FA Carling Premiership Game 14: Saturday 08 November 1997 Leeds United 4 - 3 Derby County (Half-time: 2 - 3) Crowd: 33572 Referee: N S Barry (Scunthorpe)
« Tottenham Hotspur		Reading »

Beware the power of the chicken pie!!! - John Lee

I don't like to count my chickens etc, but we are starting to look like a bloody good team. OK, we still have the occasional major f***-up in defence, but the number of chances we make means that we're always likely to get a few goals! My only real gripe is our lack of a clinincal finisher. Bless Rodney etc, but he's hardly Gerd Muller is he. Sturridge would be a brilliant buy for us - fast (he out ran everyone on Satdi), good control, and is always around in the box - he actually looks convincing, where-as poor old Rodney still looks like he wets himself everytime the ball comes near him in the box. His abysmal shot in the 2nd half (with Hopkin standing all alone on the 6yd line) was typical, although the bloke in Row R was pleased to get a touch!

Scores

Martyn 4 - poor on 2 of the 5 times he had the occasion to do anything
Maybury - 5+ found himself on the receiving end of some excellent early Derby passing - our front players were very slack in shutting down their centre-backs. Got into things a bit towards the end of the 1st half, but then got a diplomatic knock!
Kelly 6+
Weatherall - 7 good game but missed 2 good chances, one a f***ing sitter of a header
Radebe - 4 poorest game for a while. Made mistakes early on in the move for all 3 of the Derby goals, and constantly mis-hit his passes all afternoon. Two excellent second half tackles redeemed things a bit!
Robertson 6 - didn't actually see him tackle anyone, apart from to give away the penalty, but for some reason does seem to cause other teams problems. Yet to understand why this is so!
Haaland - 8+ quite simply a kamikaze footballer. Scares the shit out of other teams by simply running at them very fast and very physically and bullying them out the game.Very big and strong, he's our most improved player of the last 4 weeks by a mile! Cracking foul to get booked too!
Hopkin - 7+ good all round game, some top class moaning to the ref!
Ribiero - 7+ the new Johnny Giles?? maybe. Tough little f***er, ace left foot!
Wallace - 6 - did OK, but see above!
Harry Baby - 7 - cracking goal

Jimmy - 7+ for his 10 minutes-ish which changed the game. Soo confident with the penalty, and his pass to Bowyer for the winner was class
Lee Bowyer - 9 simply for the goal - worra a brimer!

The team 10! Anyone for GG out at the moment - Voice , Maggie???

We love Lee Bowyer...... - Mike Sewell

1. I had to bike across town to find the car 'cos the previous night's taxi had let us down before we went out and we'd driven to dinner.

2. Biking across town isn't the best way to get rid of a hangover.

3. The M1 was closed northbound and we didn't check the ceefax.

4. We didn't make it to the Adelphi.

5. As we parked near the Imperial some loud bastard hurled abuse at us. Actually as good a thing as had happened all day - it was Betty.

6. After 10 minutes we were 0-2, the priest was taking the piss, Mrs Brauns was emiting noises that I can only describe as wailing and gnashing of teeth, Martyn was having a nightmare, we were passing the ball as though it was infected with a deadly virus. The only bright spots were the aforesaid Boocock's bellow of "We've got em on the run now" and our row's barely suppressed laughter at the near-hysterical screaming of the woman in the row infront as things went from bad to worse and as we called her favourite player Plonker.

7. Then a needless penalty after comedic pinball with the anthrax-laden sphere, Sturridge runs into the box, pulled down by Robertson. Maybury was covering across and there was Martyn to beat. A probable goal, but no need for the challenge. One lad invaded the pitch, only to be confronted by Lucas. As he was taken away to a chorus of boos, 0-3 from the whingeing Asanovic who had spent much of the previous half hour trying to swap shirts with Kelly. Could it get worse, yes. Haaland committed an atrocious tackle from behind for which he was lucky only to get a yellow card.

THEN

Plonker diverted a shot into the goal rather than away from it. Kewell rifled in a superlative volley as a corner was cleared. With his confidence back he started to find white-shirted players with his passes. Nige caught a ball, we cheered. Other passes started going right. Haaland shot softly instead of hard, Kewell spent a good half minute haranguing the linesman about whether it was cleared from on or behind the line. Still I thought it might be one of those days, what price on a goalless second half. Still, pie n peas to look forward to at HT.

Actually no, only burgers left. Bugger. Chips were alright though.

