Leeds 4 Spurs 3
I'll have to keep it brief as i've just moved house and my gaff is a
f@cking tip.
I remember about 10 years ago when Leeds faced Spurs in the top flight
at Elland Road after our long exodus in the old 2nd division. I remember
it so well - not because a classy Spurs side containing Gascoigne and
Lineker beat a hard-working Leeds side 2-0 (after Leeds had a perfectly
good goal ruled out for no apparent reason) - but because the atmosphere
in the ground, in the Kop end, made my legs tremble.
We were back in the big time and there was nothing to beat it.
Close to a decade on and the sterile atmosphere in the sad stadium
formerly known as Fortress Elland Road is a depressing sign of the state
of the modern game.
Nobody wants to chin anyone in the ground any more. Nobody wants to sing
pre-match taunts to our once despised rivals the southern wideboys, preferring to
listen to some w@nker with a microphone prattle on about f@ck all.
What has happened ? Its so so sad. I was brought up on football when
you went to a match you'd shit yourself that it was going to kick off at
any moment - now the only thing you worry about is if you'll burn the
roof of your mouth on the melton lather they call a pie filling.
Bring back the old days before its too late. Of course I dont condone
violence but healthy rivalry adds to the atmosphere like nothing else.
The first half was awful. Both sides playing 4-4-2 cancelled each other out.
No room for manoeuvre in the middle, no clear chances on goal.
The crowd yawned, looked at their watches and calculated how long it was before
they could have a piss and pie.
CRUNCH ! Radebe nutted Lesley Ferdinand and the stretcher removed the prostate
Spurs striker. Enter Darren Anderton, the only man more fragile than Stephen
"Balsa wood" McFrail. This switch gave Spurs a better balance and released
the underrated Iversen from his right sided berth.
Within minutes Harte's lack of pace and postitioning (both fairly crucial
attributes for a defender to possess) were exposed by the lively Carr and
Rebrov swept home from 18 yards. Half-a-sleep Martyn dived out of the way of it.
Spurs fans, in keeping with the general malaise, sang for about 16 seconds.
Half Time came and the crowd didn't know whether to clap, boo, whistle,
throw popcorn, fart loudly. We may as well have been at the f@cking Theatre.
Expectations for the 2nd half were low. Dacourt and Radebe had both departed
with the debutant Hay and weedy McPhail replacing them.
F@ck tactics and formations ! It was me that won Leeds this game. I turned
to my father and prophesied "If we manage to have a shot this half it'll
be a miracle"
Within 2 minutes we were ahead. Viduka notched his first 2 league goals for
the club and tucked into a celebratory pie tucked into his sock for just
this occasion.
Smith quickly added a 2nd from Bowyer's free kick. Clearly affronted by this
spree Tottenham hit back after Bowyer gave away a stupid free kick in
dangerous territory. Anderton fired in the cross. Mills and Martyn watched
the "not tall" Perry nod home.
Before the crowd could collectively say "fcking hell we're gonner throw this
f@cker away" Smith had glanced home Bowyer's corner and the cushion was
re-established. Smith then hit the woodwork after McFrail's only touch of
the ball in 60 mins released Matteo out left to cross in low.
Still more pressure on the hearts of the Leeds fans that truly cared (about 12%)
when a dodgy corner award gave Rebrov his 2nd after an aerial scramble.
Spurs nearly nicked a point that quite frankly I dont know if they deserved
or not. It was a surreal game.
Leeds fans seem bored of taunting Judas Graham now, half of them probably dont
know who he is, but if it hadn't been for the return of our erstwhile manager
the atmosphere would have reached "Southampton at home 1999" on the Richter
Scale. I.e there's more f@cking atmosphere on the moon on a wet Sunday.
All said and done 3 valuable points.
Formation 4-4-2
Martyn 5 Could have done better for the 1st and 2nd and maybe 3rd goals
Kelly 2 Usless gimp. 3 times in 3 minutes f@cked up infront of the Kop.
Harte 5 GG's tactics exposed Hartey and none of his free kicks could mask his
inadequacies
Mills 6 Out of position, out of his depth but played OK considering he's plop
Rads 6 Double vision. Kept chasing the wrong ball.
(Hay 6) Did remarkably well but i had my eyes shut whenever the ball went
near him !
Ollie 5 Limped off out of boredom
(McFrail) 1 Touched the ball once in 60mins, thought about marking somebody
but didn't
Bowyer 7 Got 3 assists but didn't have much room to really shine.
Bakke 6 Suffocated out of the game.
Matteo 4 Looked f@cked. Didn't track back to help Hartey much and made the
Irishman look a bit shite.
Viduka 8 Lean & mean. Just how he likes his pork pies.
(Bridges) 6 Got 10 mins - nearly scored, it went for a Spurs throw
Smith 9 Ran his testicles off. Battered their back line and scored 2 goals.
--
stotty
www.astott.demon.co.uk