‘After Saturday’: Phil Hay shares how those inside Leeds are now feeling about their survival chances

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According to Phil Hay, there was a renewed optimism around Leeds United after Saturday’s loss against Manchester City.

Speaking on The Athletic Football Podcast, the journalist was asked how those within Leeds are now feeling about their survival hopes after the appointment of Sam Allardyce, and Hay says that those within the club were feeling optimistic after Saturday after the Whites nearly snatched something against the Premier League champions.

Of course, Leeds are staring down the barrel at a potential relegation to the Championship, and in response to their situation they’ve hired the ultimate firefighter in the shape of Sam Allardyce, and they now believe he could well be the man to keep them up.

Leeds optimistic

“Do Leeds have any more confidence after this week that he is the man to keep them in the Premier League?” Hay was asked.

“There was optimism after Saturday, but I do think that was based on the Rodrigo goal. If you’re being objective about that game, it should never have taken that course, you can see why Guardiola was unhappy with that penalty, because it did invite a collapse, they were hanging on in injury time having dominated Leeds all the way through,” Hay said.

Uphill task

Leeds may have been confident after Saturday, but we can’t help but feel that this optimism may have been destroyed on Monday.

Indeed, with both Everton and Nottingham Forest picking up huge wins on Monday evening, Leeds are now 19^th in the table with a mountain to climb.

With tough games against Newcastle, West Ham and Tottenham coming up, Leeds will really struggle to get out of this mess.

If Allardyce is to save Leeds, it would be his greatest performance yet as a firefighter manager.