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"It was Twenty Years ago today!"
article published March, 2018, but first written in 1998 by the late Brian Judson
Full Record of Spurs -v- Leeds United
Prem Pl W D L For-Ag Pts
Home 6 3 2 1 9-4 11
Away 5 1 2 2 4-9 5
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Total (Prem) 11 4 4 3 13-13 16
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Football Lge
Home (Div 1) 28 14 8 6 47-34 37
Away (Div 1) 28 6 10 12 32-42 23
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Total (Div 1) 56 20 18 18 79-76 60
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Football Lge
Home (Div 2) 4 3 1 0 10-4 7
Away (Div 2) 4 1 1 2 3-5 3
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Total (Div 2) 8 4 2 2 13-9 10
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Total (Prem) 11 4 4 3 13-13 16
Total (Div 1) 56 20 18 18 79-76 60
Total (Div 2) 8 4 2 2 13-9 10
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Grand Total 75 28 24 23 105-98 86
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This match has been brought forward from Saturday afternoon to Wednesday
evening as Leeds still have an interest in the outcome of the FA Cup.
They have been showing signs of developing into an exciting team. Their
youth team won the FA Youth Cup last season and some of those youngsters
have progressed to the first team. Leeds have been disrupted by the calls
of various FIFA competitions being played on the African continent and
Australia's challenge to qualify for the World Cup Finals. I think Leeds
would have probably been higher in the table if they had not been forced
to part with so many of their players for long spells.
The country -v- club issue is always going to plague us but most managers
and observers believe it is best to release a player for international
duty rather than to prevent him from going. A resentful player is never
going to be productive. George Graham has made his feelings known,
speaking through gritted teeth in order to prevent his true feelings from
being revealed. At Arsenal, Graham had an undeserved reputation for
producing boring teams. The tactics he adopted reflected the thinking of
the times. It is always true to say that if you do not concede a goal,
you have earned a point.
Since moving to Leeds, where he has David O'Leary, another former Gooner,
as his assistant, Graham has patiently sorted the wheat from the chaff
and disposed of those players he felt were not looking for change in
their daily routine. When Leeds last played at Tottenham, I tipped them
as future champions and I have seen nothing in the intervening period to
make me change their mind. David Hopkin, for example, reminds me very
forcefully of the very young Billy Bremner before Bremner toned his act
down. If Hopkin can tone his act down, I can see him captaining Leeds and
Scotland for many years.
Over the years, Tottenham have not performed very well at Leeds. They
seem to be intimidated by the crowd, which, at its worse, can be a
vicious one.
Much will depend on the make-up of the team. Spurs are still plagued by
their long standing injuries. I will be surprised if Anderton and Iversen
play again this season despite the many optimistic noises being made from
within the Spurs camp. I would infinitely prefer them to take their time
to regain full fitness before attempting to reclaim their first team
place. I think a good pre-season's build-up is what both players require.
As I say, Leeds have a lot of confidence but will have their minds
distracted by thoughts of their Cup match on Saturday. The twin towers of
Wembley are just over the horizon and no one will want to miss a coach
trip to the Cup Final. If Spurs catch Leeds early on with their pants
down literally, they may well snatch a point from the game. But I am not
optimistic and sense we may well lose 2-0 or 3-0, particularly if
defensive errors raise their ugly heads again.
Cheers, Brian
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