Leeds United legend Brendan Ormsby answers your questions.
Hi Brendan. Let’s hope Chelsea come here on Wednesday and don’t fancy it like Arsenal didn’t at Bradford. Hopefully, the weather will be bad again and freezing and it will be about attitude. That will suit us. What are your thoughts?
Frank Jackson, Ossett
I THINK the game will be about attitude as far as Chelsea are concerned anyway.
But if the conditions are similar to what they were at Bradford in midweek, we will really find out what Chelsea are made of, hopefully on a freezing night in Yorkshire.
It should be a big day for them anyway as they are playing Leeds United.
Maybe Arsenal took Bradford a bit lightly at Valley Parade as they were in the bottom division.
Let’s face it, there has been massive rivalry between Chelsea and Leeds over the years, we know that, and, obviously, the chairman is still here at Elland Road and has been involved at both clubs.
You also wonder if all the foreign players at Chelsea know all about the history between both clubs.
Everyone is pampered in football these days, but especially in the Premier League where they are very well looked after.
Chelsea will be expected to win and will, for instance, probably fly up for the encounter.
But if they are not up for it and take it lightly in any way – whether Rafa Benitez’s team is not the strongest or some of them say: ‘I don’t fancy this, it’s freezing,’ – we have got a real chance.
As a player, I played in all the conditions that you could throw at me; I used to play in short sleeves in the snow, it didn’t bother me!
We grew up with those conditions and it doesn’t bother us as it does the foreign players and there are a few of those at Chelsea – they prefer the 90 degrees heat every week.
Obviously, the temperatures have been hotter for Chelsea over in Japan where they have been playing in the World Club Challenge.
After the high of playing in tomorrow’s final against Brazilian champions Corinthians, they will fly back in luxury and then it’s onto Wednesday against us.
Let’s see what their attitude is and the conditions could have a say if their pampered super-stars don’t fancy it.
They might even be a bit jet-lagged.
Character
So a lot will be about character. We already have beaten Everton and Southampton, two Premiership teams despite not playing their full-strength sides.
On the night, our attitude was better and we were more positive.
In particular, I think Everton got a shock.
Looking at the competition now, I do think Leeds have a great chance of winning it, no disrespect to the teams left in it, including my old club Villa, who, at the minute, I think are a poor team.
I don’t care what anyone says, everyone will want to pull Bradford.
If we get through, it could be Leeds v Bradford and Villa v Swansea.
It’s not like there’s the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal or Spurs still in it.
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