Could United’s Great Escape really happen?
EXCUSE me while I recover from a heart flutter.
I mean, what were the odds given Newcastle United have put everyone through the emotional wringer all season.
There seemed more chance of spotting Lord Lucan riding Shergar down Barrack Road with Howard Hughes hitching a lift and a Dodo trotting along amiably behind them!
Leeds United 0 Newcastle United 1. Read it and weep you Yorkshire lads and lasses. Read it and blink you Geordies.
Consider this:
■ THE Mags had won only one Premier League game in 20.
■ THEY had kept just a solitary clean sheet and conceded a mountainous 43 goals in the process.
■ THEY had the worst away record in the division.
■ UNITED had sacrificed 21 points from winning positions, the most of any PL club, and still had more than 15 minutes to play when Jonjo Shelvey gave them a precious lead.
■ WHEN normal time was up the fourth official hoisted his board showing five minutes of added on time. More shredded nerves.
■ NEWCASTLE had lost three of their most senior players - Jamaal Lascelles, Paul Dummett and Joelinton - to muscle injuries.
■ DEFLATION had set in with not one player signed in the January window during the build-up week.
■ LEEDS had won their previous two league matches and were looking to make it three at the start of a calendar year for the first time since Don Revie in 1973 while Newcastle with new signings each time had failed to win at home to mightily modest opposition Cambridge and Watford.
So what happens? A couponbuster of a result so desperately, desperately required with Norwich’s shock 3-0 win at Watford the previous night.
Now it is off to Saudi for sunshine training bolstered by a chink of light at the end of a long dark tunnel - United are only a point behind fourth-bottom Norwich with a match in hand.
Can the Great Escape happen? Yes. Will it happen? Maybe if United still buy in the transfer market because Eddie Howe cannot be blinded by the joy in Jeddah.
Miracles happen but not every day. Help is required.
How often will this side keep clean sheets? How often will an opposing team fail to score from so many opportunities as Leeds did - admittedly playing without an orthodox centre-forward?
Still, let us not be picky. Let us be grateful.
Raphinha had tortured Newcastle first-half but without Patrick Bamford there was no end product and the Mags came on strong after the interval.
Yes, Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier made a dog’s dinner of Shelvey’s free-kick, waving a weak wrist at the tame shot but then referee Chris Kavanagh disgracefully failed to give us a penalty when Allan Saint-Maximin was tripped by Robin Koch.
As attractive as the Whites can be pouring forward, their defence always gives you a chance.
They have given up 40 goals in 21 games, only topped by Newcastle (43) and Norwich (45).
United had unlikely heroes - Fabian Schar who has been as guilty as anyone in a defence full of holes was a giant while Javier Manquillo went on for Dummett, gained his team their free-kick from which they scored the winner and generally battled manfully on his wrong side.
Equally, a likely lad Kieran Trippier was a star again.
Forget Lascelles, this is United’s future captain. Legends Alan Shearer and SuperMac reckon so and that is my thought too.
However, United dare not allow themselves to get carried away. Let them remember what happened after their best display of the season against Manchester United and safeguard against a repeat.