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September 13, 2002
(Friday)
Woodgate vs
Ferdinand
Leeds and Manchester
United clash at high noon on Saturday in a
Premiership match that is threatening to be overshadowed by the
appearance of one man in a red shirt.
Rio Ferdinand disappointed Leeds supporters when he decided to leave
the club for a record £29.1 million fee in the summer and the fact
that he opted to join their bitter rivals at Old Trafford, made it an
even bitter pill to swallow for the fans.
While the majority of people inside Elland Road may be jeering his
every move, Ferdinand is strong enough to cope with all the verbal
abuse and will hope to help Manchester United back to winning ways.
The Red Devils lost their first game of the Premiership season at
home to Bolton on Wednesday night, despite dominating the contest
hitting 16 shots in contrast to Wanderers' five. However Kevin
Nolan's left-footed strike proved decisive and means United remain
behind Leeds in the table.
On the same night Terry Venables' team achieved a great result at
Newcastle, winning with a goal scored right at the beginning and
another at the end of the contest. In between the visitors had to
withstand some heavy pressure from the home side with Paul Robinson
and Jonathan Woodgate excelling in particular.
Robinson made a total of eight saves to stop the Newcastle attack,
while Woodgate's tally of 15 clearances was far more than any player
on the pitch at St James' Park.
Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale claimed that he only signed Ferdinand
from West Ham two years ago as a cover for Jonathan Woodgate - so it
will be intriguing to see how the pair performs in this potentially
mouth-watering clash.
However at the end of the day, the only thing that matters is the
result and if Manchester United return from Elland Road with all
three points and leapfrog Leeds in the table, then all the baying for
Ferdinand's blood would have been in vain.
Despite the closeness of these two sides, don't expect a stalemate,
as it has been 15 Premiership games since Leeds last played out a
draw.
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Woodgate
|
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Ferdinand
|
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241
|
Minutes on
pitch |
270
|
|
0 |
Goals
|
0 |
|
6
|
Blocks &
Interceptions |
6
|
|
30 |
Clearances |
28 |
|
7 |
Tackles won |
7 |
|
73% |
Pass completion
% |
85% |
|
1 |
Fouls |
4 |
|
1 |
Yellow Cards |
0 |
|
0 |
Red Cards
|
0 |
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