for the final day showdown with Allardyce's visitors.

It will be the first time supporters have been allowed through the turnstiles in West Yorkshire in over 14 months.

The already-relegated Baggies, though, are looking to hand the Whites a sour end to what has been a hugely successful first year back.

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Leeds will be saying goodbye to departing promotion heroes Pablo Hernandez and Gaetano Berardi while the out-of-contract Gjanni Alioski could also be playing his last game for the club.

Allardyce himself has announced he will leave the Hawthorns at the campaign's conclusion later today but wants to go out on a high.

“There is still the pride and professionalism to try to finish the season as best you can," he said ahead of kick-off.

“Sadly for us we have lost our last two have been difficult games, and I’d hate to finish the final game by losing that as well, because people might think they’ve given up, and they haven’t given up.

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“We’ve been fighting until the very end, even though our fate has been decided, to give something back to the fans at West Brom by winning a match.”

Allardyce was also full of praise for the way in which Leeds boss Bielsa has ensured his own side have avoided the fate of West Brom and gone on to cement their place back in the top flight.

He said: “Certainly in the early part of the season they just played one way and it didn’t matter if they lost 4-0 or they won 4-0.

“I think he’s done a marvellous job as a coach, looking at that first half of the season, saying ‘how can I modify that?’, and he’s done that from a defensive point of view because they are now letting in far fewer goals.”