Put my pc on and found 50+ emails from the list and wondered what had brought
it (back) to life. When I read the first half dozen 'rants' and the amount of
criticism I read I was absolutely stunned !
I may live on a different planet than the rest of you (overdosing on pain meds
can do that) but I loved it last night !! I came home (cos of 8pm kick off and
ET I did not get home till 1.30am) and was still buzzing.
For an hour of this game we were great - at half time I even said to my mate
that it was really refreshing to watch a game against a lower division team
where you can spot which team is which and we have not been dragged down to
their level. Terry's attack v defence analogy was spot on. We murdered them
first half and could have had a hat full - yes we were profligate at times and
over elaborate but their goal led a charmed life with the keeper defenders and
woodwork all working miracles. I said then that we would get 4, on the basis
that once we had the second they would be demoralised and run out of steam.
The second started where the first half left off with us totally in control and
cutting them apart but it not quite going in.Then (after Becchio hit the inside
of the post?) the mood changed and we suddenly started to think that perhaps it
was one of those days and sure enough they had a little 5 -10 min spell when
they got the ball and attacked us and with their only shot of note equalised.
We then huffed and puffed and things went a bit awry but we knew we were only
one goal away from a rout. The first half of ET passed without much incident
and we began to fear pens BUT still felt we would do it. Then, once again SG
got his substitutions right and Grella was on hand to smash it home and the
rest as they say is history.
The crowd of 10,000 created as much atmosphere as the 36,000 on Saturday and
the game was never boring.
Yes in a way we made hard work of beating a non league team but from the Revie
days onwards we have a long history of being the killed giant and that was
never going to happen last night (other than if it had got to pens).
I have not seen the stats but we had lots of shots, saves, goal mouth scrambles
and balls coming back off the woodwork. We never gave up and we never stopped
trying.
Like I said I really loved it and was still buzzing 3 hours later - what more
do you want ??
As for individual matters - everyone agreed that the full backs were to blame
on Sat and it was interesting to see that SG left both of them out of the
starting line up and began with what I said before is probably our best full
back pairing - White on the left and Hughes on the right - it worked well for
the most part but once again Aidy White showed he is frail and unless he can
get over his injury problems he will never have the career his talent deserves.
As for Beckford - yes he had a nightmare game - but he knew that himself, hence
the hand wipe of relief after his goal. But he never hid, he never dropped deep
and he never stopped trying - what more can you ask ? How many good strikers
miss a couple and then become 'goal shy' - deliberately not putting themselves
in positions where a chance may come - Beckford did not do that last night or
indeed in any game - how often does he miss a few then score the winner ?
As for his goals to chances ratio - I was looking on the Football League stats
page about 2 weeks ago and at the time he had had 37 shots on target and 37 off
target. All the professionals talk about 'hitting the target' and 'making the
keeper work' and on half the chances that come his way Beckford does that -
which is up there with the best of them.
It amazes and baffles me how any Leeds fan can be anti Beckford - he is by far
our most effective and important player and has been since Wise brought him
back !!
Doyle - I am coming round to my son's way of thinking that he is crap ! Last
night he was bullied out of it time and again ,and his distribution was poor
when he was given time and space.
Snodgrass and the rest - yes they are inconsistent , that is why they are 3rd
Division players. Every week you see cracking goals from lower league players
and wonder why they play in the 4th Division or wherever , and the answer is
that for very cracking goal they score they miss a half dozen others !
Anyway, like the team last night, I refuse to end on a low note so step forward
Mike Grella, on the pitch for 15 mins in which time he scored two and we scored
4 and hit the post twice.
For me this was Cup football at its best and I loved it !!
A very happy and contented Salford White
Dave
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