Leeds Prove Magic Of The Cup Is Still Alive

Decline. Fall from grace. This is how you would describe the last ten years in Leeds United's history. But it would appear that they are on the rise again after knocking out a strong Manchester United side out of the FA Cup in what is the biggest shock in years.

After a Saturday of 3rd round action that saw no real surprises and dwindling attendances, it seemed that the nation may have fallen out of love with the famous old competition. Not today. Manchester United were desperate not to be beaten by their opponents from League One, but while they were not at their best, you could see the frustration on the faces of their players and how much they wanted to win. Those Manchester United fans did not want to be beaten by their old rivals because no team, no matter how big likes being knocked out of the FA Cup, as could be seen by Sir Alex Ferguson's obvious frustration on the touchline.

Indeed Leeds could have won it more comfortably, having more chances late in the game as Manchester United pressed for a way back into the game and credit to manager Simon Grayson who was not afraid to come out and have a go. At the end of the game you did not feel that Leeds weren't value for their victory. Maybe if some more Premier League sides approached a trip to Old Trafford in the same way they might get a result.

What we have seen this weekend though is that the bigger teams still want to win the FA Cup. Liverpool, Arsenal, Everton and Tottenham all played reasonably strong sides and while it may not be priority number one for the 'big four' it is still a major trophy they all want to win.

So what will this result do for Leeds? Well for a start they've been handed another plum tie as they will visit Tottenham in round 4 in what will be another reminder to where Leeds want to return to playing week in, week out. But more importantly they currently sit eight points clear at the top of League One as they look to escape the third tier at the third time of asking. And if they are successful, they will surely feel they have the squad for a Championship promotion push, as sides such as Nottingham Forest and Leicester are doing after returning from the third tier.

So for the first time for years, things are starting to look positive for a Leeds United fan, and they will be hoping that it won't be too long before they can return to Old Trafford in the Premier League.

McCarthy Gives United Early Christmas Gift

As a Wolves supporter myself, I try to keep them out of this column as much as possible as it is my aim to be strictly neutral. However, as my team are all over the national press today I'm going to give my honest view on last night's events that have divided the Wolves community.

How quickly the mood at a club can change. Saturday evening was the greatest victory for Wolves for a long time. A fantastic 1-0 win over Tottenham at White Hart Lane and a good performance to boot. Then last night came Mick McCarthy's shocking decision to make ten changes to that team, every outfield player as only Marcus Hahnemann remained between the sticks.

Now, I can understand the reasons why this was done as Wolves go into a crucial six pointer at home to Burnley on Sunday, but to change all the outfield players was puzzling to say the least. After the victory over Spurs there was a sense that Wolves might be able to get something from the game, whether this was true or not we'll never know.

Manchester United were hardly at their best, and it was a poor game in truth. I bet Alex Ferguson was rubbing his hands with glee as he saw the Wolves team. This would surely be a chance to get back to winning ways after Saturday's surprise defeat to Aston Villa.

Let's get real for a moment though. This is Old Trafford and Manchester United we are talking about. It was likely that any Wolves team that went out there were going to be turned over last night, and maybe this was McCarthy's thinking. But this is so unlike him, this is Mick McCarthy, the tough, straight talking former defender who it seems hates to lose at anything. For him to be so seemingly defeatist is what amazed me.

Could McCarthy not have just rested players who he thought needed it, Kevin Doyle for example? I understand that Wolves did a lot of running without the ball on Saturday and were always going to last night. These are professional footballers though who should be able to handle three games in a week. I shall be expecting to see Burnley dead on their feet then at Molineux on Sunday as they tackle Arsenal tonight. They will be playing three games in a week, I expect at full strength. The pressure is now on McCarthy and his team to pick up three points on Sunday.

There is the argument that there were eleven professionals out there representing Wolverhampton Wanderers who could have got the job done and to be fair to them they caused some problems early on, but once Wayne Rooney expertly converted the opening goal from the penalty spot, that was that. I wonder what Carlo Ancelotti made of McCarthy's decision? Had Wolves affected the title race? I doubt Ancelotti would've expected much from Wolves anyway.

From a personal opinion it was disappointing to see the heroes from Saturday evening dropped for such a game, but Burnley is crucial. Three points on Sunday and all is forgiven. What is irking Wolves fans the most though is that a ticket for the game cost £42, and extra add ons for travel. If some knew they'd be watching largely second string players they wouldn't have bothered. It was Manchester United who set those ridiculous prices though and Mick McCarthy's job is to pick the team and get results - ultimately keeping Wolves in the Premier League. It sounds harsh but it's not up to him to care about the fans. He didn't do it out of spite, he did it for Wolves.

But there can be no complaints from Wolverhampton now should Man Utd or Chelsea play a weakened side against one of their relegation rivals. Wolves have to now move on from this episode to the one that really matters - Burnley on Sunday.