Matches – 22 September 2009 – Leeds United 0 Liverpool 1 Carling Cup third round – Elland Road – 38,168 Scorers: None Leeds United: Higgs, Crowe, Michalik, Kisnorbo, Hughes (Kilkenny 79), Snodgrass, Doyle (Showunmi 89), Howson, Johnson, Beckford, Becchio (Grella 81) Liverpool: Cavalieri, Degen (Johnson 72), Carragher, Kyrgiakos, Dossena, Babel (Skrtel 90), Spearing, Mascherano, Aurelio, Riera, Ngog (Gerrard 78) The draw for the third round of the 2009/10 Carling Cup paired Leeds United with Liverpool, reviving memories for Whites fans of the glory days when they regularly mixed it with the Anfield giants and the other powers of the English game. The fixture, staged at Elland Road on 22 September, was a fitting reward for League One United after their creditable defeat of Championship outfit Watford in the previous round. It was the first time United had met Liverpool since a 2-2 draw in February 2004, just weeks prior to the Yorkshiremen‟s relegation from the top flight. Leeds boss Simon Grayson said, “It‟s a terrific draw for the club and it should be a great evening. It‟s a good test for us and a great tie for the fans. It is something to look forward to, but it‟s not something we‟ll be thinking about until nearer the time. “When you look back through history, there have been some classic Leeds v Liverpool games. Everyone remembers Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez and United boss Mark Viduka‟s four goals and Tony Yeboah scoring that Simon Grayson during the match spectacular goal at Elland Road. Looking further back to when I was here as a YTS player, there was the game we lost 5-4. We might not have won but it was a fantastic game to watch as a schoolboy. “I accept the fixture is a reminder of how things used to be, as not so long ago we played Liverpool on a regular basis in front of a full house. This club has been on a downward spiral since then but an occasion like this can act as an inspiration to get back there. Certainly, I do not see our past as a burden. What I say to the players is „Be part of a group that becomes the new legends‟. I want them to become part of a team that people will still be talking about in 15 years. www.mightyleeds.co.uk - Matches – 22 September 2009, Leeds United 0 Liverpool 1 1 “I did the same thing when manager at Blackpool when we had Jimmy Armfield and Stan Mortensen around at Bloomfield Road. I challenged the players to become legends for the new generation. Leeds United has fantastic memories of the Revie team so it is up to the players here now to live up to that, to try and emulate what they did. “I expect Liverpool to be strong whoever they bring in. They are a fantastic club with world class players who can‟t even get in their 18 on a Saturday. But I am also sure Liverpool won‟t be looking forward to it too much. They may play in front of big crowds most weeks but our fans can be hostile. It can make for an intimidating atmosphere. Maybe whoever comes in will be thinking „Leeds are a League One club‟ and that they just have to turn up to get a result. I am sure they will realise that is not the case when they walk out at 7.40pm and there are 40,000 in the place. “Winning games breeds confidence. The players deserve to play in games like this because of what they have been doing week in and week out. “We can take inspiration from what Burnley did last season. They were 30 seconds away from getting to the final at Wembley. It helped their confidence in the League as the wins in the Cup kept their season alive and kept them going in the League. They went on to win promotion. “Playing Liverpool is a big challenge and one we are really looking forward to. We know the tie is a League One club taking on one of the best teams in the world but there is always one upset in each round of the Carling Cup and we want it to be us. We will try and replicate what the Leeds teams of the past have done against Liverpool.” In his programme notes, chairman Ken Bates claimed he had offered Steven Gerrard the chance to “widen your horizons, leave your provincial town and come to Leeds” when he bumped into the Liverpool captain in a London restaurant. “I Liverpool captain Jamie Carragher holds off said I could only offer a grand a week but he could have all the Jermaine Beckford Yorkshire pudding he could eat,” he added. Grayson‟s men went into the game on the back of an outstanding string of results, with nine victories from ten competitive matches played, and they were two points clear of Charlton at the top of League One. Deprived