Leeds 1 Aston Villa 2

We now have the Dream Team model in kit form at Leeds. All we need now
is some super glue to cement the pieces together, some instructions as
to how to assemble these precious bits and most importantly, somebody
with a footballing brain to carry out the delicate construction work.

On Saturday against Villa the side were held together by blu-tac, the
instructions quite clearly ignored and David NO'Idea-rly was left
blaming everyone except himself for failing to come up with the goods.

Next time we have a spare £30 million quid knocking about I suggest we
buy another 6 Olivier Dacourts. That way if we are in the unfortunate
position when half-a-dozen Ollies are injured, suspended, in prison, or
Xmas shopping then at least we'll have the one vital cog left in the
heart of our midfield. Without him we were nothing.

Batty was nowhere to be seen either. Rumour has it that he was in town
due to contractual obligations, doing a book signing in Waterstones for
the pre-Christmas shoppers. Apparently the deal was done a few months
back when it was envisaged that Batts would be out for most of the
season. A friend of a friend told me. :-)

I wasn't in my usual position in the Kop - I was much lower down - 4
rows from the bottom. From this vantage point its difficult to get a
full perspective on the game. Presumably O'Leary's seat is of a similar
elevation.

O'Leary is learning the hard way. Too scared to drop any of his 3
central defenders he pushed one of the clubs best ever stoppers , Radebe
, into midfield - well not even midfield - sort of in the gap of no mans
land where the ball never comes and nobody goes. Well - Radebe patrolled
this empty zone pretty well but it meant we were playing with only 10
men. A master stroke for the young naive Irish manager.

Villa have been playing 3-5-2 effectively for as long as I can remember
- at Wembley in the Coca Cola Cup in 1995 they destroyed us with their
tactics. Different manager but Gregory has continued to play the same
way and it works.

I'm amazed that somebody of O'Dreary's experience (14,903 league games
as a player spanning 87 years), his time spent coaching and managing and
watching games, that he has not as yet come up with a plan for playing
against 3-5-2.

3-5-2 means 5 in midfield. We had Bowyer and Bakke in our middle. Thats
2. Kewell was poncing about and Radebe was guarding a vacuum in case it
should escape. Again we conceded the middle of the park - when will our
young Irish manager learn ??

Having said that Leeds still had enough half chances to have buried
Villa. Smith slid in to meet Kewell's excellent cross (after Rio had
gorgeously released the Aussie) but somehow missed it and James clutched
the ball. Viduka spun in the box and bazooka-ed the ball over the Kop.

Kelly tentatively ventured down the right flank and his cross was
delayed more times than a Leeds - Kings Cross express train but when the
ball eventually entered the station, Viduka's flicked header rolled
agonisingly across Platform 2 and past James' right hand signal post.

David James is a good sport. He laughed as the Kop taunted him with
"England's No. 6" - James then counted thoughtfully out on his fingers
and indicated back that he thought it was 5. "England's No.5" the amused
crowd sang back. Smiles all round.

I like David James.

Minutes before half time Kewell picked up the ball inside his own half
in a central position. He ran goalwards and inches before he entered the
Villa box his legs were "professionally" taken away from him by Paul
Merson. We all knew that the rubbish referee would only give him a
yellow, but in truth a red should have been shown as Merson had denied a
goal scoring attempt. We all knew that the fortunate Merson would turn
this game somehow.

On the stroke of half-time Merson had a hand in a quick corner, the ball
was fired low into the box, Robinson tried to punch it clear but
somebody had stuck some marshmallows onto his gloves and the ball fell
to Southgate who bundled the ball in at the 2nd attempt.

What injustice ! Villa had rarely threatened and only Ginola with his
Jesus wig and stubble set looked like causing any concern for Leeds. It
would make my Christmas if the diving French tw@t was nailed to a cross
for a few days or so.

So despite trying to cycle up a mountain with 2 punctured tyres Leeds
had been the better side. Villa had been the more patient and more
professional. They were 1-0 up.

No changes at half time and the game continued in a similar vein. Leeds
huffed and puffed, Villa moved up and down the pitch with precision
movement and an economy of effort. Merson and Boateng had the middle of
the park sewn up. Leeds were forced to find alternative routes to goal.

When we needed him most Harry Kewell went AWOL. Matteo seemed to have
acres of space on the left but failed miserably to make any advantage.
This was mainly due to the fact that Villa got bodies behind the ball
quickly and also Matteo's unwillingness to try and go outside the Villa
full back.

At last our young inexperienced Irish manager relieved Lucas from his
nonsensical holding role and gave Robbie Keane, the Dublin starlet, his
Leeds bow.

Keane ran about like an excited kid in Toys-R-Us. Galloping up and down
the aisles shouting "Dad ! look at this !"

He showed in 20 minutes that he's got what it takes. Lord only knows
where and how he'll fit into our young inexperienced Irish manager's
masterplan but there's no point trying to second guess as DOL hasn't got
a clue either !

Bakke missed a golden chance 8 yards out and Kewell forced Jessie James
into a superb save. A cross then struck Stone on the hand in the box.
100% penalty. The ref was busy admiring Ginola's hair.

Leeds were never going to score. It was one of those days. Viduka and
Smith were hardly given a kick.

But wait !......Keane forced his way purposefully into the box, skipped
over two tackles and.....and..... and blasted his shot just too close to
James. Seconds later Merson scampered forward all the way to the Leeds
box, he skillfully drew both covering defenders towards him and nudged
the ball to the unmarked Boateng who rammed the ball past the largely
under worked Robinson.

Smash and fcking grab. Villa deserved it though. They are a proper team.

Poor Keane - the headlines were already written for him but James denied
him. Talk about the luck of the Irish. O'Leary has used all his luck up
and everyone else's and now we're getting turned over every other week.

Leeds got the umpteenth corner and for once Kewell took the ball from
Bowyer (who had scuffed every other one straight to the Villa man on the
near post), Kewell engineered a yard of space and his cross was
converted by Woody at the far post. Simple, yet effective. Our 1st
decent cross - our 1st goal.

The game ended and Leeds fans shook their heads knowing that they should
have won this game. If the managers had been swapped round we'd have won
2 or 3 nil. I firmly believe that.

Back to the drawing board David. You are young, you are naive, you are
inexperienced and you are Irish.

Scores

Robinson 5 - cost us the 1st goal. Time to bring Martyn back

Kelly 5 - Has pace but nothing much else in his locker
Matteo 5 - Defended OK, offered nothing coming forward.
Rio 8 - A Rolls Royce at the back
Woody 6 - Not much to do. Villa had only Bob De Bilde up front and
he's shite

Radebe 4 - Not in the game. Bizarre use of a class defender.

Bowyer 4 - corners were abysmal. Out numbered in the middle and made
no impact
Bakke 5 - Out-classed by Merson

Kewell 6 - started well but Villa know how to stifle him and they did.

Viduka 5 - In 24 hours time he'll be tucking into his Xmas lunch.

Smith 4 - Didn't unsettle the Villa backline in the slightest

subs/

Keane (for Rads) 7 showed purpose and ability. Is he a striker or an
attacking midfielder ?

Villa 8 - spot on tactics

Crowd 5 - mirrored the performance on the pitch

Ref 4 - Villa took the piss out of him with their persistent time
wasting.

James 10 - good guy, good keeper, good team. I wouldn't leave if i were
you.

O'Leary - you've ruined my Christmas. Cheers.

See you all at St James' Park and in 2001 for more Leeds hype hype hype
hype hype.

--
stotty

www.astott.demon.co.uk

(LUFC match reports, cartoons, and Flash movies)