Sam Allardyce demands response from his West Brom team against Arsenal
‘They’re playing for people’s jobs here’: Sam Allardyce reminds his West Brom team of their duty to fight for Premier League survival as he demands response to 5-0 thrashing by Leeds against Arsenal this weekend
- West Bromwich Albion play Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday night
- Sam Allardyce is looking for a reaction after their 5-0 thrashing by Leeds United
- He has reminded his players they are fighting for people’s livelihoods
- Allardyce made plain that relegation from the top-flight will mean cut-backs
- But senior players spoke before about their motivation to win promotion to the top flight to protect jobs – only to discover the club axed seven staff anyway
Sam Allardyce has warned his under-fire West Brom squad jobs are on the line at the club.
The former England manager wants his side to take responsibility for the livelihoods of staff, which could be at risk if the Baggies are relegated.
Allardyce has been critical of his new side’s discipline, fitness and desire since replacing Slaven Bilic two weeks ago.
But his comments may sit awkwardly with squad members who fought their way out of the Championship last season, spurred by their desire to protect colleagues’ jobs, only to discover the club axed seven backroom staff anyway.
Sam Allardyce has reminded his West Bromwich Albion players of their duty to fight against relegation from the Premier League, warning jobs at the club will be at risk
The Baggies were humiliated 5-0 by Leeds United in their last outing on Tuesday night
Allardyce will search for January reinforcements to try to keep second-bottom Albion in the Premier League but, ahead of Saturday’s visit of Arsenal, has reminded the players about their duty.
He said: ‘The players are playing for everybody’s future at West Bromwich Albion. As well as themselves and their team-mates and the families, they’re playing for people’s jobs here.
‘They’re responsible for people’s jobs because there’s no doubt whenever a club gets relegated it starts cutting back.
‘It starts reducing costs and making people redundant, maybe people who have worked here for years and years and years and who are Albion through and through.
‘They should think about that for a while and use that for more determination about what we need to do to save this football club.’
Leeds were far too strong for West Brom and Allardyce has demanded a response
West Brom are second bottom and five points adrift of safety in the Premier League table
However, there can be little doubt that senior members of the West Brom squad are already painfully aware of the risk that relegation would bring to their colleagues’ jobs.
Celebrating on the pitch immediately after securing promotion to the top flight in July, captain Jake Livermore spoke of his relief that staff behind the scenes would not be made redundant since the club was going up and would be more than £100m better off.
Striker Charlie Austin said the same a few days later and the risk to their colleagues’ livelihoods had clearly been an additional, motivating factor in the final push for promotion.
But, Sportsmail later revealed that emails were sent to club staff within a week of those jubilant scenes, informing them a review of operations would take place and they were told their jobs were at risk soon afterwards. The club made at least seven backroom staff redundant.
Jake Livermore spoke passionately about securing colleagues’ jobs after winning promotion
Charlie Austin spoke about how important promotion was in saving colleagues’ jobs
Allardyce rounded on his squad after Tuesday’s 5-0 home defeat to Leeds and questioned why they could not produce a repeat of the performance which earned an impressive 1-1 draw at Liverpool on Sunday.
Albion have now taken points off the champions, Chelsea and Manchester City and Allardyce wants them to be sparked into action by fearing the Gunners.
He said: ‘Let’s hope they see Arsenal as big as they see Manchester City and Liverpool because they seem to do the right things against the teams they seem to have a bit more fear of.
‘I hope they fear Arsenal and it kicks them into performing like they did against Liverpool and certainly at The Hawthorns. We’ve got to start picking up points wherever we can.’
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