Football Focus

[Mick Mac]

I have a friend who supports Leeds. When he has had a few drinks he seems unable to say "Leeds" without following it with "champions of europe" ...

[Jah Lush]

Your friend's memory must be very blurred when he's drunk. Leeds won the Fairs Cup (now UEFA Cup in '68) and the UEFA Cup in '71 and that's it as far as their European silverware goes.

[????]

I'm with Jah on this. I have a hard to shift dislike of Leeds from the 1970s. The Chelsea Leeds replay is the first Cup Final I remember clearly and was supporting Chelsea. Sunderland's win in '73 is possibly my favourite non-Hammers Cup Final - although I'm also fond of Coventry's win in '87 ;-)

[Keef]

Fair enough, but not many in Leeds' current squad were born in the days of Dirty Leeds. Different manager, different chairperson, probably lots of new fans...

[david_carnell]

We're pretty disliked in the media, Keef. Weirdly, although you (and indeed many Leeds fans) dislike O'Leary, it was his team that for a while resurrected our image. Unfortunately certain incidents put paid to that. The Bowyer/Woodgate court-case was the prime example and disrupting a minutes silence for Matt Busby at Ewood Park, whilst not without genuine greivance, was pretty low.

Leeds and Liverpool have never really had much of a beef though. Perhaps the peaks never coincided (Leeds being late 60s early 70s and 'Pool's coming in the late 70s) and we have a mutual loathing of Man Utd. But a historic rivalry with Chelsea also stems from that period.

And whilst the team of that era was dirty, the picture Jah posted shows all teams of that era had "enforcers" which just don't really exist any more. What perhaps was mroe galling to our opponents of the time was that as well as cloggin lumps out of them, Leeds players could, when they chose to, pass the ball like a continental team, not allowing their opponents a sniff.

And Mick Mac - the reason for your friend's drunken reference to "Champions of Europe" is somewhat embaressing as far as I'm concerned. We played Bayern Munich in the 1975 European Cup Final and played them off the park. We had two goals disallowed and theirs shouldn't have stood. Hence we have "declared" we are the rightful champions. Ludicrous. But that's football fans for you.

[????]

Jah - he's probably talking about the 1975 European Cup final when Leeds were on the end of some bizzare reffereeing decisions by a referee who was later banned for corruption. Leeds fans subsequently wrecked Paris.

[????]

Ahh, beaten by the Tweeds of Leeds

[Sandperson]

He was on the bung that day wasn't he?

[????]

Yup - Lorimer(?) had a clear goal disallowed plus numerous other blatantly wrong decisions

[Keef]

Weirdly, although you (and indeed many Leeds fans) dislike O'Leary, it was his team that for a while resurrected our image.

That is just it, I don't look at it as his team. I see it as him inheriting a great young team, then f**king it up. To be fair, finances obviously came in to it, but still, he believes his own hype, and that is always a bad sign for a manager.

[Jah Lush]

O'Leary was very lucky to have had the finances at Leeds. He soon came unstuck at Villa. Small wonder he's been out of work since. He's been sussed.

[jimmy two times]

Too right he has. In fact, it was George Graham who really got that Leeds team going. O'Leary benefited from that. Why hasn't anyone employed George Graham since he left Spurs? He's a great manager.

[Keef]

it was George Graham who really got that Leeds team going. O'Leary benefited from that.

My point exactly.

[Mick Mac]

Georgie Graham's a Gooner, he wears a Gooners hat.....

[SimonM]

I saw a lot of Leeds in the late 60's and early 70's. They were no dirtier than Man Utd (Stiles anyone? Ian Ure?). They suffered because the football media loved the Manchester and London sides, as well as Shankly's Liverpool. Eddie Gray and Peter Lorimer were wonderful to watch - and I say this as a Sheffield Utd supporter.

Now if only my lot can beat QPR in the replay and then Bolton, then *after* Leeds have seen off Spurs a Leeds/Sheff Utd 5th round tie would have all kinds of needle attached to it!>:D<

[Atila Reincarnate]

jimmy two times Wrote:

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> Too right he has. In fact, it was George Graham

> who really got that Leeds team going. O'Leary

> benefited from that. Why hasn't anyone employed

> George Graham since he left Spurs? He's a great

> manager.

I think he's considered to be a bit too old school by many, and also a bit long in the tooth. Nonetheless, we gooners have a lot to thank him for.

[jimmy two times]

Maybe....all that experience though and a proven winner. There's still room for old school in football.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

I reckon Millwall are a bit grateful too!

[Atila Reincarnate]

jimmy two times Wrote:

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> Maybe....all that experience though and a proven

> winner. There's still room for old school in

> football.

I agree, but it's those that are in a position to offer him work that feel he's too old school, which, as you say, is a shame.

[david_carnell]

I'm not so sure about Graham's legacy at Leeds.

We were in dire straights towards the end of Sgt Wilkos reign, no doubt, and Graham stabilised us. He bought cheaply (Hasselbaink for 500k anyone?) and we were difficult to beat. A half decent UEFA cup run was also a bit of fun. But in general the football was dirge. Lumpen defenders (anyone remember Ze Terminator Robert Molenaar) and industrious midfielders who have since sunk into obscurity.

We had a fantastic youth set-up courtesy of Wilko and Graham ignored it. It was only when O'Leary took over that "the babies" were introduced to such good effect. Then he went and ruined it by buying Seth Johnson and Robbie Fowler.

The youth set-up at Elland Rd is still amazing. Lennon, Delph, Smith, Taiwo & Woods (at Chelsea), Robinson etc have all come through and gone on to bigger clubs. Hopefully if we get back into the Premiership we can hold on to some of these better young players.

Looks like Beckford might be off to Newcastle for ?3million though. Personally, if we get that much, I'd bite Mike Ashley's hand off. He's worth nowhere near that.

[jimmy two times]

He done well against Man Utd but he doesn't have a great first touch. At top level that can be the difference between success and failure.

[Jah Lush]

George Graham = Neanderthal football.

[Atila Reincarnate]

Jah Lush Wrote:

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> George Graham = Neanderthal football.

Boring, Boring Arsenal, for sure, but successful nonetheless

[jimmy two times]

Tony Pulis = Neanderthal football

Sam Allardyce = Neanderthal football

Gary Megson = Neanderthal football

All 3, with the exception of Megson as of last week, are working in the premiership. There are many ways of playing football. Route 1 physical football is not everyone's cup of tea but it's still valid if it ensures success.

[????]

George Graham is from a different era of football. His Arsenal style of Football wouldn't be successfull and his man management wouldn't work with modern players.