Whether Leeds United face D-day or not at West Ham United, they must cut out the errors

Either way, it will be a test of mettle and discipline after two matches where the pressure has been light but the greater stubbornness of the Whites encouraging.

In the worst-case scenario, Leeds could be playing for their Premier League lives against West Ham United at the London Stadium.

Playing first, an Everton win at Wolverhampton Wanderers could leave the Whites needing three points to have any realistic chance of avoiding relegation unless Nottingham Forest took a big hiding at home to Arsenal. A point for Steve Cooper's men on top of a Toffees win would see even the mathematicians accepting Leeds's fate if they cannot beat the Hammers.

But there is a much more positive slant on it too. If Everton fail to at Molineux, three points for Leeds would see them out of the relegation zone with a game to play.

The stakes are high for Allardyce's men, if not for a West Ham team who would not be human if they did not have at least half an eye on the Europa Conference League final they qualified for on Thursday.

We are yet to have any concrete evidence of how strong a chin Leeds have developed under Allardyce. One point from his first two games was below par until you consider they were against Manchester City and Newcastle United, and that keeping the hit to their goal difference to just one, having ended life under Javi Gracia looking dangerously fragile, represented a moral victory of sorts, even if Allardyce is adamant they ought to have had an actual one against the Magpies.

But the last two matches, against West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur next week, were always more likely to determine the success or failure of interim manager Allardyce's rescue mission.

"Do or die, lads," he says, quite straight-forwardly.

So how will Leeds perform under the pressure of expectation, particularly if their safety net is whipped away in the Midlands?

"Whatever the situation is when we get to Sunday afternoon, we have to deal with it, we have to accept it and we have to make it spur on to the best performance we can give, no matter what goes on on Saturday,” argues Allardyce.

"We have to deliver a three-point scenario at West Ham to try and save our Premier League status and handling the pressure that comes with that is a big question.

"They certainly handled that pressure last week, apart from the silly errors we gave away and the penalties but I’m pleased we’ve had the reaction we’ve had.

"When you consider Newcastle have just battered Brighton 4-1, it gives an indicator of where we’ve come in a short period. You could (also) say when Manchester City battered Real Madrid and you look at when we played there and what we did to try and stay in the game.

"It shows some good indicators without three points on the board. I think we’re moving in the right direction and the players’ confidence should be a little better but the crucial factor will be trying to try to obtain our first clean sheet (under his management).”

The caveats, though, are huge. Had Leeds picked up points every time they played well under Jesse Marsch they would not be in this mess but their lack of ruthlessness up front – like when Patrick Bamford missed a penalty against Newcastle – or defensive errors – to blame for both Magpies goals – have seriously undermined them.

“I think it’s pressure," explains Allardyce. "We all make mistakes but it’s how costly are the mistakes?"

The margins are fine but that is elite sport in a nutshell and Allardyce's background put his defenders most under the microscope.

“It’s slight details," he says. "The position of your body on the penalty is critical and the hand (of Junior Firpo) doesn’t have to go up (when he conceded Newcastle's second penalty last week). He can just adjust and clear the ball. That’s all it is.

"You are only talking about maybe six, eight or 10cm.

"If he turns his body around, he can move his feet and jump and head the ball away. It’s that simple.

"There’s no need to tackle in the box. You have got to stay on your feet everybody dives over a leg or gets a touch and goes down so don’t give them the opportunity.

"That, based on the fact we’ve given a penalty away against Manchester City was just disappointing and costly because time is running out.

"If the opposition score a great goal from their ability like Manchester City, you hold your hands up and go, ‘We have done our best to try and stop that.'

"But those are so avoidable for us which is most disappointing for me. It’s hard for the centre-halves here because I’m a centre-half.

"It’s about defending and defending properly because if we had more clean sheets we’d already be safe.

"There’s only one person who can make fewer mistakes than your centre-halves and that’s your goalkeeper. Midfielders, centre-forwards can make more mistakes and wait for the next one but centre-halves, goalkeepers and full-backs – full concentration for the whole 90 minutes.”