The Times, Sunday Times and Telegraph now seem to require registration to view articles on their sites, with the Times and Sunday Times charging readers outside the UK. The Times/Sunday Times has also moved some of the older articles into an archive which requires separate registration and requires you to pay to access the content. The Independent now charges for access to articles more than a week old. "There's only one Eddy Grant" - SiCAfter a pre-match list meet that included, erm, me and Thirkers (and his mate - whose name I've already forgotten, sorry) we paid our £15 on the gate - memories, eh - to see us line up as follows: Nige DMIFB Woody Rio Nephew Bow Eirik Olly Harry Keano Pieman Leicester ...... um, well, they were pretty woeful. But don't let it distract - we played some lovely football at times, quick pass-and-moves that completely bypassed their midfield (their only strong point - Matty Jones had a good game - Dennis Wise ..... didn't). 1-0 Corner, Eirik flicks it on, Robbie buries it from close range 2-0 Wide free kick, Eirik wins the header again, Robbie shoots - blocked - spins back to him, goal. 3-0 Long ball through, lovely backheel by Robbie, Eirik makes no mistake from 10 yards HT 4-0 Harry gets to the byline, crashes in a low cross, Vidooks attempt is blocked, there's Robbie again for the hat-trick 5-0 Pick of the bunch. Vidooks gets the ball, back to goal, spins the defender and curls it - with his left foot, no less - in off the underside of the bar from 18 yards 6-0 Two quick 1-2's - Harry's through - hard low shor squirms under Walker "England, England's Number 10". Fair play to the Leicester fans - kept singing - "Taylor's fucked us up" ... " We want One" - and didn't go home. McFrail for Bakke - Smiffy for Robbie - Doobs ("he grassed you up, he grassed you up" - thanks Leicester) for Rio. Foot off gas. FT Scores on the doors Nige 7 Virtual spectator First "time to go, time to go" timed at 38 minutes :-) Bassett's out-of-sorts devoured by Leeds - Jon BrodkinCopy from Football Unlimited of
10/10/2001.
Dave Bassett is set to become Leicester's manager before Saturday's game at Chelsea, and it was probably as well that he was not here last night. His team-in-waiting performed so abjectly he might have had a change of mind, and supporters were less than flatteringly in their chants about his imminent appointment. While Leeds were ripping Leicester to shreds with the help of a Robbie Keane hat-trick, Bassett was at nearby Coventry watching Chelsea. Impressive as Leeds were in their skill, speed and incisiveness, there is no question Bassett has a formidable task to keep this squad up with no funds. This will be the eighth appointment of Bassett's career, which began with a successful spell at Wimbledon from 1981-87. He has been out of work since leaving Barnsley last December, seven months after taking the club to the First Division play-off final. Keane hat-trick floors Leicester - Jon CulleyCopy from The Independent of 10/10/2001.
If suffering Leicester fans had hoped to see their team respond positively to the crisis that precipitated Peter Taylor's demise they were disappointed, to put it mildly, as a rampant Leeds side revealed their managerless team also to be rudderless and clueless. Dave Bassett, the former Wimbledon and Sheffield United manager, is now a strong favourite to take over at Filbert Street, with Brighton's manager Mickey Adams linked to the role of first team coach, although the job may have lost some of its appeal after the brutal demolition that ended Leicester's participation in the Worthington Cup. The opening 15 minutes, in which Robbie Keane scored twice, made the caretaker manager, Garry Parker, fully aware of the difficulties Taylor's successor will face and the evening only worsened thereafter. The Irishman went on to complete a hat-trick before being rested for the final half-hour. Eirik Bakke, Mark Viduka and Harry Kewell joined him on the scoresheet. Leeds fielded a line-up that reflected David O'Leary's full commitment to the competition, which he willingly restated afterwards. "Manchester United and Arsenal can afford to take the Worthington Cup lightly because they have won things," he said. "My squad is not deep enough to allow me the same luxury but in any case we have won nothing yet and I would be delighted to win this competition." The floodgates opened on Leicester after 11 minutes, when a corner from Ian Harte was diverted towards goal by the head of Bakke at the edge of the Leicester penalty area before Keane glanced it home from close range. The second followed a free kick on the left, again taken by Harte with Bakke his target. This time the Norwegian knocked the ball downwards from the far post for Keane to score at the second attempt. Leicester, fielding a three-man front-line in which the 20-year-old Matthew Piper made his first start, tried to make an impression but were punished again before half-time as the gulf between the Premiership's top and bottom sides was painfully emphasised, a sweeping move involving Danny Mills, Lee Bowyer and a back heel from Keane ending with a 12-yard strike for Bakke. All this made for an easy re-introduction to the Leeds line-up for the central defender Jonathan Woodgate, whose appearance in place of the injured Dominic Matteo was his first for 10 months. O'Leary had spoken warily of Filbert Street being "a bad ground" for his side, recalling the defeats suffered there in the fourth round of the Worthington Cup in both 1998 and 1999. There was no danger of reliving such horrors last night, especially after Keane completed his hat-trick from close range. Viduka's delightful left-footed curler then stretched the Leeds tally to five within nine minutes of the restart. But even that was not the end of the home side's suffering as Harry Kewell strode forward to thump home Leeds' sixth. The report used to be available online here. Six-hitters are awesome - Matt ReederCopy from Yorkshire Evening
Post of 10/10/2001.
