11/01/2003
4-1, to the Arsenal!
Well, it's still the 80th minute, but I wanted to do this before going to friggin' work. What an amazing performance...to go into Elland Road and hammer the shit out of Leeds (who cost us the title last year by beating us at Highbury in the penultimate fixture of the season) is a wonderful thing, especially after a shitty night last night.
Actually, it was 3-0 just 30 minutes in, thanks to a stunning double from Thierry Henry, and a cracker from Robert Pires. Leeds came out of the gate with all cylinders firing, pressing like hell and generally huffing and puffing all over the place. However, the problem with that strategy is when you're facing a side that passes and counters well, you leave yourself wide open to getting hit on the break. And, that's what happened, time and time again. Leeds would attack with much ado about nothing for about 4 or 5 straight minutes (our back four had a blinder, even the Alan Smith goal notwithstanding), then Arsenal would counter with lightning pace and surgical through-balls. You can't really fault Paul Robinson on any of our goals...he was essentially stranded on almost all of them. Some other things:
-- We're doing this without Patrick Vieira. That's SCARY.
-- Leeds will go down if they keep Peter Reid on as manager...he seems like a really nice guy, and I believe the Leeds players when they talk about how they've improved their skills under his tenure, but the fact remains that he managed Sunderland to relegation, and he's taken a decent Leeds team and steered them into 17th place as it stands now. The guy would probably make a hell of an assistant manager, but he's just not a winner. I couldn't imagine anyone going to war for the guy.
-- Except for a couple of chodes who left after Gilberto Silva got our 4th, the Leeds supporters were fantastic, in all fairness. Most of them stayed, and they continued to sing and support their side even though the result was essentially not in doubt. I think they were a big reason Leeds got one back.
-- Alan Smith's goal was well-deflected by the psychotic prick, but I'm kinda disturbed that with half the goals he concedes, Jens Lehmann is rooted to the spot. I have a feeling that might cost us at some point, although, in fairness, he made a few big-time saves to keep it at 0-0 early.
-- Dynamo Kiev at home is next, and goddamn do we need to win that one. They can still make the knockout stage of the Champions' League, but if we finish last in a group that includes Kiev and Spartak Moscow, when we face both of them at home (dreading the away tie at Inter Milan, though), I'm going to be PISSED.
-- After that, it's the first Battle of North London with S***s, but then again, when are there ever worries there? ::smirk:: That's less of a Battle, and more of an execution.
Actually, it was 3-0 just 30 minutes in, thanks to a stunning double from Thierry Henry, and a cracker from Robert Pires. Leeds came out of the gate with all cylinders firing, pressing like hell and generally huffing and puffing all over the place. However, the problem with that strategy is when you're facing a side that passes and counters well, you leave yourself wide open to getting hit on the break. And, that's what happened, time and time again. Leeds would attack with much ado about nothing for about 4 or 5 straight minutes (our back four had a blinder, even the Alan Smith goal notwithstanding), then Arsenal would counter with lightning pace and surgical through-balls. You can't really fault Paul Robinson on any of our goals...he was essentially stranded on almost all of them. Some other things:
-- We're doing this without Patrick Vieira. That's SCARY.
-- Leeds will go down if they keep Peter Reid on as manager...he seems like a really nice guy, and I believe the Leeds players when they talk about how they've improved their skills under his tenure, but the fact remains that he managed Sunderland to relegation, and he's taken a decent Leeds team and steered them into 17th place as it stands now. The guy would probably make a hell of an assistant manager, but he's just not a winner. I couldn't imagine anyone going to war for the guy.
-- Except for a couple of chodes who left after Gilberto Silva got our 4th, the Leeds supporters were fantastic, in all fairness. Most of them stayed, and they continued to sing and support their side even though the result was essentially not in doubt. I think they were a big reason Leeds got one back.
-- Alan Smith's goal was well-deflected by the psychotic prick, but I'm kinda disturbed that with half the goals he concedes, Jens Lehmann is rooted to the spot. I have a feeling that might cost us at some point, although, in fairness, he made a few big-time saves to keep it at 0-0 early.
-- Dynamo Kiev at home is next, and goddamn do we need to win that one. They can still make the knockout stage of the Champions' League, but if we finish last in a group that includes Kiev and Spartak Moscow, when we face both of them at home (dreading the away tie at Inter Milan, though), I'm going to be PISSED.
-- After that, it's the first Battle of North London with S***s, but then again, when are there ever worries there? ::smirk:: That's less of a Battle, and more of an execution.
