I've seen 8 out of 10 league games so far this season and in at least
half of them we were the worse of the two teams on display (Hartlepool,
Tranmere(?), Forest in the 2nd half) and now Yeovil and yet we win.
Funny old game eh?
Yeovil forced two pretty decent saves from Caspar in the first half
before (Marcus?) Stewart missed from 8 yards when it was easier to
score, late on in the second - this being the result of Heath trying to
leave the ball for Clapham, when it really was Heath's and then not
being able to get back properly - and even after we had scored with more
or less our only clear chance, they contrived to miss an easyish header.
Next time you feel like whinging on about how "Leeds are never lucky" or
"no-one up there likes us" - sorry I know we're trying to keep infantile
belief systems off the list, I won't do it again - just think on these
opening 10 games in which we have ridden our luck like some rodeo king.
But long may it go on because I'm enjoying being a Leeds fan for the
first time in 7 years.
The team lined up as many who'd witnessed Thompson's Gregan impression
on Tuesday night would have wished, with Clapham back on the left and
Hughes in midfield. Kandol and Beckford were givens up front. And so for
88 minutes we proceeded to huff and puff while achieving absolutely jack
- Yeovil meanwhile were quick to the challenge, fast at moving the ball
around and pretty decent up front without ever really looking like they
believed that they could win. We, on the other hand seem to be blessed
with the belief that we are certain to score at some point. And so it
proved. With Kandol flapping on the touchline like a recently landed
carp, Douglas pumped another cross deep, beyond the far post and the
huge de Vries rose like a levitating warehouse and headed high back
across goal - it seemed to take an age, and all the players stood and
watched it, as the ball slowly dropped under the bar and in at the far
post.
To be honest it hardly seemed fair...
The biggest puzzle of the game to me was Carole, who seemed to be
playing in the middle behind Kandol and Beckford, without ever getting
close to them. Whether this was a tactic or just his own eccentric idea,
its hard to tell, but its lack of success was plain for all to see. We
lost the cutting edge down the flank and hence one of greatest attacking
threats. The substitution of De Vries and Flo on for Carole and Prutton
just seemed perverse - we had four "big men" on up front and no
wingers...As Eddie said after the game, was this the biggest Leeds team,
at the final whistle - Kandol, Beckford, Heath, Marques, Caspar, De
Vries and Flo - all 6 footers at least.
ANKERGREN - 2 excellent saves - would have been 0-2 down at half time
without him
RICHARDSON - another solid, no nonsense performance
CLAPHAM - gave a more balanced look to the defence, although seemed to
get the signals mixed with Heath a few times
MARQUES - outstanding player for us - nipped everything in the bud -
fast to read the situation and quick across the ground to get there -
never worried by their big guy in the air
HEATH - solid-ish when concentrating on defending but 3 or 4 lapses
nearly cost us
PRUTTON - hard working but little to add going forward
HUGHES - loads of graft - but not the force he has been previously
DOUGLAS - again hard working without achieving much
CAROLE - a few mazy dashes - but otherwise seemed lost
KANDOL - grafted - no reward - is getting "hit" pretty regularly by the
opposition defenders
BECKFORD - nothing worked for him - he never gave up trying - but he did
lash out a few times
------------
Flo - came on and did nowt
De Vries - came on and scored the winner
--------------
Is the crowd reaching a point where they expect nothing less than
victory each time without actually realising that these victories have
to be earned each and every time you take the field?
---------------
finished the day with a couple of beers and a righteously sweaty bop at
the feet of the mighty Cribs all the way from Wakefield, down in the
Foundry at Sheffield Uni. Brilliant
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6 in a bloody row!
