who put the ball in the ManU net?
In this weeks column Graeme Garvey fights with the football gods and reminds us of a great footballing moment.
Oh yes, the football gods of Cup Upsets thought they’d have a bit of fun at our expense, dangle us on a bit of string, did they? Thought they’d make us a laughing-stock 2 years in a row. Let us play non-league opposition away from home, make it rain in buckets to drag us down to their level did they? I bet they thought their wicked plans were working when ‘little’ Kettering took the lead. Everyone’s pet team, for one day only. I could sense a countrywide grin spreading as another Leeds embarrassment loomed.
Well they were wrong this time. We’re made of sterner stuff now and, even without Kisnorbo or Naylor, we were solid enough apart from one lapse and, most importantly, we showed the character to fight back. Should’ve won it of course but we will have ’em on toast in the replay.
So that set of football gods shuffled off chunnering and in came the next lot, the F.A. Cup Draw gods. Tantalisingly, when every other ball had been drawn out – and no cheap jokes please – only two balls were left, ours and Man U’s. So Old Trafford it is, for us to see who can be the new Brian Flynn, last man to score our winner at their ground. Of this year’s opponents, Liverpool and Man United. Yeovil and Wycombe – which sound right to you?
I did enjoy the slant on Sky Sports that the tie was a massive incentive for Kettering but I haven’t laughed quite so heartily at all the “It’s United versus Leeds” headlines. It is Manchester United against Leeds United, and if some of our younger fans are not too bothered, just listen to the likes of Eddie Gray and Peter Lorimer who love to give our team the full title when we come up against our Mancunian foes.
Don’t like to say this, but, I guess we’ll lose. What I am confident of, however, is that we’ll do ourselves justice, roared on by a huge vocal support. What the match does give us, once we’ve duly disposed of Kettering, is a number of fascinating issues. I’m sure we’ll put out our strongest team and I bet they put out a pretty good one. So firstly, we can see just how much progress we are making and how many of our players can hack it at a higher level. I don’t think there is too much of a difference between Championship and League One. Have we players of Premiership quality? That’s much less certain.
Snodgrass will relish the opportunity to further his Scotland claims and we will get another chance to test the theory that Beckford will struggle against better defenders. It is good to see that he scored the equaliser and that helps to build his case that he doesn’t hide when things get tough. It will be interesting to watch Howson’s performance. Is he the kind of player, like Scott Parker, who will blossom with better players around him? In fact, it can’t really do any of the team harm to play in a game where, for once, they are the underdogs with little or nothing to lose.
Meanwhile, Fabian Delph continues to warm the bench at Villa. He’s played 4 times for them since his move. Wouldn’t it have been better for all concerned if he’d signed but been allowed to play for Leeds till the end of the season? And I would have loved to have seen him play for us at Old Trafford.
Wonder who the football gods have got lined up for us in Round 4?
