Leeds train at Elland Road for must-win survival clash

Sam Allardyce has moved Leeds United training to Elland Road in a last-ditch attempt to inspire the victory needed to have any chance of Premier League survival.

Leeds must end a winless eightmatch run in their fixture against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday and would still need both Everton and Leicester City to drop points if they are to climb out of the relegation zone.

Allardyce, the Leeds interim

manager, has moved his squad’s training to the stadium where they must fight to save their season, rather than at their facilities at Thorp Arch.

His idea is that Elland Road will help his players focus for the bigmatch occasion, where anything other than a win will guarantee they drop into the Championship after three campaigns back in the top flight.

Allardyce this week invited club legends Eddie Gray and Gary Mcallister

– both title winners – to address the squad ahead of their do-or-die match.

Leeds supporters have created a noisy atmosphere for home games even during the run that has threatened their top-flight status. In their last home match against Newcastle United, however, it boiled over as one fan grabbed visiting manager Eddie Howe in the final minutes of the 2-2 draw.

Allardyce has been sweating on the fitness of his forwards after Patrick

Bamford and Rodrigo Moreno suffered injuries, but the latter has been given a chance of making the final game of the season.

Regardless of what division Leeds will be playing in next season, they have announced a preseason friendly against Manchester United in Oslo on July 12. They faced each other at the Optus Stadium in Perth, Australia, in 2019 but the friendly was marred by fan violence in the stands during a 4-0 win for Manchester United.