Elland Road will be fired up in a few hours time as Leeds prepare to host Manchester United for a big Premier League game later this afternoon.
Manchester United are walking wounded, and for the first time in decades, Leeds will go into a game against the Red Devils as favourites to win all three points.
The rivalry between the two clubs is historic and toxic, and the Elland Road faithful will be baying for blood when the two sides take to the pitch later this afternoon.
However, Manchester United legend Paddy Crerand has given Leeds fans one more reason to feel aggrieved ahead of today’s clash at Elland Road.
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Paddy Crerand takes a brutal swipe at Leeds United’s history
The Manchester United legend took a shot at Leeds’ history, and Elland Road fans won’t be pleased.
Crerand insisted that one reason the Whites hate Manchester United is that Don Revie’s legendary Leeds team never got the credit they deserved because of their style of football and behaviour on the pitch.
However, Sir Matt Busby’s Manchester United side were not only adored, but even rivals grudgingly respected them for the football they played.
He stressed that no one respected that legendary Leeds side.
“Don Revie’s Leeds team never got the credit they deserved, but maybe that’s because of the way that they behaved”, Crerand told The Daily Mail.
“People had grudging respect for the success we had at United under Sir Matt Busby because of the way we played.
“But there was no respect for Leeds, and that partly explains the rivalry.”
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Crerand is wrong
Paddy Crerand seems to have confused respect with popularity. Don Revie’s Leeds United were unlikely to win many admirers among opposition supporters while they beat their teams and competed for the biggest prizes in English football. That does not mean they lacked respect.
Leeds were one of the defining sides of their era, winning league titles and domestic trophies while reaching major European finals. Their physical approach and willingness to push boundaries made them divisive, but pretending their achievements went unrecognised because of their behaviour is a convenient way to dismiss what they accomplished.
And let’s not pretend Manchester United’s history is free of controversy, fierce tackles or players who made life miserable for opponents. Every great team has its detractors, and Busby’s side were no exception.
Geography, success, and two clubs desperate to be the best fuelled the rivalry. Leeds did not need to be universally liked to earn respect. They earned it where it mattered: on the pitch. Crerand is entitled to his opinion, but it says more about football’s tribalism than Revie’s legacy.
Paddy who ???????? In the 60 odd yrs iv’e been watching football I have never heard Crerand have a single good word to say about Leeds Utd. Leeds United.Why is that i wonder ? Is it [ with the exception of Best ] We had better players like for like than they did throughout the team or is we played better football than they did. ? Crerand was an ‘average’ player in an excellent side. Yes, we had physical players who could mix it but we were the ONLY ones ? Take that dirty little twat Styles from Man utd for example. Then there’s Tommy Smith [ Liverpool ], Ron Harris [Chelsea ], Dave Mackay [ Derby/Spurs ] amongst many. Truth is, every Leeds player had toughness in built, but they had something the likes of Crerand could only dream of and that was an abundancy of CLASS and SKILL… Read more »
No one respects corporate wh**es.