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Premier League ‘helping us to get relegated’, claims Baggies boss Sam Allardyce

Allardyce is unhappy with the fixture list.

West Brom boss manager Sam Allardyce is unhappy with the Premier League (Carl Recine/PA) Expand

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West Brom boss manager Sam Allardyce is unhappy with the Premier League (Carl Recine/PA)

West Brom boss manager Sam Allardyce is unhappy with the Premier League (Carl Recine/PA)

West Brom boss manager Sam Allardyce is unhappy with the Premier League (Carl Recine/PA)

By Nick Mashiter, PA

West Brom boss Sam Allardyce has again hit out at the Premier League and feels it is pushing the Baggies towards relegation.

Allardyce’s men host Newcastle on Sunday, just 60 hours after Thursday’s 1-0 defeat to Everton.

The Toffees game was initially due to be played on March 20 but was moved forward because of Everton’s FA Cup quarter-final with Manchester City.

Albion are nine points from safety and the 17th-placed Magpies and Allardyce believes the Baggies are being treated unfairly by the Premier League.

He said: “We asked if we could play it next Monday and they said no. Then what do we have to do? Play at 12 on Sunday.

“Thank you very much. That’s really nice of you at the Premier League, helping us to get relegated or trying to get us relegated.

“That’s how it is. You can ask for different dates or times but any one we asked for has been completely ignored.”

Thursday’s defeat left the Baggies staring at an immediate return to the Sky Bet Championship.

Allardyce has targeted victory against Newcastle to keep their slim hopes of beating the drop alive as he puts his friendship with Steve Bruce on hold.

Magpies boss Bruce and Allardyce – who was in charge at St James’ Park between 2007 and 2008 – have managed 982 Premier League games between them.

He said: “We’ve had a lot of encounters and we both know that when we come to face each other we both want to win desperately, never more so than this one.

“They’ve slipped down towards the bottom three and we’ve been in it for I don’t know how long. We’re both aware what a victory would mean. So while the game is going on we won’t be friends.”

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