"What you doing Tuesday night?" sang Leeds United's followers at Highbury on Saturday. Freddie Ljungberg had just given Arsenal the lead in a victory that confirmed their appearance in the Champions League next season and simultaneously damaged Leeds's chances of qualification via the Premiership. But the Leeds fans hid any dissatisfaction well. They were too busy thinking about tomorrow night. Valencia awaits.
Valencia, of course, defeated Arsenal in the quarter-final, so the Leeds supporters were enjoying their little sing-song all the more. They understood the relevance of this contest: Arsenal may have won 2-1 but that was also the score at Highbury against Valencia. It wasn't good enough when it came to the return and Leeds, David O'Leary and Arsene Wenger were able to reflect on that: Arsenal had beaten Valencia once and drawn 2-2 on aggregate but still went out. Leeds may not beat Valencia once, could draw 11 and go through. The European Cup is a conundrum.
It is one Leeds have not so much solved this season as ignored. From Milan to Brussels to Rome, Leeds have attacked Europe's peaks with a sherpa's appetite. There has been no awe. It is part of the reason why people are in awe of O'Leary. Now Leeds must travel to another of the continent's high spots and do what Manchester United have failed to do in two visits and Arsenal in one: score. (Even if they don't do that and the game finishes 0-0 Leeds will still be in the hunt until penalty kicks).
Given the way Ian Harte is striking a ball these days, penalties would hardly faze him, and it was instructive at Highbury to talk to a man of similar, if not greater ability in that department (big namedrop coming).
Peter Lorimer could kick a ball. He could kick it so hard and cleanly that the venom made you wince. He could also handle himself pretty well. A bit tasty when the tough were getting going, Lorimer would have fitted rather well into the Leeds of 2001. That he was a Leeds great himself and the scorer of a goal for the club in Valencia 34 years ago made him worth listening to.
"Valencia weren't a big club then in Spain," Lorimer said, while trying to ransack his memory bank of 1967. "They're still not that big. My memories are not terrific. I did get a goal, but to be quite honest we weren't all that bothered about the competition (the Fairs Cup). We were more interested in the league and when we went over there we actually fielded a weakened team.
"Their fans were volatile but not in any way intimidating. I think this Leeds will do very well over there. I don't think 0-0 is a bad result in the first leg in this competition. You know exactly what you have to do and if you get a goal, then they're struggling. "Valencia have only scored 27 goals at home all year in 19 matches. They have only conceded nine but 27 goals means they're not a team who take others apart. They've not got the Figos or Rivaldos, they're a hard-working, well-organised side. They sold Claudio Lopez to Lazio. I did not see anything to really worry us.
"I think the most important thing for Leeds is to come out and get at their back four. They have to show some caution but if we sit back, we're looking for trouble. Leeds have attacked everyone away from home in Europe this season, not like Liverpool, and with Valencia being a defensive team, we should be able to dictate."
Lorimer then praised the boldness of O'Leary's style and identified the left foot of Harte as a most useful tool. Asked if Harte strikes a ball as well as Lorimer did, your correspondent received a look that said the discussion should be taken outside. "You can do anything with these modern balls," he said, "not like the old water-tanks we used to play with. But Hartey's done well. He looked as if he was out of the picture for a while."
Harte promptly justified the praise with another great free-kick and even in a spiteful defeat, Leeds still departed singing about Tuesday night. O'Leary himself was remarkably cheerful afterwards. After 20 joyous years as a player at Highbury he was greeted with chants of "F*** Off O'Leary" when he ventured onto the touchline.
The anti-Wenger comments have not pleased his former fans and yet O'Leary just brushed the issue aside as if it was a non-event. "That's life," was essentially O'Leary's attitude, before inserting another little dig at Wenger. It is hard not to think that it is that attitude that has Leeds in Valencia tomorrow night. And Arsenal at home washing their hair.