DOMINANT Leeds signalled their intention to win the Worthington Cup with a most emphatic display against crisis club Leicester City last night. United were simply awesome as they annihilated the Foxes in a quite astonishing 6-0 drubbing at Filbert Street. Some of the football produced by David O'Leary's boys was breathtaking. It was vintage Leeds as the managerless home side were totally outclassed in every department. On a perfect night for football on a pitch which cried out for a passing team to play on it, Leicester just seemed to sit back and allowed United to play the only way they know how - by attacking. O'Leary's table-topping side needed no second invitation and like a slick, well-oiled machine they methodically walloped the East Midlands club. Robbie Keane set the ball rolling with a poacher's hat-trick to prove his form is right on the button. A header and one each with either foot earned him his first competitive first-team hat-trick, with not one of his efforts scored from outside the six-yard box. Eirik Bakke, Harry Kewell and a beauty from Mark Viduka sealed what was a brilliant performance on a night when everything seemed to click. Even without the injured Dominic Matteo and unwell David Batty, the team looked a class above their hosts. Jonathan Woodgate slipped into defence alongside Rio Ferdinand to form what would surely be the classiest, coolest defensive partnership in football. Woodgate was impeccable. He had the pace when required and his ability to read the game always had him a step ahead of the Leicester strikers. Ferdinand, after a dodgy match with England at the weekend, was also back to his imperious best. With Lee Bowyer, Bakke, Kewell and Olivier Dacourt in fabulous form through the middle, the home team were left shell-shocked by a first-half display which saw Leeds go in at the break 3-0 to the good. Caretaker boss Garry Parker, who took over from the sacked Peter Taylor last week, had admitted that he was not yet ready for football management. His decision to play only three at the back and not put a right back in to stop the marauding Kewell proved he still has a lot to learn. He refused to speak after the game. On the other hand O'Leary was over the moon with his team's display and confirmed they would now very much be looking to win the trophy. O'Leary is seen as one of the best young managers in Europe but he admits silverware is now the one thing missing. "For all our priority in making it to the Champions League next season," he said, "we still do want to do well in other competitions and we would be delighted to win the Worthington Cup. "I have to stand in front of the PLC come May and say that we have come in the top four. But the football romance within me wants to win something - a trophy for the club, the players and the fans. I would love to win this trophy as my first piece of silverware as a manager. We certainly have the desire here to go on and win it." Any doubts that United would take this competition lightly were dispelled in an opening 15 minute burst which saw them take a 2-0 lead. Dacourt had already seen a shot saved by keeper Ian Walker before a Harte corner from the right was headed goalward by the unmarked Bakke and Keane was on hand to re-direct the ball into the net with a glancing flick. The customary cart-wheel was in full flow. It needed to be as within four minutes the lead had doubled and Keane had struck again. This time Harte floated over a free-kick from the left, Woodgate nodded it back across goal and although Keane's first effort was blocked, the ball landed kindly to his feet and all he needed to do was pick his spot. Leicester had no answer to the attacking flair of the Leeds midfield and when they did attack there was no way past Woody and Rio. Leeds were always in control and in the 39th minute it was 3-0 with a quality, well-worked goal. Bowyer and Mills linked down the right before the ball was played into the penalty area. Keane dummied, the defence stood off and Bakke made the most of it by lashing a shot past Walker. Keane should have completed his hat-trick in the 42nd minute but as he rounded Walker he shot high and wide. He made up for it though within seven minutes of the re-start as he put Leeds 4-0 up. It was cruel in some ways on Leicester but did not hide the Keystone Cops mentality to their entire performance. The fifth came four minutes later and it was by far the best of the bunch. Viduka has worked his socks off in recent weeks without any reward for his efforts but he scored with a pacy, curling effort that crashed in off the underside of the cross-bar from the edge of the box. "We want 10" was the chant from the Leeds United faithful. But they could only manage one more and that came from Kewell. He richly deserved the goal after tearing the home side apart. Dacourt's raking pass cross-field caught out Sinclair, Kewell watched it all the way onto his chest and then once under control he set his sights on goal and fired in a left foot shot. At 6-0 it was time for the showboating to start as Leeds romped home. The report used to be available online here.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Premier
Leeds United Site
on the Net
Callum Davidson
