The scenes that followed the final whistle on Sunday at the London Stadium were difficult to watch for those of a Leeds United persuasion. A lifeless and limp performance led to a 3-1 defeat against West Ham United and that result left the Whites teetering on the edge of relegation.
Leeds knew the clash was one they had to win to be in control of their own fate come the final day, but they were played off the park by the Hammers and it looks a long way back at this stage. That disappointment and exasperation was reflected on the pitch at full-time.
While West Ham celebrated a win on their final home match of the season, Robin Koch and Wilfried Gnonto were amongst those seen on their haunches looking despondent. Joel Robles slumped to the ground in defeat, while others made attempts to shake hands with their opponents in the east London sun before heading over to the pocket of supporters in the corner of the Sir Trevor Brooking Stand.
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There most stood, heads bowed, hands on hips, staring desolately at the turf beneath them, while some brought their hands together at waist height to applaud the travelling fans. You don't have to be a body language expert to know that Leeds looked a beaten and broken outfit at that moment.
A handful of players threw their shirts into the small crowd that remained, others simply turned and slowly made their way towards the tunnel whilst trying to come to terms with their latest defeat. It’s a scene supporters have seen all too often away from home this season.
The full-time reactions after losses at the likes of Leicester City, Nottingham Forest, Everton and Bournemouth in particular, were similar, but there was an awful lot more resignation on show this time around. It’s not over yet, of course, and should results go their way on Sunday, they would be able to climb to safety with a win over Tottenham Hotspur at Elland Road.
To give themselves a chance, though, Leeds need to dust themselves down and get themselves mentally ready for one final push. Sam Allardyce, Robbie Keane and Karl Robinson will be doing their best at Thorp Arch to pick the players up and motivate them during what is likely to be their last week in the job.
Despite Allardyce’s fairly damning words to the press regarding the ability of his squad, he’ll be attempting to bolster the confidence of individuals behind closed doors and by Sunday he’ll hope to have his players champing at the bit to have a go at Tottenham. The head coach and his assistants can only do so much, though, with players having to meet them at least halfway.
The onus is largely on the individual to make sure they’re in a suitable place between the ears leading into Sunday’s game and with the stakes at an all-time high, it’s up to them to go out and do the business on the pitch. Bouncing back will be the biggest test of character Leeds have been forced to contend with all season.
Mettle, spirit, willpower, temperament and grit will all be under the microscope at Elland Road on Sunday, and if the pursuit of a final day miracle can’t bring out a reaction from this squad then that only serves to further expose the glaring shortcomings at the club, both on and off the field. Ultimately, a win might not be good enough and Leeds only have themselves to blame for finding themselves in such a treacherous position.
But, as a collective group of footballers, the Whites must move on quickly from last weekend’s disappointment and throw themselves wholeheartedly into Sunday’s challenge.
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