Do or die
After four head coaches, seven wins in 36 games and 31 points from an available 108, Leeds United are finally running out of road and time. The Premier League return they waited 16 years for hangs by a thread and the wait for a win cannot go on any longer.
It’s time to deliver. This is a West Ham United team on home turf, yes, but a side made up of players three days on from their greatest night in Hammers colours and lacking the impetus to give 100 per cent in the Premier League any longer this season.
If the Whites want to go into that final day with any chance of fighting until the final whistle against Tottenham Hotspur, as Sam Allardyce has called for, it’s time to prove they deserve their top-flight status.
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This is why Allardyce was brought in by Andrea Radrizzani with one final roll of the dice. If Leeds get the result they need today there will be a degree of vindication for what the Italian did at the start of the month.
West Hamover?
It’s all anyone of a Leeds persuasion has been talking about since West Ham were drawn to go away from home in the Europa Conference League three days before the Whites turned up in Stratford. The Hammers are safe from relegation and coming down from Thursday night’s euphoria.
It’s the opportunity Leeds hoped they were going to get. What will David Moyes do? Will there be widespread changes as there were between their semi-final legs? Will their players be tired and emotionally hungover from Thursday? Or will they thrive on the opportunity to prove everyone wrong?
Captain back?
News of Liam Cooper’s return to training was a major boost to everyone’s optimism for Sunday. With Junior Firpo suspended there is an obvious opening on the left of defence for Max Wober to shuffle across and allow Cooper back in.
The big question we don’t know is how much Cooper has trained or how intensely. His leadership qualities will be critical given how much is at stake this afternoon.
Bamford in or out of the firing line?
History would suggest Patrick Bamford sticks his hand up to play this game with all of the determination needed to prove his doubters wrong. And yet it is not his decision.
Allardyce was full of praise for the striker’s performance last weekend, even with the missed penalty, and at that time looked a clear starter in London Stadium. However, what has Allardyce seen from Bamford in training this week?
If there is a shred of doubt about where Bamford’s head is at in light of this week’s safety concerns for his family, Allardyce will surely pull him from the fray.
Forshaw ready to play his part?
You get the sense Allardyce has to wait until the morning of a game to get a reading on where Adam Forshaw’s body is at. There were no performance reasons behind his benching last weekend, simply a need to manage the injury-prone midfielder.
There is no doubt Forshaw has the composure, vision and passing ability to bring that calmness Allardyce wants in what is sure to be a fraught environment today. Fingers are crossed he can play from the start.
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