Sam Allardyce urges West Brom players to secure survival and protect staff

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.

He 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.”

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.”