Fulwood Blade
Well-Known Member
Fourth away trip of the season for me and a return to Leeds after working in the City from 03 to 09. We’d won the previous three away games me and the nipper had been to - Blackburn, Wigan and West Brom – could it be a fourth win?
I liked Leeds – it’s a good place, nice City, decent people in general and way in front of my home town of Sheffield in many aspects. Some may not agree but it’s got things we just haven’t got. It’s also got a few things we don’t want too to be fair. It’s way different though, considering only 30+ miles between us. It’s still Yorkshire though.
Decided to park at Holbeck and walk over the M621 – gosh what a shit place – houses with bars at windows and doors and just the feeling of being a sad area of Leeds. Walked with lots of Leeds fans on a shitty rainy day. The M621 seems to cut the ground off and a lot seem to park the wrong side of it and walk quite a way to the ground.
I might be critisied here, but I took the Blades sticker off my car – wasn’t prepared to come back to it with damage to it. As before there are some nice people in Leeds, but the idiots are proper fucking idiots. Some of us remember the Leeds idiots from the 70’s when they were famous – more of this later.
First time at Elland Road though and my initial impression was what a dated ground it was. It looked very tired, like something else in S6. All the stands had pillars except their big cantilever. My nipper was a bit pissed off with a burger and drink costing him eight quid! No sympathy from me – he should have had breakfast like the rest of us!
Our seat row was CC – ahha, near the back? Nope, front row and right near the tunnel. They had netted off the front 2 rows.................and just right for a 2nd half winner...........one could dream.
The Leeds fans were loud – very loud. Took the piss out of Deano for a lot of the match - in the end, it had zero effect and Deano handled himself with great control. He's come of age this season with us. Birmingham have loud fans, but Leeds are louder for me and it certainly helps their cause when they are so close to the away fans. The stands do look so small though – quite amazed it used to hold 40K and 37K squeezed into it today.
Crainie in the team and Basham in midfield – reminded me of pigs away last season where we went 352, or even 3511. Had Wilder pulled another surprise? Well, as fans we’ve given up on second guessing this remarkable manager and team selections.
Leeds started like a house on fire – high energy, closing us down all the time and for sure it was going to be a long afternoon. Initially we seemed a bit overawed by the occasion, but we were at least solid and calm.They had 3 decent chances but for the last 15 minutes of the first half we seemed to come more into the game. First goal reached though – HT and still in the game.
Second half and same as first – Leeds pushing on. Fair game to them, it’s what they do – but what we do, is just soak it up and be organised and the lack of panic in our play is quite remarkable. Yes, we’re put under pressure, but we just cope. It cannot be a fluke that we have gone six previous games on the spin and not conceded. Leeds were going all out for the win, but we just hung in there and everyone just knew what they were doing. A long ball from Egan was all but hopeful, but Billy is a master tactician – let the Leeds player make a mistake, nipped in, held off the defender, had the presence of mind (which is a very very difficult skill) to look up and play it perfectly in stride for an on rushing Basham................ONE NIL ! yes, we went bonkers – something that we seemed to pick up in L1 in the 2nd half of the season – we know don’t we? We just know this club, at this time in history, is just a bit special.
Oh the joy – the pure joy. The players celebrated in front of us and the Leeds fans just stopped singing – just like turning off a tap. The funniest bit of the afternoon was when United fans started singing “You’re not famous any more” – The Leeds fans had given good banter all afternoon, but they had nothing to come back with. That goal had broken their fans - we’d done them with that goal. Against the run of play? For me yes and the possession stats suggested 70% to 30% but they didn’t have a single shot on target so reported SKY and the BBC.
We played the perfect away game – absolutely fantastic organisation – both defence and midfield were outstanding and we chased and harried up top. What a master stroke putting Crainie at RCB and Basham in midfield – management at its ultimate perfection.
If I was a Leeds fan I’d be disappointed...........I suggest them and we all think back to the first meeting at BDTBL –rolls reversed Leeds, so you KNOW what it feels like now. For now you can fuck right off – you’re good, but you’re not quite Carling.
Do not think we've won it - we haven't - this is not over by a long stretch – we’ve come out on top in a close game by two of the best three teams in the division, by a long long way.
One game at a time - we move on to Bristol City.