Second half. Tactical switch of Bowyer for Maybury worked really well. Wetherall missed two sitters. Plonker too greedy, wasting opportunities by his inability to pass. Woman in front of us not happy at us abusing her favourite player. Kewell looked brilliant but missed a clear chance to put us level. Robertson looked excellent going forward. He and Kelly hit the byline regularly and put in good crosses. Still it wouldn't go in. Mrs B and the Priest left as he had a funeral to do. Ribald comment abound as they make their way down the Kop - no, not from us John. Could we win with our Etherealnet connection gone? Jimmy for Hopkin, Kewell back into midfield. We immediately looked better. Pressure mounting, blatant hand in front of the leaping Wetherall's head to divert the ball. Woman in the row infront of us turns towards us. James waits for Poom (big lad him) to commit himself before passing the ball inside the post on the other side. Derby substitutions suggest they will settle for a draw. "Attack, attack, attack, attack, attack." More pressure. The good move down the right, superb run by Jimmy. Unlike plonker he a. has awareness, b. can pass, c. does so. Finally Bowyer's positional sense is rewarded, Haaland leaves the ball to him, a fine shot in his stride, and "let's go f*****g mental." "You're not singing any more," "Super Leeds." I think I may have hugged Boocock. I think he may have hugged the woman in the row in front [nothing new there then, ed.]. I wonder how the lad who ran on the pitch feels. I wonder how Mrs B and our favourite cleric feel.

Bloody marvellous. And it was Derby. Younger Listers may want to ask Grandpa Sykes why this is so significant to anyone born before 1970.

Comments:

Team spirit and crowd backing at 0-3 were superb. The atmosphere was tops.

We wasted a number of good chances to get back far earlier.

Jim Smith blew it - though he blamed his players. Their five in midfield, movement and width gave us a footballing lesson for half an hour. Ribeiro lost his cool - awful header back to Martyn for goal one. Even Lucas looked a bit iffy. At 3-0 Derby relaxed, we took advantage. But Smith's defensive strategy for the second half has got to be questionable. We were then able to push men forward and negate their former midfield advantage.

Nigel Martyn had a poor game. At fault on the first two goals (the 2nd a copy of Newcastle's) he looked poor on crosses too.

Bowyer looked back to his best. Anyone who thinks we should sell him should be given a free transfer to the Donny Rovers List.

I'm still less than convinced by Hopkin.

Rodders may be scoring goals, but Jimmy looked every bit as good when he came on. We still need a really good striker.

Kewell is a star in the making. He was atrocious for twenty minutes, then lifted his game. From then on he was our best player. His fist touch is sublime, he brings others into the play, he tackles, he is winning balls in the air. All together now: "One Harry Kewell, One Harry Kewell, there's only one Harry Kewell for me; and he turns, and he shoots, and we cheeer as he scores a goal, there's only one Harry Kewell for me."

The beer at the Imperial has never tasted better. On the way back the motorway was clear. It wasn't that bad a day after all.

vs Derby County - Nick Allen

What a game... what a team ... what a team spirit.

It was a game of one-third and two-thirds. For the first half hour, we were bloody awful, Derby looked like they had 13 men on the field, so easily did they win every loose ball, and find men in space with their own passing. Martyn had his worst game for Leeds by a mile, and in front of the England goalkeeping coach as well. The back 4, Lucas included, were abysmal.Poor Maybury was getting no cover from Kelly, and so Derby kept swinging the ball out to their left where he frequently had 2 or 3 opponents to deal with. And we gifted them 3 goals.

The first: a cross from the left, a strange looping header, that nige tried to catch under the crossbar, he dropped it and Sturridge said thanks.

2nd: 5 mins later a long punt up the right wing, Robertson is nowhere, Lucas and Sturridge are stride for stride as they come to the edge of the box, Lucas drops back as Nige comes hurtling out, and Sturridge toe-ends it over the keeper into the goal.

3rd: 15 mins later a series of ricochets out on the right hand side, and Sturridge emerges with the ball charging goal wards, Robertson gets back just enough to blatantly trip him 8 yards out. Asanovic sticks the penalty home.

At this moment strange things happened. As the penalty was given, some dickhead launched himself out of the Kop towards the ref, and was only stopped by Lucas about 2 yards away from the ref. who hadn't seen him coming. Yet another dickhead let off a "firework" - more like a Molotov cocktail - right in the midlle of the Kop at the back. Medics and everything charging up there. I haven't heard any more about it so I assume no one was seriosly hurt.

From then on Leeds got the hang of it. We started tackling , fighting, and making chances. Lucas hit a post, Harry had a flying volley well saved, and then finally... Bruno hit a long low shot from 25 yards and little Rod deflected it in. First stroke of luck... from then on it was one way traffic. 3 minutes later a corner from the right, it bobbles around a bit, gets half headed away out to the left, and Harry lashes a first time volley back across into the far side of the goal. Back in it in a big way. Derby shitting bricks - and their support AREN'T SINGING ANY MORE. Alfie should have levelled it on the stroke of half time, he tried to place it into an open goal, and a defender cleared off the line. A blast would have been unstoppable.

