Where's Archie?
Sixth form Super Leeds’ one-two-three
Elland Road has only just stopped shaking from last Friday’s win against Leicester, so an FA Youth Cup quarter-final against Liverpool Under-18s in front of just under three and a half thousand fans was always going to lack the same intensity. That’s not to say such occasions aren’t without their own charm. Walking down Lowfields Road on the way to the ground, two dads were ahead of me flanked by their two young songs. One was in a full Leeds away kit, racing with his mate in the classic challenge, “Last one there is a rotten egg!” As we got to the motorway underpass and could start to hear music blaring from the stadium, one turned and asked, “Dad, when do we get to sing Marching On Together?” By the end of the night, he got to experience his own version of last Friday, joining in with the rest of the crowd singing along to I Predict A Riot.
Leeds’ players were happy to embrace the charm offensive. Unawed by the biggest crowd many of them will have played in front of, they ended their warm-up by walking towards the East Stand as a group and applauding the supporters, like a sixth-form Super Leeds putting their own twist on the iconic wave of the Revie team, even if stocky striker Marley Wilson provided a punchline by getting unexpectedly soaked by a sprinkler.
The chat among the crowd was whether we were going to find out if Harry Gray really is better than Archie, but the younger Gray wasn’t involved, perhaps being protected from the limelight like Leeds hoped to do with Archie until Victor Orta blabbed to the Spanish press, comparing him to Sergio Aguero. A kid in front of me asked why Archie wasn’t playing himself, which seemed harsh given he’d won man of the match against Chelsea less than 24 hours earlier, but also fair enough since Archie — who was sitting in the stands — is younger than six of the eleven players who started for Leeds. Interest remained in another younger sibling, Charlie Cresswell milling around the East Stand concourse ahead of kick-off ready to watch his little bro Alfie.
Charlie will have been impressed by Alfie playing the best pass of the first half, raking a long crossfield ball towards the right wing and onto the toe of a teammate. It was a ploy Leeds used throughout the night, goalkeeper Rory Mahady confident enough to get on the ball as high as the centre circle to spray passes around the pitch and over the defence. It was hardly hoofball — in the shimmying hips of left winger Josh McDonald and marauding runs of right-back Joe Richards, Leeds were threatening Liverpool all over the pitch. Like Daniel Farke’s first team, the kids were technically and tactically comfortable with swapping positions, captain Dan Toulson briefly playing as a winger, while his place at left-back was covered by number 10 Max McFadden. At least I think that was happening; without glimpsing their shirt numbers it can be hard to tell them apart. They all seem to have visited the same barber for a short back and sides and moptop fringe.
Leeds were unlucky not to have already opened the scoring before Rhys Chadwick put them ahead in the first half after McFadden stole the ball from a defender in the penalty area and teed up his fellow midfielder to side foot a shot past the ‘keeper and beyond a futile attempt to clear it off the line. It was evident how fired up Leeds were to impress the crowd by the way Chadwick celebrated, giving the advertising hoardings in front of the East Stand a bit of the Ketsbaia treatment.
McFadden was involved again in Leeds’ second, playing a one-two-three with Wilson before chipping a cross to the back post, leaving sixteen-year-old Freddie Lane with an easy header into the empty net. Lane might have had the biggest fan club in the stands, his name cheered loudest when it was read out before the game. He almost scored the goal of the match shortly before being substituted — limping with cramp, he latched onto a pass over the defence, plucked the ball out of the air with his first touch and flicked it around a defender, like a mini Cantona in the number 7, only for his shot towards the top corner to be palmed away.
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Chadwick (34’, 70’)
Lane (53’) pic.twitter.com/CZJO3gclO7— Leeds United (@LUFC) February 29, 2024
By that point Leeds were 3-0 up after a move that began with goalkeeper Mahady, United working the ball upfield through defence and midfield, McDonald fooling his full-back yet again, and his parried shot falling to Chadwick who lashed the ball in for his second. Even after Liverpool scored a late consolation, Leeds underlined their dominance by almost scoring straight from the restart, substitute Harvey Vincent dancing past a couple of defenders to force a save, while the match ended with McFadden trying to chip the goalie from forty yards and hitting the bar before collapsing with exhaustion at the final whistle.
“I just said to them in the changing room, they deserve everything they’re going to get,” said U18s boss Rob Etherington. “When I look around I can see blood all over their legs and their socks, limping about. Leaving everything out on the pitch is what it is to be a Leeds United player, and I think if you ask any of the Liverpool players tonight they’ll probably feel what it’s like to play against one of our teams.” Boyhood fan and goalscoring hero Chadwick concurred: “Leeds is based on being a bit rough and tough and getting dirty for the team.”
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In beating Liverpool, who sit three places above Leeds in the U18s league, the kids even settled some scores dating back to the League One days: Liverpool’s manager Marc Bridge-Wilkinson scored for Carlisle in their play-off win at Elland Road in 2008. The victory also leads to another LUFC rite of passage, setting up a semi-final against Millwall.
It is the first time Leeds have reached the semi-finals of the competition since 1998. The last time they won it was the season prior. For some players Thursday night might be the highlight of their careers — of our last winners, for every Jonathan Woodgate there’s a Wesley Boyle. But the impressed supporter sitting behind me was cautiously optimistic. “In a few years,” he told his mate, “some of these lads will be playing in the Under-21s.” ⬢
