Preview Percy Slept through most of the international break. Well not the Czechia v Ireland match which he watched in a pub in Co. Cork. But the England games were so soporific DVDs are being sent to the NHS for use when anaesthetic stocks get low. Let’s hope this weekend’s Cup Quarter Final against Leeds is a bit more uplifting...
Next up we return to FA Cup action as we play host to Leeds United. Kick-off on Easter Sunday is at 4:30pm which means that you’ll have time to digest the overpriced and over-packaged chocolate you’ll have been given. Look out for people dodging from pub to pub with cut-price Kit-Kat bars by the way...
The tie will be decided on the day with extra-time and kicks from the penalty mark both available to decide the tie if necessary. Thank heavens for the Bank Holiday Monday, then. VAR is in place, which means that the official on the pitch who hasn’t a clue will be assisted by another who hasn’t a clue sitting in front of a TV screen with a cuppa and a packet of digestives.
Engineering work may work in your favour for once with all C2C trains being diverted into Stratford and Liverpool Street. Good luck.
So Leeds, then. A few weeks ago they were basking in the glory of a decent points buffer between themselves and the bottom three. However our bloody mindedness, plus a series of indifferent results for them, mean that they are once more looking over their shoulders and laughing at Tottenham. Well everyone’s doing that, but in Leeds’ case the laugh is perhaps a slightly nervous one.
Their last six read DDLLDD, with them drawing away at Chelsea (2-2), and Villa (1-1), before losing 1-0 at home to both Man City and Sunderland. This was followed by a return to drawing ways with scoreless outings away at Palace and at home to Brentford. This has left them in 15th place, four points clear of us, three clear of Tottenham and just the one clear of Forest.
None of which is really relevant of course, as this is the Cup. They started with a 3-1 win at Derby though they had to come from 1-0 down to do so. The 4th round saw them come within a minute or so of going through in the 90 mins until Roberts equalised Nmecha’s 49th minute opener. Extra time came and went with no further troubling of the scorers, before Leeds prevailed 4-2 on penalties. The 5th round was slightly less fraught for them, strolling as they did past Norwich 3-0 at Elland Road.
At this point one would normally prevail upon the lovely Daisy to run through their winter signings. However, they made just the two academy signings on permanent deals - although they did bring in one first-teamer on loan in the form of Facundo Buonanotte.
Although nominally in on loan from Brighton, it’s been a good two seasons since he last kicked a ball in anger for the Seagulls, spending 2024-25 on loan at Leicester and the first half of this season on loan at Chelsea of all places, the money launderers having beaten Leeds in the race to sign the player in the summer.
It’s fair to say that he was about as popular at Chelsea as he was at Brighton, making just the one league appearance before the loan was cut short. Leeds picked him up second time around but not before he had turned out for Chelsea in the Cup, thus preventing him from appearing this weekend. Which makes the last paragraph or so a bit of a waste of time really. Still, it filled up a bit of space.
Ans so we move on, as is traditional at this far down the page, to our look at the Wild And Wacky World Of Association Football. And, to nobody’s surprise, Igor Tudor was given the sack at Tottenham. Sadly it is not possible for third parties to appeal to an employment tribunal on behalf of a sacked employee – I checked just in case.
He’s been replaced by Roberto De Zerbi, the former Brighton and Marseilles boss who, at those clubs, has shown a remarkable ability to be able to start arguments in empty rooms. He’s already met with the disapproval of the Tottenham Supporters’ Trust over his support for Mason Greenwood who had faced rape and sexual assault charges – which were eventually dropped we should say. Barely through the door and he’s already causing a fuss.
Elsewhere it was revealed that you will be able to buy two or three tickets for Euro 2028 matches for the price of one car-parking space at this year’s World Cup which is already the best ever, everyone is saying so as their President will probably say at some stage.
Elsewhere, during the international break Ben White was recalled to the fold only to give the sort of performance that had England supporters calling for him to walk out again. The whole thing put one in mind of the time that Jamie Carragher walked out on an England squad that, in any sort of sane universe, he shouldn’t have been within a thousand miles of in the first place, moaning that he wasn’t getting selected.
Once all that boring qualification stuff had been done and dusted, he decided that he would graciously make himself available for the 2010 World Cup, where his main contribution was to get two yellows in two games thus banned from game 3 and not selected thereafter. There will be youngsters out there who may not realise that he was as poor a player as he is a pundit. Now you know.
And so to us. Well, the Villa defeat was a case of “the best laid plans” going pear-shaped as Jean-Clair Todibo pulled-up lame in the warm-up. It speaks volumes of how Nuno views the resources at his disposal that Max Kilman didn’t appear to be considered as a like-for-like replacement. Sadly, the change meant we were all over the place and while things improved a little in the second half the damage had been done.
It being Easter, one is having to get things prepared a bit earlier than usual so I’ve had no real up-to-date news on injuries, the list for which before the international snooze consisted of Summerville and Todibo. Summerville as listed as next being available for Wolves next weekend, though it’s not clear whether that includes a precautionary absence for this cup-tie or that he will require another week anyway. Todibo’s calf injury is similarly short of updates, though there is apparently a fairly decent chance of him being available for Sunday.
Which brings us nicely to the nature of the side that will be selected this weekend. The traditional Percy would like to see as strong a starting XI as possible, though I wouldn’t be too upset were Summerville given another few days to ensure fitness for Wolves. However, such is the modern game that one might expect a few more sitting this out. Of course they will have exactly the same dilemma on whether to select or rest.
So in considering the prediction, I’m going to base my guesswork on whether our second choice XI is better than theirs. And, you know, I reckon we will have enough about us to muddle our way through on this occasion – with the added bonus of gaining a psychological boost for the final game of the season should one be required.
So with that in mind, the £2.50 I was going to put into the beer kitty for when I watch The Greatest World Cup Ever everybody says so at home where the parking is free will be placed on us to go through 2-1 after extra time.
Enjoy the game!
When last we met at the Omzepic: Won 3-1 (Premier League January 2025)
The game marked the last home game before our trip to Prague and came shortly after that night in Alkmaar. It also marked a return to the Ozempic of Sam Allardyce. We started slowly with Rodrigo netting on the end of a long throw. Rice equalised after a fine move involving Fornals and Rice. Bowen and Lanzini scored in the second half. Leeds were eventually relegated.
Referee: Craig Pawson
Must thank his lucky stars at being born in an era that means that no matter how bang average you are as a referee you are unlikely to get the sack unless you do something particularly Coote in your personal life.
Danger Man: Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Maybe it’s just me, but he’s one of those strikers who you are supposed to think are very good despite the statistics suggesting otherwise. See also Ameobi and Bamford for earlier examples. Having said that he IS their top scorer even if his recent England caps are a bit baffling.
Percy and Daisy’s Amazing Leeds Fact Of The Week Type Thing
Ever experienced the horrors of having to play board games with the family? Well you can blame a pratt from Leeds for that. Anthony E Pratt in fact, who was the Leeds resident who invented Cluedo, one of those games that threaten to interrupt your post-King’s speech nap.
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