Sam Allardyce challenges West Brom players unhappy with playing time
Boss Sam Allardyce says there are players at Albion who are unhappy with their lack of playing time.
But the 66-year-old has warned them they will only force their way back into the side by conducting themselves right on and off the field.
Allardyce didn’t reveal which members of his squad have approached him asking for more game time.
But Branislav Ivanovic, Kieran Gibbs, Romaine Sawyers, Jake Livermore, Grady Diangana and Karlan Grant are all high-profile players who haven’t featured a lot under the former England boss.
“I have to give all the players credit for the camaraderie amongst them,” Allardyce said.
“There are one or two players who are not happy about not being selected.
“They are looking at me saying ‘why are you not picking me?’ That always happens.
“They don’t realise what they do on a day-to-day basis or when they play – they select themselves or deselect themselves.
“When players tell me I’ve dropped them – what they don’t realise is I haven’t dropped them, they have dropped themselves.
“That’s been the case now for many, many, years because of the data we have.
“I look at the data on every single player in training and I look at the data of every single player in a match.
“I look at their body language in training, I look at how dedicated they are when it comes to what extras they do.
“And quietly I look along and think ‘it’s going to be difficult for you to get in because I can’t see you changing my mind.’
Allardyce revealed he is always keeping tabs on what his players are up to.
“My eye, my experience, tells me whether they are going to play their way back into the team or not,” the boss continued.
“That comes from many different factors, it comes from being a hugely experienced manager who watches many different aspects.
“I’m watching when they don’t know I’m watching.
“They have no idea what I am doing.
“They think I’m walking around being jolly and happy.
“But my study of their body language, the way they handle themselves, the way they train, the way they perform, what do they do with the backroom staff, what do they do when they are not here.
“It gives me a huge amount of insight on whether can force their way back into the team.
“There can be nothing better than forcing your way back into the team the way Callum Robinson has done recently.”
