LONDON: With 9,000 Leeds fans headed for Old Trafford, Sunday’s FA Cup third round game against record 11-time winner Manchester United will be a throwback to some of the great showdowns between the two teams.
These days, however, Leeds is 43 places behind United down in the third tier of English football’s pyramid and a victory will be considered a major upset.
Back in the 1960s, Man United vs. Leeds would mean a meeting of the Charlton brothers — United’s Bobby and Leeds’ Jack. It pitted United’s George Best and Dennis Law against Leeds’ Billy Bremner and John Giles.
Moving on to the early ‘90s, when Leeds last won the league title, it was United’s Mark Hughes against Leeds’ Lee Chapman.
And 10 years ago when Leeds was riding high at the top of the Premier League at the halfway stage, it was Dwight Yorke and David Beckham against Rio Ferdinand and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.
That was when Leeds had a team capable of competing for the big titles — also reaching the semifinal of the Champions League in 2001. Soon after that the team ran into serious financial trouble and dropped two divisions while Man United added to its huge total of titles.
United manager Alex Ferguson says his team still has to be wary of a Leeds side, which tops the League One standings by eight points. But the Scot, who turned 68 on New Year’s Eve, has strong memories of United-Leeds confrontations.
“I don’t need to spell out what Leeds games have meant to us over the years. I used to enjoy them. They were fantastic, feisty occasions every time we met and we always had to perform,” he said.
“There was a tinge of hostility but we would tell the players to behave themselves properly because we didn’t want to add to any (fan) problems that might be occurring off the pitch. When we used to play Leeds in the league, the two teams were very competitive but it’s a different situation now, and we just have to make sure we play our normal game on Sunday.” With his team two points behind Chelsea in the Premier League and an eye-catching League Cup semifinal against Manchester City to follow on Wednesday, Ferguson is likely to rest some of his regular starters, such as Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs.
Hoping to make an impact, Leeds is likely to field its strongest available side, including striker Jermaine Beckford who has banged in 19 league and cup goals this season to go with the 46 in 84 appearances in the previous two.
Leeds manager Simon Grayson said Friday the game will give his players the chance to make an impact in an already impressive season.
“It’s a game everyone is looking forward to. We sold 9,000 tickets and could have taken 20,000,” he said.
“It’s a great rivalry that dates back through the ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s when the two teams were competing with each other on a regular basis. The fact that this is the first time we have met in over five years makes it more appealing to supporters.” During the 1970s and ‘80s, fans of the two clubs clashed frequently and Grayson called on supporters not to spoil the occasions by looking for trouble.
“There is a rivalry and hopefully the banter is to do with football related incidents and nothing is brought up about the past from both sets of supporters. There’s been major incidents that have affected both clubs over the years but hopefully people will concentrate on the present and not what’s happened in the past.” Sunday’s game is one of few top match ups in the last 64 of football’s oldest and most prestigious competition with only three meetings of Premier League rivals.
Arsenal, which is one behind Man United’s record 11 FA Cup triumphs, goes to West Ham. Aston Villa, which has won the trophy seven times but not since 1957, hosts a Blackburn side, which has six cup triumphs but none since 1928. Wigan and Hull also meet but neither has even reached the final.
Chelsea starts its defense with a home game against Watford, from the second tier League Championship. With Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou, Michael Essien and Jon Obi Mikel among those headed for the African Cup of Nations, manager Carlo Ancelotti has a restricted choice of players to choose from but could still rest some of his regulars.
Seven-time cup winner Liverpool visits another Championship club, Reading, which has won only once at home in 12 league starts and manager Rafa Benitez may consider resting striker Fernando Torres and captain Steven Gerrard to keep them fully fit for Premier League games.
