Sam Allardyce has surprises up his sleeve as he sends blunt pre-West Ham message - YEP 20/5/23
Leeds United and Sam Allardyce have been seeking surprises since he arrived in an emergency firefighter role at the start of May and he could have one up his sleeve for West Ham United.
By Graham Smyth
Who had climate change fuelling Sam Allardyce's future fear
on their press conference bingo card? Or the job losses at BT due to artificial
intelligence? The man is just full of surprises.
The only shocks Leeds United were interested in when they
sent up the Big Sam signal were results, scorelines that no one but the boss
and maybe his players saw coming.
They didn't get that at Manchester City, although they
somehow stayed in the game long enough that they did introduce nerves to the
side who duly went and thrashed Real Madrid. A single-goal margin of defeat was
in essence a shock result for Leeds at the Etihad, given their goal difference
troubles against Liverpool, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth, a trio of teams
vastly inferior to Pep Guardiola's lot. Then came top three residents, new
money Newcastle United, eyeing a grandstand finish to an Eddie Howe-inspired
season of excellence. Relegation zone dwelling Leeds should have beaten them,
having put themselves in a position to go on and do so, but even a point from a
2-2 draw was a result few would have predicted prior to Allardyce's arrival
when all looked lost.
Even before leading the Whites into the penultimate outing
of his four-game managerial cameo, Allardyce has come up with the unexpected,
his discussion of social media abuse dished out to Patrick Bamford building to
this: "I do fear for our life as an old timer now, I fear for our life
with social media and what it's bringing to the world," he began.
"I've just heard about 40,000 jobs going from BT [due
to AI]. What are they going to do? Another bit of AI comes in, another 30,000
jobs go. For me it's not a great future, with what we're doing with climate
change. That's my worry for my grandchildren."
Right on. Back in the present, with
hopefully-tired-and-a-little-bit-hungover West Ham preparing some sort of
welcome at the London Stadium, Allardyce is hinting that he could hit the
Hammers with something a little different on Sunday. Junior Firpo is out
suspended and though Max Wober could shuffle across to play left-back, with
Liam Cooper back training and presumably an option to start in the middle,
Allardyce has shaped to throw a curveball.
"We've been talking about that in terms of who do we
fit into that position or do we perhaps change the system to a different way of
playing," he said.
"We've got to look at what West Ham did last night,
last week, and look at what players we have available and pick a system to suit
our team that's available."
Jack Harrison and Luke Ayling as wing-backs, either side of
a Cooper, Wober and Rasmus Kristensen central defence? At the very least,
Allardyce is trying to even the odds when it comes to uncertainty because what
West Ham might have lost in energy they could gain in their own surprise
factor.
"We probably can normally guess the team that's going
to be picked on the Sunday but it's very difficult to pick this one because
obviously looking at Brentford last week they made nine changes," said the
Leeds boss.
"But I think they will basically, even though he might
change the team, probably play the same way as he normally does. Our
preparation is to try as best we can predict the team and how they play and do
a bit of practice against that, defensively and offensively, today and tomorrow
before we travel. We won't know until we get the email to find out what team
he's actually picked. We might need to have a little chat with the players
before they go out."
But if Leeds cannot widen West Ham eyes with something
unforeseen then they must do so with how uncomfortable they make it for their
hosts. Last week Allardyce spoke of his surprise at how necessary it was to try
and lift the energy levels at the club. This was, or it bears resemblance to
the team that was, the bunch who were lauded week in and week out as the
fittest and most intense in their division. That Championship-forced,
Bielsa-masterminded reputation followed Leeds into the Premier League. "A
game against Leeds is like a trip to the dentist," Mikel Arteta once said.
So much time has passed since then, so much has muddied the
water around this team to lower expectations but could it still be possible to
switch that intensity back on at this late stage of a season? Could Leeds once
again run a rival ragged?
"Yeah. It’s easy - if you have got your mind set the
right way," said Allardyce.
"You will run your fastest if I point a gun at you and
I am going to shoot you even though you’ve never run that fast before. Or you
might just freeze and get shot. Do you like that one?”
Yes, very good Sam. Blunt, but very good. Now put down the
gun. Leeds are in the line of fire, here, and if being held at gunpoint by the
relegation zone does not inspire the greatest effort of the season then can
anything?
Perhaps the most encouraging aspect of this last week of the
season for Leeds fans is that it won't take two shock results to keep them up.
Beating West Ham should be very possible. They drew with them earlier in the
season and had it not been for a goal-line block and then a blinding reflex
save, the three points would have remained at Elland Road. The Hammers are only
three places and six points above Allardyce's men.
Then consider Tottenham Hotspur, who have generously donated
to the points tallies of Nottingham Forest, Leicester, Wolves and Bournemouth
this season. Leeds should have taken something from them in London, too. You
don't know which Spurs will show up in the final day so you couldn't call a
positive result for Leeds a surprise in any way.
Whatever happens, the league table just has to show that
survival is still possible when Leeds kick off on the final day. A win on
Sunday, of course, does just that.
"We have to deliver a three point scenario at West Ham
to try and save our Premier League status and handling the pressure that comes
with that is a big question of can you?"