UTB
PS: 4 away games for me – and 4 wins. I miss Preston (sorry), it’s Birmingham City next - and for sure, we owe them for last season.
I liked Leeds – it’s a good place, nice City, decent people in general and way in front of my home town of Sheffield in many aspects. Some may not agree but it’s got things we just haven’t got. It’s also got a few things we don’t want too to be fair. It’s way different though, considering only 30+ miles between us. It’s still Yorkshire though.
Decided to park at Holbeck and walk over the M621 – gosh what a shit place – houses with bars at windows and doors and just the feeling of being a sad area of Leeds. Walked with lots of Leeds fans on a shitty rainy day. The M621 seems to cut the ground off and a lot seem to park the wrong side of it and walk quite a way to the ground.
I might be critisied here, but I took the Blades sticker off my car – wasn’t prepared to come back to it with damage to it. As before there are some nice people in Leeds, but the idiots are proper fucking idiots. Some of us remember the Leeds idiots from the 70’s when they were famous – more of this later.
First time at Elland Road though and my initial impression was what a dated ground it was. It looked very tired, like something else in S6. All the stands had pillars except their big cantilever. My nipper was a bit pissed off with a burger and drink costing him eight quid! No sympathy from me – he should have had breakfast like the rest of us!
Our seat row was CC – ahha, near the back? Nope, front row and right near the tunnel. They had netted off the front 2 rows.................and just right for a 2nd half winner...........one could dream.
The Leeds fans were loud – very loud. Took the piss out of Deano for a lot of the match - in the end, it had zero effect and Deano handled himself with great control. He's come of age this season with us. Birmingham have loud fans, but Leeds are louder for me and it certainly helps their cause when they are so close to the away fans. The stands do look so small though – quite amazed it used to hold 40K and 37K squeezed into it today.
Crainie in the team and Basham in midfield – reminded me of pigs away last season where we went 352, or even 3511. Had Wilder pulled another surprise? Well, as fans we’ve given up on second guessing this remarkable manager and team selections.
Leeds started like a house on fire – high energy, closing us down all the time and for sure it was going to be a long afternoon. Initially we seemed a bit overawed by the occasion, but we were at least solid and calm.They had 3 decent chances but for the last 15 minutes of the first half we seemed to come more into the game. First goal reached though – HT and still in the game.
Second half and same as first – Leeds pushing on. Fair game to them, it’s what they do – but what we do, is just soak it up and be organised and the lack of panic in our play is quite remarkable. Yes, we’re put under pressure, but we just cope. It cannot be a fluke that we have gone six previous games on the spin and not conceded. Leeds were going all out for the win, but we just hung in there and everyone just knew what they were doing. A long ball from Egan was all but hopeful, but Billy is a master tactician – let the Leeds player make a mistake, nipped in, held off the defender, had the presence of mind (which is a very very difficult skill) to look up and play it perfectly in stride for an on rushing Basham................ONE NIL ! yes, we went bonkers – something that we seemed to pick up in L1 in the 2nd half of the season – we know don’t we? We just know this club, at this time in history, is just a bit special.
Oh the joy – the pure joy. The players celebrated in front of us and the Leeds fans just stopped singing – just like turning off a tap. The funniest bit of the afternoon was when United fans started singing “You’re not famous any more” – The Leeds fans had given good banter all afternoon, but they had nothing to come back with. That goal had broken their fans - we’d done them with that goal. Against the run of play? For me yes and the possession stats suggested 70% to 30% but they didn’t have a single shot on target so reported SKY and the BBC.
We played the perfect away game – absolutely fantastic organisation – both defence and midfield were outstanding and we chased and harried up top. What a master stroke putting Crainie at RCB and Basham in midfield – management at its ultimate perfection.
If I was a Leeds fan I’d be disappointed...........I suggest them and we all think back to the first meeting at BDTBL –rolls reversed Leeds, so you KNOW what it feels like now. For now you can fuck right off – you’re good, but you’re not quite Carling.
Do not think we've won it - we haven't - this is not over by a long stretch – we’ve come out on top in a close game by two of the best three teams in the division, by a long long way.
One game at a time - we move on to Bristol City.
UTB
PS: 4 away games for me – and 4 wins. I miss Preston (sorry), it’s Birmingham City next - and for sure, we owe them for last season.
