If he hadn’t already sussed out the mentality of his squad players at Leeds United, Sam Allardyce will see undisputedly what kind of character they have on Sunday. If the magnitude of the relegation stakes were not enough to test their mettle, their head coach has now openly questioned whether they are up to this.
If Allardyce had any plans to modify the starting XI he used at London Stadium for Tottenham Hotspur’s visit, he had better hope his replacements have thick skins. On two occasions in Sunday’s post-match press conference, Allardyce criticised the lack of impact from the quintet he introduced from the bench.
The head coach’s comments about the lack of an alternative centre forward were damning of a sixth member too, in Georginio Rutter. Will they step up with gritted teeth to prove the 68-year-old wrong or fold in a sulk about it?