of the services of cup-tied defender Leigh Bromby, United were otherwise at full strength with Lubo Michalik coming in to replace him. Grayson described the match as a “no lose” fixture, with his side free of both pressure and expectations. For Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez a victory was not just desirable, it was essential; United enjoyed the rare luxury of being underdogs with their opponents expected to win easily. Benitez was confident enough to rest a number of first teamers, making nine changes from the side that beat West Ham the previous Saturday. Nevertheless, the eleven he opted for had more than sufficient class to give United pause for thought. Javier Mascherano filled the holding role in midfield, with the gifted Dutchman, Ryan Babel, on the www.mightyleeds.co.uk - Matches – 22 September 2009, Leeds United 0 Liverpool 1 2 right and the reserve, David Ngog, playing lone striker. Also in the starting line up were Albert Riera, Fabio Aurelio and Jamie Carragher. It was the Liverpool bench, however, that offered the clearest indication of the gulf between the two sides. Benitez had Gerrard, Glen Johnson, Martin Skrtel and Fernando Torres to turn to should the need arise. If the strength of the replacements was a surprise, the general composition of the starting line up was not. It had been widely anticipated that Liverpool would rely on their second string. For Grayson there was no such complication. His was a straightforward strategy: a combination of United‟s strongest possible selection and as many crossed fingers as he could manage. If Leeds were to win, luck was bound to play a part. The home side did enjoy one significant advantage: a crackling atmosphere permeated a ground that could still accommodate a crowd of almost 40,000. In League One, the stadium was something of an anomaly, but when staging a contest such as this, Elland Road allowed Leeds yet to consider themselves capable of mixing it with the biggest teams in the country. Despite the gulf in class on paper, United began the contest the more brightly; Robert Snodgrass beat left-back Andreas Dossena with comparative ease before getting in a cross that tested goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri. In the eleventh minute Leeds came close to taking a surprise lead. Jason Crowe put Snodgrass clear out on the right and central defenders Carragher and Sotrios Kyrgiakos might as well have been on their holidays for all the protection they offered when the looping cross came over. Michael Doyle was unmarked in a perfect position, but he headed wide when it seemed easier to score. It was a shame that it was the midfielder rather than United‟s strikers who had the opportunity. Two minutes later, Liverpool were even more fortunate. From a corner by Snodgrass, Lubo Michalik rose to send a powerful header goalwards. Jermaine Beckford and the goalkeeper both went for the ball inside the goal area, but Beckford got the decisive touch to send it goalwards; Luciano Becchio dived in to force the ball over the line though his intervention seemed superfluous. Assistant referee Andy Garratt flagged instantly for offside, presumably against Jermaine Beckford beats the keeper to the ball, but the goal is chalked off Becchio, though there were some who felt that Beckford was the guilty party. It looked a marginal call in either case, but it was endorsed by referee Alan Wiley who disallowed the score. Despite the disappointment, United continued to hold their own. Snodgrass contrived to make the evening a nightmare for Dossena, regularly punching holes in the full-back‟s defensive cover. Within minutes Becchio went close again, firing wide, as Leeds took up the running. However, Liverpool had managed to get a foothold in midfield, with Jay Spearing combining well www.mightyleeds.co.uk - Matches – 22 September 2009, Leeds United 0 Liverpool 1 3 with the experienced Mascherano. After 30 minutes, goalkeeper Shane Higgs was forced into his first save of any note. When a United move broke down, Babel carried the ball at lightning pace to the other end of the pitch. The shot he got in was a smart one but not smart enough to beat the keeper‟s excellent reflexes. United came again as Beckford fed Snodgrass, allowing him to loop over another fine cross. Cavalieri managed to touch the ball away as Becchio awaited his opportunity. On the stroke of half time Higgs made another great save. Aurelio slung a free kick into the danger zone for Albert Riera to get in a header from close range.