Arsenal replay will help Leeds achieve ultimate goal

After winning at Old Trafford last year, many Leeds fans could be excused for being on top of the world. 4 months later, and that world nearly came crashing down, as a woeful run of form saw a seemingly formidable League 1 lead thrown away, with promotion having to be gained on the last day of the season.

12 months on, and the Mighty Whites are at it again in the FA Cup. Only seconds away from another shock victory at one of the 'Big Four', Leeds had to settle for a replay. Robert Snodgrass sent 9,000 travelling fans mad as he put away a 55th minute penalty.

Robert Snodgrass puts Leeds 1-0 up at the Emirates Stadium.

Relentless pressure from Arsenal eventually caught up with Leeds, and saw them concede a dubious penalty just as injury time commenced. Fabregas duly dispatched his spot-kick, and a replay at Elland Road tomorrow beckons.

A 1-1 draw with Wycombe a week after beating the scum 1-0 started a horrible run of just 3 wins in 12 league games, but unlike last year, Leeds managed to put 3 more points on the board after their 3rd round outing. A 4-0 win on Saturday against lowly Scunthorpe kept Leeds well in the hunt for an automatic promotion spot.

Davide Somma slots home Leeds' fourth against Scunthorpe.

Grayson and his backroom staff will have learnt from last year's experience, as well as the players who were part of the promotion-winning squad.

A repeat sequence would be a disaster, given how well the squad has adapted to life in the Championship, but under a more experienced Grayson & co, Leeds United's ultimate aim of promotion to the Premiership can only get stronger.

Arsenal replay will help Leeds achieve ultimate goal

Killer Watt!

Its been a long standing complaint of mine that in recent years Leeds United have been unable to sign/attract Premiership youngsters or reserve players to the club on loan. Success stories of such deals have been seen at Birmingham and Hull when Frazier Campbell and Nicklas Bendtner fired their respective temporary employers to promotion. Even this season Brentford have loaned several top flight fringe players to comfortably avoid relegation back to League 2. Meanwhile Leeds have had to make do with ageing Championship players who have been deemed surplus to requirements. I realise this isn't an exact science, the 'Premiership' tag of a borrowed player doesn't guarantee success and the odd Max Gradel is available from The Football League but young, talented players who are struggling to get into the large, expensively assembled squads of the 'Big Four' come with a certain amount of security, for all but Leeds United it would seem...

Step forward Sanchez Watt. An innocuous signing at the end of the recent 'loan window' the Arsenal loanee has been limited to cameo appearances so far and looked set to go the way of Hogan Ephraim and countless others before him, a loanee to make up the numbers. I'm sure Sanchez was as surprised as I was to learn that he was starting arguably Leeds' biggest game of the season. Drafted in at left midfield to hopefully offer Leeds pace and energy going forward, qualities so scarce at League One level. Twelve minutes had elapsed before his first telling contribution when he dispossessed his man on half way before feeding Luciano Becchio with what was probably the most accomplished through ball seen by a Leeds player all season. Luciano gobbled up the chance with his new found composure in 1-on-1 situations and Leeds were on their way!

Unfortunately he was powerless to prevent an equalising goal that again underlined Leeds' defensive frailties and let MK Dons back in the game. Thankfully that didn't prevent the lad being involved in pretty much everything Leeds did thereafter, credited with an assist for Max Gradel's goal, although how much he knew about it is debatable as the ball ricocheted  off a number of legs before falling to Max with only the goalkeeper to beat. Sanchez was so influential that Mathias Doumbe deemed it necessary to try snapping him in half with a two-footed lunge shortly before half time and was duly dismissed by referee Michael Oliver.

With more space available in the second half the front players pulled The Dons in every direction with some neat play and pacey attacking and the introduction of Jermaine Beckford signalled Simon Grayson's intent. He was duly rewarded soon after when a flowing move, again involving the impressive Watt was finished off with a sublime volley at full stretch from Leeds' leading scorer. This was the cue for Sanchez Watt to take a well earned rest and he left the field to a standing ovation, an excellent performance from the young lad on his first start in a very tense atmosphere. Leeds and Jermaine Beckford added another without him and MK Dons had two further players dismissed in an entertaining game.

Quite what Simon Grayson does with this now is open to debate, do you release Watt on Frazer Richardson at The Valley or do you opt for a more experienced professional in what is a monumental fixture for Leeds United? Personally I'd throw him in there, he can't be any worse than Gary McSheffrey and he possesses that magical fearless quality that only seems to come with youth. (or is it that top flight players can handle pressure better than their League One counterparts?)

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Killer Watt!