Slipperduke
The Camden Cad
DID LEEDS GET LUCKY?
Absolutely not. This was a fully deserved win by a team who paid for their victory in blood and in sweat and in tears. Leeds United may have spent the last two and a half years in the third flight of English football, but if this result is anything to go by, they're on their way back to the big time. What will a result like this do for the confidence of their players? Currently eight points clear of League One with a game in hand on their rivals, you can expect that gap to stretch in the coming weeks.
Confidence is, of course, everything when you have to visit Old Trafford. A trip to the red half of Manchester is such a daunting prospect that most football clubs are beaten even before the first whistle. Wolves boss Mick McCarthy was so convinced that he would lose there that he only sent out his reserves, but there was no such cowardice from Leeds United. Not only did the plucky Yorkshiremen step up to teach the yellow-bellied flotsam of the Premier League an important lesson in desire, but they also showed that it is quite possible to go to the Theatre of Dreams and play football. Right from the start, Simon Grayson's team passed the ball around the pitch, patiently searching for gaps. Darren Beckford's goal may have been borne out of a 60 yard ball over the top, but Leeds showed that they were more than capable of retaining possession. Manchester United became more dominant as their desperation grew, but the underdogs still managed to threaten, going close to a second goal twice in the closing stages. Patrick Kisnorbo was absolutely immense, but he wasn't the only one. This was a real team performance characterised by collective bravery, grit and determination.
WHERE DID MANCHESTER UNITED GO WRONG?
Hmmm, where do you start? Tomas Kuszczak never looked comfortable in goal, centre-backs Jonny Evans and Wes Brown were spread as easily as margarine, thorough-bred Gary Neville is ready for the glue factory, Fabio was clumsy, Gabriel Obertan flattered to deceive, Danny Welbeck looked raw, Dimitar Berbatov couldn't take control of the game and Wayne Rooney gradually deteriorated after a fiery start. Only Anderson and Darron Gibson could walk away with any kind of credit, but you can bet that Sir Alex Ferguson won't be in any hurry to dish out praise after this result. Defeat would have been bad enough, but the all-consuming feeling that this could actually have been much worse will really stoke the fire in the old knight's hairdryer. Yes, they wasted chances in front of goal, but Leeds' fans will argue that the already cautioned Brown should have been sent off on any one of the four occasions when his timing in the tackle deserted him.
WHAT WILL THIS RESULT DO FOR THE FA CUP?
It might just be enough to buff some shine back on the old girl. The FA Cup has had a hard time of it in recent years, a great shame considering that it is one of the few competitions to remain blissfully free of the seeding that poisons modern football. You wouldn't guess it from the way that many managers behave these days, but anything is possible in a single game of football. The Champions League has overbalanced the flow of resources across Europe and the forces of money, greed and big business have contaminated what used to be the game of the people but, in amongst the murk and the grime, the soul of football still exists. To think that, of all teams, it took Leeds United to remind us that you can still live the dream.
Absolutely not. This was a fully deserved win by a team who paid for their victory in blood and in sweat and in tears. Leeds United may have spent the last two and a half years in the third flight of English football, but if this result is anything to go by, they're on their way back to the big time. What will a result like this do for the confidence of their players? Currently eight points clear of League One with a game in hand on their rivals, you can expect that gap to stretch in the coming weeks.
Confidence is, of course, everything when you have to visit Old Trafford. A trip to the red half of Manchester is such a daunting prospect that most football clubs are beaten even before the first whistle. Wolves boss Mick McCarthy was so convinced that he would lose there that he only sent out his reserves, but there was no such cowardice from Leeds United. Not only did the plucky Yorkshiremen step up to teach the yellow-bellied flotsam of the Premier League an important lesson in desire, but they also showed that it is quite possible to go to the Theatre of Dreams and play football. Right from the start, Simon Grayson's team passed the ball around the pitch, patiently searching for gaps. Darren Beckford's goal may have been borne out of a 60 yard ball over the top, but Leeds showed that they were more than capable of retaining possession. Manchester United became more dominant as their desperation grew, but the underdogs still managed to threaten, going close to a second goal twice in the closing stages. Patrick Kisnorbo was absolutely immense, but he wasn't the only one. This was a real team performance characterised by collective bravery, grit and determination.
WHERE DID MANCHESTER UNITED GO WRONG?
Hmmm, where do you start? Tomas Kuszczak never looked comfortable in goal, centre-backs Jonny Evans and Wes Brown were spread as easily as margarine, thorough-bred Gary Neville is ready for the glue factory, Fabio was clumsy, Gabriel Obertan flattered to deceive, Danny Welbeck looked raw, Dimitar Berbatov couldn't take control of the game and Wayne Rooney gradually deteriorated after a fiery start. Only Anderson and Darron Gibson could walk away with any kind of credit, but you can bet that Sir Alex Ferguson won't be in any hurry to dish out praise after this result. Defeat would have been bad enough, but the all-consuming feeling that this could actually have been much worse will really stoke the fire in the old knight's hairdryer. Yes, they wasted chances in front of goal, but Leeds' fans will argue that the already cautioned Brown should have been sent off on any one of the four occasions when his timing in the tackle deserted him.
WHAT WILL THIS RESULT DO FOR THE FA CUP?
It might just be enough to buff some shine back on the old girl. The FA Cup has had a hard time of it in recent years, a great shame considering that it is one of the few competitions to remain blissfully free of the seeding that poisons modern football. You wouldn't guess it from the way that many managers behave these days, but anything is possible in a single game of football. The Champions League has overbalanced the flow of resources across Europe and the forces of money, greed and big business have contaminated what used to be the game of the people but, in amongst the murk and the grime, the soul of football still exists. To think that, of all teams, it took Leeds United to remind us that you can still live the dream.