Sam Allardyce on Patrick Bamford social media abuse: ‘Police must do a bit more’ | ‘Social media runs the world’
Sam Allardyce has reacted to the abuse targeted at Patrick Bamford and called for police to take action; watch West Ham vs Leeds United live on Sky Sports Premier League from 12.30pm this Sunday; kick-off 1.30pm
Friday 19 May 2023 11:08, UK
Leeds boss Sam Allardyce says he would like the “police to do a lot more” to help protect footballers from abuse on social media.
The Yorkshire club this week condemned the threats directed at Patrick Bamford and his family after the striker had a penalty saved in the 2-2 draw with Newcastle in the Premier League.
Allardyce urged Bamford to respond by scoring the winner in Sunday's game at West Ham and said: "He has been okay, obviously extremely upset about the situation. It is something of very, very bad taste indeed.
"I'd like the police to do a bit more. But it appears that when it comes to social media they run the world and can say and do what they want, unfortunately. Which is why the world is in such a mess, isn't it?
"But he has handled it pretty well. The club has done as much as it can, certainly security wise. It was not just about him, it was about his family.
"The best way is to go out on the pitch on Sunday, perform to his highest level, try and score and it would be even better if he scored the winner."
Rasmus Kristensen's late goal did at least earn Leeds a point against Newcastle but the failure to take all three has increased the pressure on Allardyce's team to win at West Ham, live on Sky Sports, this Sunday afternoon.
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"We really did kick ourselves in the guts by gifting them those penalties. For me, it was a bitter pill to swallow the next day when we looked at how much we had done and how close we had got to a crucial three points.
"I would have said we were 60 to 65 per cent sure we would stay up if we had won that game and now we have got to go and win at West Ham. It would not have been essential to win at West Ham, I don't think, if we had won last week.
"I think a point would have been a great achievement, trying to win but making sure we don't lose and then going into the last game. Just cut out those mistakes. We all have to remember that time is running out and those errors will be punished."
With Everton travelling to Wolves and Nottingham Forest hosting Arsenal on Saturday, Leeds' predicament will be clearer by the time that they play.
"It is a difficult situation if you find that the teams down there on the Saturday have picked up three points and it is near enough a certainty that you need three points to stay in the race.
"We have to deal with it and we have to accept it and make it spur us on to the best performance we can give, no matter what goes on on Saturday. We have to deliver a three-point scenario at West Ham to try and save our Premier League status.
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"They certainly handled the pressure last week apart from the silly errors for the penalties. But I am pleased with the reaction we have had when you consider that Newcastle have just battered Brighton 4-1 so it gives us an indicator of how far we have come.
"I suppose you could say that Manchester City have battered Real Madrid and you look at what we did and how we stayed in the game, it shows some good indicators without getting three points on the board. The players' confidence should be a bit better."
