I Take It All Back. The Dilemma Starts Here!

My last blog was a scathing indictment of the Leeds side about the sub-standard performance at Elland Road last Monday. It was justified of course, as I think we all felt pretty much the same level of let-down after the game.

But what a turnaround on Thursday night.

For one blog only(!) I take back every criticism of made of the players - Kandol excepted, though he would probably have also performed heroics had he played. They were, quite simply, magnificent. To a man.

The feeling when Howson's second goal went in was indescribable. I nearly passed out from the screaming and jumping around. We are going to Wembley which is perhaps the most exciting single experience a football fan can hope to have during a season; whether a League Cup, F A Cup or play-off final, it is something absolutely immense.

Having slated Frazer Richardson I think it only fair to offer praise where it is due. The Carlisle winger who caused so many problems at Elland Road was nullified by a determined Richardson performance full of concentration which is so often lacking in his game. Often the deserved target of great criticism, all of the usual reasons for that criticism were absent on Thursday. Jonathan Douglas also deserves an enormous amount of praise for the strength and leadership in his performance, calmness under pressure and, perhaps most importantly, accuracy in his distribution. Dougie Freedman thankfully lived up to expectations. Though appearing laborious on the ball he was in fact almost the most creative player on the park and it speaks volumes for the influence he wields that he was involved in all three of the goals which have taken us to Wembley.

I say almost the most creative because Neil Kilkenny's second-half performance was something to behold. My view is, and has always been, that he is a central midfielder, not a wide player. He looks lightweight but in my view is anything but. Tenacious in the tackle but most effective with the ball at his feet and the play in front of him. He created, from nothing, two glorious chances for Beckford over the two legs. He was the orchestrator of the move of the match at Carlisle. He is difficult to dispossess, has pace, skill and great vision. The ball always finds its target. His off-the-ball work rate is also phenomenal. When Leeds are in possession he is always in space, always looking for the option but directing the play at the same time. I think Kilkenny and Howson could make a terrific central midfield partnership and Kilkenny has, for me, the natural talent, attitude and leadership abilities to make a fine club captain. A little bit controversial? It seems to me a long time since we had any genuine quality in the centre of midfield and, creatively speaking, it is like a breath of fresh air. I know Kilkenny was playing right-midfield on Thursday but all of his effective play began from the centre.

Jonny Howson of course gets the main plaudits as he is undoubtedly the hero of the hour. Let's hope it doesn't go to his head until the summer hols!!!

Dilemma

And so to the big dilemma; the starting eleven on Sunday. The gut feeling is to stick with the side that performed so well at Carlisle. We also saw how that side performed at Elland Road and the question is therefore “which side will turn up”? My view is that we are more likely to see the side that played at Elland Road than the one at Carlisle.

Much was made of the fact that at Elland Road the pressure accounted for the sub-standard performance. If they are going to play that way at home, before their own supporters, how are they going to play at Wembley stadium, the ultimate pressure scenario, in front of even more – given the rumours of the number of Leeds fans who appear to be keen to buy tickets at Doncaster made available for general sale. 90 minutes to perform; no second-leg or second chances. The team that gets picked for the final is the team that has to be able to raise its game in the way we expected at Elland Road and the way that was delivered at Brunton Park.

To play that side in my view would be a gamble on Gary Mac’s part, and I would err on the side of caution. Having said that I was again proved completely wrong after cursing him for playing the same side in the second leg so once again I take my hat off to the management team for getting it right.

Doncaster are one of the better footballing sides in the division, as they proved by destroying us at Elland Road in January and by keeping us on the back foot in our crucial victory at the Keepafloat Stadium in the latter part of the season. The fact that they put five goals past Southend in a play-off semi-final says a lot about their attacking ability and open style of play. But I think we have the talent, ability and pace to match them in our squad, but I’m not sure that we do with the eleven that won at Carlisle.

So putting sentiment aside and given that this is the final and most crucial game of the season my starting eleven would be…

GOALKEEPER

Ankegren

DEFENCE

Kenton
Marques
Michalik
Sheehan

MIDFIELD

Prutton
Kilkenny
Howson
Johnson

ATTACK

Freedman (c)
Beckford

SUBS

Lucas
Hughes
Douglas
Elding
Kandol

I’ll probably do one more post before the weekend as the excitement level reaches fever pitch during the week.

Marching on Together