2nd half. The Leeds Utd steamtrain attcking the Kop was back in business. Wetherall missed effort after effort, Robertson and Kelly were storming up the wings swinging in cross after cross. Hopkin, Bruno, and Alf got control of the midfield. And Lucas finally got Sturridge in his pocket. Nige was still dropping everything in sight, but it didn't matter.

Then 10 mins from time GG sent Jimmy on. 2 mins later a penalty for hand ball from a corner. He hadn't touched the ball yet, but he was going to take the penalty. And Jimmy, cool as you like, rolled it into the bottom corner.

90 mins on the clock. Kelly finds Jimmy down the right. He slows, brings the defender in, then jinks and flies away from the flat footed full back, to the by-line, and pulls the ball back along the ground to the edge of the box, where Bowyer is screaming in - bear in mind the Lee has done sweet FA since coming on at half time - and the little beauty buries it first time left foot in the far corner. Sell Him ! SELL HIM !! you must be joking.

CUE : " Let's go fucking mental Let's go fucking mental La-la-la-la"

2 things to reiterate; the team spirit that GG has instilled in those players, won us this match; all 11 players were as bad as I had ever seen them in the opening half hour.

POINTS

MARTYN -4- shite between the sticks - but we'll forgive him.
MAYBURY -5- tough time, with little support - give him another go.
ROBERTSON -6- increasingly effective going forward
WETHERALL -7- turning into our own Tony Adams - no-one wants to win as much as he does.
RADEBE -7- shocking for 30, commanding for 60. hit the post too
HAALAND -6- battling, but little else
HOPKIN -6- very combative captain - but why can't he play for 90 mins.??
RIBEIRO -7- did as much as any one to get us back in it
KELLY -7 - gave Maybury no cover, but then was superb in the fight back.
WALLACE -8- nonstop effort - " If Cole can play for England , so can Rod"
KEWELL -9- MOTM outstanding effort, running, chasing lost causes, and a great goal. Despite doubts aired on these pages a short while ago, he might just make a very good forward. he is better in every game.

SUBS

Bowyer -4- came on at half time, was completely off the pace, and scored the winner ( so an extra 10 points there)
Jimmy -8- a stick of dynamite under the Derby defence just when we needed it.

As Hanson said " never mind the Leeds dressing room at half time, I wouldn't like to be in the Derby dressing room at full time"

Derby Win - AdieT

Well it was a mad day to start with due to work i had to get a cab to the ground from Hudds at the cost of ?16 otherwise i wouldn't have made it into the ground till after 35mins, with the old 20-20 vision of hindsight maybe i should have let the train take the strain. Made it in and saw the rare sight of an error form Nige, only to be followed by another error from Nige.

we got back into the game a bit though the formation was causing us problems down the left hand side, this was caused by Bruno playing inside the park and leaving Robertson facing 2-1's for the most part,

3rd goal was a penalty crap tackle and if i remember about the first i can remember from Robertson this season, Cue some twat running onto the pitch though as we say "you'll never beat Radebe" and this was no exception and therefore the incident failed to make the papers.

we then got a couple of goals back from a Bruno shot heading wide which was skillfully(?) turned in by Rod and a classic volley by Harry.

Second half was made up of wave after wave of attacks from the gods only with not the quality of finish that was required, the a sub and Jimmy was introduced. His penalty was class how he had the guts to walk up and wait for the keeper to move before rolling the ball in i'll never know, but then people have seen me take a penalty or two :-)

Last min Jimmy got the ball wide and waited before ghosting past the defender and PICKED a pass to Lee Bowyer who slotted in cueing mass celebrations in the kop.

Top Stuff.

the crowd even at 3-0 there was more noise than the last two home games even the win over the scum

One pure piece of class from Harry, bringing a ball down which was falling straight from the sky with a deft touch

david o'leary charging onto the pitch at the end of the game.

the beer after the game.

Finally, from a mate my birthday had inside it cuttings from the express total class form a Stoke fan of all.

Leeds have revival look - Michael Walker

Swans on the canal, Harvey Nichols on the high street, goals galore at Elland Road: there is definitely something stirring in Leeds. And while the city's football team may not yet possess the elegance of cygnets or the sharp-suited exclusivity of designer fashion they have moved some way down the catwalk from the days when they were sponsored by Burton.

Leeds United do have some interesting names, though - Harry Kewell sounds like an East End gangster while Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink could be an Afro-sporting Alabaman. But the further one goes back through the team the more prosaic the names become.

© Guardian Media Group plc