The goals are now on YouTube, for the benefit of those who didn't see them on ITV last night... http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=cjKpVzQHl3k The commentator thinks the 'flick on' for the first goal was actually a poor back header from Palace defender Matt Lawrence, and studying the footage again, I think he's right. Tim W.
www.toellandback.org, an independent view of Leeds United. --- On Wed, 27/8/08, Nick Allen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: From: Nick Allen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [LU] Crystal Palace To: [email protected] Date: Wednesday, 27 August, 2008, 9:40 AM As one of the 10,000 or so (maniacs?) I guess I'd better say a few words and today's lesson will be brought to you mainly by the words Telfer, Becchio and MOTM Delph. I don't know if that was a full-strength Palace team similarly I don't know how Palace are doing this year - but this Leeds Utd mix of half first team and half reserves took them apart with some aplomb. Starting XI - Lucas, Richardson (capt), Lubo, Telfer, White, Hughes, Kilkenny, Douglas, Delph, Beckford and Becchio. And for my money 10 of that lot should start on Saturday - I'd still have Sheehan for White at LBack - I know he's a young lad, but he looked a bit nervous and lacked a bit of awareness sometimes - that's not to say he had a bad game, far from it, I just think Sheehan would be better. So onto the game - passing, movement, application, intelligence on the ball and decent finishing - there's no way you can do this and not sound like Alan Hansen. We had 4 and we could have had 8 - Beckford and Becchio both going close, having good efforts turned around the post, and Showunmi when he came on twice came close before he scored - once he ran round the keeper but ran out of pitch. 1-0 - long punt from Lubo, Beckford wins a flick on - bravely as he took a right elbow getting there - Becchio then flicked on again into the box, where Douglas, all credit to him, had followed the ball, and he nicked in before the keeper to stab it over or round him (it was a long way off)... 2-0 - having won the corner, by seeing his goal bound effort saved - I think it was after a cute free kick from down on the right hand dead ball line following a foul on the excellent Becchio, the free kick was dragged low across goal by Kilkenny into Beckford's path he thumped it first time only for it to be deflected wide - Beckford then rose at the back post to nod home Kilkenny's excellent corner-kick - scored when we were down to 10 men with Lubo getting treated 3-0 - good midfield play on the left by Delph and Kilkenny, the ball is swung cross field to Fraser, who controls it, takes a moment, before swinging a great curling cross to the back post, where Becchio rises above everyone to thump home a header right down in to the bottom corner - Len Shackleton would have been proud - the keeper should have done better, mind 4-0 - in which Enoch gets the ball on the left wing edge of the box and is allowed to amble into the box and curl a shot towards the far corner - unsure whether Beckford got a toe to it or not The cherry on the cake being the blank sheet kept when Johnson headed off the line after Palace had finally got round Lucas and planted a shot goalwards. Telfer - never seen this fella before - he's not a long term solution to anything but he is a talker and an organiser - he is also apparently a footballer first and foremost - never punted it clear when a pass was on - often making good use and finding men in good positions. He's not fast, but wasn't often bested due to great positional sense and he's not tall for a CHalf but he won his share. Becchio - big heart, went for and won loads of aerial challenges, led the line by example - makes great runs - links with Beckford - I think he could be a little gem Delph - what I like about him is he has wonderful balance, great poise on the ball, always looking for the open man - made some great little 5 yard dashes leaving his two markers for dead, from a standing start - wonderful passer and really willing to carry his share of the load...great stuff. Palace hadn't a clue what to do with him. This game was won by an utterly dominant Leeds midfield - Douglas broke up evrything that came his way and then played it simply to Kilkenny or Delph who proceeded to pass, over, round, through the Palace midfield until they didn't know whether they were coming or going. They fed the forward line and supported it, well. Hughes put in a grafting unspectacular shift on the right side of midfield, performing a similar duty to Douglas. LUCAS - one or two early flaps - then comfortable despite some good onld centre forward rough housing in the aerial challenges RICHARDSON - quietly effective in defence - good exploitation of the space on the right going forward in the second half WHITE - stuck to his guns, made some good challenges against a determined winger - caught cold and wrong side a few times - just a bit of naivety really TELFER - commanding game MICHALIK - solid game HUGHES - hard work, linking with Frazer - nothing spectacular KILKENNY - when we had the ball, he ran the game - here there and everywhere, good range of passing, perceptive short balls, taking 2 or 3 opponents out of the game, mixed in with some fine long ball distribution. DELPH - MOTM - inspirational and unplayable, as far as Palace were concerned BECKFORD - a big, fast, threatening presence who more than deserved his goal BECCHIO - a revelation to me - 70 mins of controlled aggresive forward play - won loads in the air - took his goal very well - think he and Beckford could thrive as a partnership, given service... ------------- subs Showunmi - came on and ran about a bit - took his goal well - missed another sitter when put through by Beckford - also messed up when round the keeper (3rd or even 4th string, after Snodgrass) Howson - on for 10 minutes - not involved Johnson - came of for White at LBack - made one great clearing header off the line - generally added stability --------------- all-in-all a fun evening _______________________________________________ Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ the Leeds List is an unmoderated mailing list and the list administrators accept no liability for the personal views and opinions of contributors. Leedslist mailing list [email protected] http://list.zetnet.co.uk/mailman/listinfo/leedslist "the morphine patch and the handfuls of dihydrocodiene and paracetamol did the business. I am GOING TO WEMBLEY !!!!" Dave Nattan May 16th 2008
