By Myles Palmer
The 2004 FA CUP is between Chelsea, Arsenal and Man United – just like the Premiership title.
Arsenal made six changes, and Leeds played 4-5-1, which made it an odd game.
Bergkamp was injured. Lauren, Keown and Cole came back,Pires, Parlour and Toure were on the bench.
ALIADIERE would have played with Kanu, but succumbed to illness the night before, so Henry started with Kanu.
Edu was wide on the left.
Leeds surrendered 70% of the pitch for 80 of the 93 minutes, so the game looked and felt a bit weird.
LEHMANN conceded after a backpass in 9 minutes.
He took a touch and then allowed Viduka to block his clearance,which rebounded into the net.
Henry had a volley over and then James Milner beat Keown on the left and got in a shot which Lehmann saved at the near post.
On 26, Arsenal scored an equaliser which amazed me.
Ljungberg crossed from the right and the cross found Henry unmarked ten yards out….. and he volleyed it in !
WOW !
If Arsenal can start scoring goals from crosses, anything is possible.
If Va-Va-Voom can start scoring Scholes goals,Arsenal can win the Champions League.
On 32, Vieira found Henry on the left and Edu jabbed home his low cross.
It was 2-1 at half time and 2-1 until 87, when sub Robert Pires sidefooted the third for Henry’s right wing low cross.
Pires then picked out Toure with a very clever cross from the left. The agile African jumped and volleyed the ball neatly with his shin, down past Robinson.
Gilberto was average, again. But it did not matter.
The rest of the side was assured and the team was able to play with authority from 60 to 93 minutes.
Arsenal do not make many slips and they rarely concede more than one goal these days.
Vieira is getting more inventive all the time.
And Gooners are getting used to this unbeaten run.When the team loses a game it will be a big shock for the fans.
Everton v Arsenal on Wednesday night?
This time they know all about Wayne Rooney.
SVEN HAD A GOOD WEEKEND !
Scholes was on fire, scoring both goals in a 2-1 at Villa, the second a scorching volley at the near post.
Kieron Dyer looks like the new Craig Bellamy.
Playing as a half-striker, Dyer scored two terrific goals in Newcastle’s best performance of the season, a 3-0 win at Southampton.
The second goal was spectacular : a Ronaldinhoeque burst from near the halfway line and firing left-footed past Niemi.
Last year Bobby Robson’s canny blending of an old head with four pace merchants was a good formula.
Newcastle played with nous, flair, fire and pace. They were an exciting team.
But this season they lost the plot. They stuttered, stumbled,disappointed.
Suddenly, on Saturday, they looked like the Newcastle of last season.How long will it last?
CELTA VIGO were clueless at home to Deportivo, who beat them 5-0.
If Arsenal played Celta now, they would spank them.
But it was, to be fair, the first league match in Spain after the winter break. Celta can only improve.
I SAW A GOOD NEWSPAPER article over Xmas.
An interview with Michael Robinson, who is a superstar presenter on Spanish TV.
It was in The Daily Telegraph on Tuesday December 23rd and I read it and thought, “Brilliant! Long overdue! Bravo, Michael Robinson ! At last, a voice from outside the magic circle of BBC tossers! At last somebody has said that the BBC employ too many dummies these days.”
Robinson said that David Beckham is having the greatest moment of his life.
He said that on the BBC they have editors, so they don’t allow a writer to present. And he said – get this – that the game had been kidnapped by ex-pros, whose punditry is dull and ignorant.
He said, “The BBC spoilt the World Cup. I respect ex-footballers but I think it extremely important to stick a journalist between Lineker, Hansen and Lawrenson to say: ‘Why have you just said that? Explain yourself to normal human beings who haven’t been professionals.’
“None of the panel knew that Ronaldinho had scored free-kicks for Paris St-Germain like that all season. They don’t see anyfurther than Southend, and who gives a monkeys anyway. ‘We were robbed, we invented football.’
“And England have gone home thinking we got kicked out of the World Cup because Ronaldinho hit a bad cross . . .well, b******s. I’ve never listened to so many cliches in my life.
Football kidnapped by ex-players with no whys or wherefores or information, just the same putrid status quo. Football doesn’t exist beyond those frontiers? Of course it does.”
I laughed out loud.
That’s what I’ve been saying for years.
Mark Lawrenson is the luckiest man in England.He should be a publican. He never tells you anything you did not read in the paper the previous day.
Anyway, a pal now reveals that this article caused a furore.
Allegedly, Lineker was hugely upset because he is is a Sunday Telegraph columnist.
Allegedly, Hansen is furious because he is a Telegraph columnist.
The editor and sports editor apparently had a lot of complaints.
From whom?
The piece, by Sarah Edworthy, was not even down to any journalistic initiative by the Telegraph.
Edworthy is writing McManaman’s book. So she talks to Robinson, who has observed the whole of the Englishman’s career at Real Madrid.
In the course of that conversation, Robinson makes these remarks. Nothing to do with the book, but interesting stuff.
So she persuades The Telegraph to run the piece.
And all hell breaks out.
Moral of this little story?
MANY FAMOUS PEOPLE ARE PRECIOUS.
In politics, in showbiz, in sport – they become very precious.
They have a cosy, privileged life. Surrounded by wallies and backslappers.
So the famous often forget that they’re there to be shot at.
And they are too small-minded to shrug it off a bit of criticism.
You’d think they would be hip.
But they’re not.
Pathetic, really.
I’M TOLD this morning that 3 consortiums are trying to buy Spurs.Hope it happens this week.
The government of Mali is outraged by Pleat’s remark.
Regarding Kanoute joining up for the African Nations Cup, Pleat said, “We are awaiting confirmation from Fifa that he is eligible to play for Mali. There must be all sorts going on in Freddie’s mind and I try to see all sides of all problems.
“Do you know the population of Mali? Neither do any of my players.”
What an idiot !
The manager of a PLC club insults an African country?Why?
Spurs pay this guy £350,000 a year. Why?
Clearly, Spurs need new owners.
When they have new owners, I will start going there again.
January 5th 2004