FA Carling Premiership Game 10: Sunday 25 October 1998 Leeds United 0 - 0 Chelsea (Half-time: 0 - 0) Crowd: 36292 Referee: M Reed (Birmingham)
« AS Roma		Bradford City »

vs Chelsea - Nick Allen

Make no mistake about it we murdered these dandies from the south, but when did we last score a goal ? We did everything but score yesterday. Their keeper kept a clean sheet with the aid of his toe ends, his knees, his elbow, and god knows what else. Jimmy is on a... huhm... lean spell, having less luck in front of goal than Ridsdale does with contractual negotiations. But what do we do if he isn't banging them in - aside from LeeBowya who's always likely and willing to have a pop - no-one else in the side believes that they can score.

Anyway on with the hopeful bits - first off the team selection, lots of youth, and quite adventurous. Robinson in for the injured Nige, made a sound debut; after a couple of early flaps he got his confidence, and was coming for crosses, punching well, made one good save, and has a hell of a kick on him.

We played three at the back; Woodgate joining BigBob and God. Again very impressively - good in the air, and a solid tackle - didn't dive in when Zola was running at him - but also promisingly good distribution and a cool head - one very good hooked clearance at the far post from a wicked low cross.

Then across the middle Hiden and Granville as wing backs - although Granville didn't do too much covering back, and I think that Eddie has been tutoring Hiden in the art of crossing the ball. Further forward we had LeeBowya, Hopkin and McPhail. LeeB was his usual self, non-stop, good tackling and passing - mainly - and he does cause defences problems as he runs through into the box, all he needs is a teammate to pass to him now. Hopkin has now begun to develop the idea of passing to his own team, and is having a series of steady, if unspectacular games, which is not a snide criticism, but a recognition that every team needs someone like that. McPhail was fitfully involved at first but as the game went on he got better - admittedly after the sending off. In the first half, he had what looked like a clipped cross tipped away from the angle by De Goey, and in the second he played the best through ball played by a Leeds player for years. From the inside left channel he played the ball along the ground, splitting 2 defenders, and curling round a third right into Jimmy's path 16 yards out - Jimmy hit it first time, De Goey stopped it with his toe - if this keeper had been 6ft tall we'd have scored about 4, lanky bastard.

Jimmy and Harry played up front - well Harry was up frontish. Jimmy has little support - but then how much support do you need to take a penalty. I don't know whether its because no-one else had the bottle to take it, but Jimmy should be relieved of this responsbility because his misses are knackering his confidence for normal play. But he can't expected to do it on his own. Harry was fitful again, when he was good he was very good and when he was bad he was awful.

In the first half we had them on the run simply because of our pace after the ball over the top - Jimmy and Harry murdered them every time Jimmy was felled by De Goey, and then dragged down by Duberry for a penalty - full marks here to Hoppo who squared up to Wise, who after spending the whole of the first half trying to wind up McPhail, then went and had a long chat with Jimmy as he stepped up to take the kick. Harry was getting the full treatment too.

Lucas was magnificent - one sliding tackle on a flying Laudrup in the box in front of the Kop brought a standing ovation.

All in all we were the better team and could and should have won - so that makes about 7 times this season I've said that so far.

POINTS

ROBINSON -7- straight in as Leeds No.2
HIDEN -7- getting better going forward
WOODGATE - 7- very impressive, certainly hope that he keeps his place
MOLENAAR -6- I'm sorry but he doesn't cut it.
RADEBE -8- what is there left to say?
GRANVILLE -6- OK going forward, unconvincing at the back
HOPKIN -6- getting better
McPHAIL -7- cracking game - good to see him getting a run
BOWYER -8- another great performance
KEWELL -6- Too in and out
JIMMY -5- Poor show - but no support - he needs help up there, we need goals.

Why bring Alfie on when you need to win and they're down to 10 men??

Fla-ahs, fla-ahs, byeuuutifool fla-ahs! - John lee

I read the Gruniad report of the match, who seemed to think Chewlsea were on top. Bollox. In Casiraghi they had a man who could easily match Jimmy's crapness. They resorted to hoofing the ball out time after time as the pressure began to tell, and it looked like they were going to crack! Trouble was our best two chance went to the goal-machine Hasselbaink, and so we stayed at NIL!!! At least we subbed the crap git!

I'd be interested to hear some more views along the 'he's the best chance we've got of scoring' line - he looks slow, dis-interested, out of form, AND he keeps missing sitters!

Scores

Robinson 8 - couple of excellent saves, overcame some first class dithering in defence to claim balls, and became more assertive as the game wore on with his punching and catching. He can be well proud of himself.
Hiden 6+ - did his job, but got turned a bit too easily
Molenaar 6 - did his job, but those passes have either got to stop, or stay on the pitch!!
Woodgate 6+ - played very well defensively, although a couple of dodgy passes nearly dropped us in it!
Radebe 7 - started in the left back slot, but picked up Laudrup (who for a while looked to have him beaten). Eventually started to win the battle.
Bowyer 7 - ran, and ran, and ran!
Hopkin 7 - when Haaland replaced him (to man-mark Poyet for a while) our attacking pretensions disappeared completely. We created little without him, and I though he battled well, although occasionally got in other Gods players way
McPhail 7 - terrible corners (floated high and long), but one majestic ball to set up Jimmy was worth playing him alone. Naturally Jimmy hit it straight at the goalie!
Granville 6 - not quite 'fetch yer cloth' time. Played OK, had a go at Wise.
Kewell 6+ - quieter game, although has obviously been given more freedom by Eddie and Dave!
Jimmy 2 - terrible display - should be ashamed of himself. No mobility, no regard to team-spirit, crap attempts at goal, couldn't control a medicine ball - in fact, he looks like he isn't interested! Contrast to Clyde when he came on!

That ref - staggering! I thought he was going for the whole set! The weather - proper Yorkshire summer - driving rain, blinding sunshine and black clouds, rainbows over Leeds and a typhoon like wind! The crowd - quite boisterous for a change. Plus I didn't hear that One Man Went to Mow crap, which was nice!

O'Leary - not quite sure what agenda O'Leary was sticking to re becoming our manager, but am gladdened that Lord Eddie is now official no 2! Let's see who we sign in the next 2 weeks to see what O'Leary's really about! Whatever, the last couple of games have seen the style of play move in a direction which is far more promising than the crap Graham served up, and long may that continue!

PS Still not having got over Eddie's finger-pointing and saying "I'll f***ing have you outside Wise"

PPS In't Hasselbaink s*ite!?

O'Leary takes the major plunge - Ian Ross

David O'Leary did the sort of intricate shimmy that was beyond him as a defender, when he left Elland Road yesterday saying he had yet to make a decision on whether to accept the managership of Leeds United, then accepted the post in a late-evening meeting with his chairman Peter Ridsdale.

"My contract will not be an issue; the main thing is I need to know what sort of money there is to bring in new players," O'Leary had said at the ground.

© Guardian Media Group plc