Histon Town FA Cup preview.

Preview Track:

So tomorrow we hit the road in search of more FA cup glory as we travel to the Fens of Cambridgeshire to play Histon who sit proudly on top of the Blue Square Premier league.  It has all the ingredients necessary for a classic FA cup tie, small village team from the lower leagues playing a big city team with an intimidating history who are two leagues above them in the football pyramid.  Add to that the match is live on national TV with the world and his wife willing little Histon on to beat "dirty Leeds" and the scene is set for an intriguing tie.

Of course Leeds should win but anyone who has seen our defence this season will know that defending set pieces is not their most positive asset......................so what are Histon's strengths?  Well you don't need to be an Einstein to realise that any team with John Beck on their coaching team are going to play a long ball game and rely on well rehearsed set pieces................Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh.

Beckford's hamstring injury at Northampton will keep him on the sidelines until after Xmas but every cloud has a silver lining and this should give the improving Snoddgrass an opportunity to shine starting tomorrow, sods law dictates that the newly signed Christie is also injured. So I will be approaching this match with some eternal optimism tempered with the fact that confidence in the defence is not high so I'm expecting a scoreline in the region of 5-3 to Leeds.................can't see it being 0-0.

With the game moving to a Sunday mid-day KO the train is not an option tomorrow so we are back on the road picking our friends the Wakey warriors on the way.  The sleepiness of the typical English village that is Histon will be well and truly shattered once the 1800 White's fans arrive in search of pre match drinks and hopefully bacon butties.  Speaking of the fans  this week the message boards have gone into overdrive dissecting everything that is wrong with Leeds after our gut wrenching defeat at Northampton.  Suggestions ranging from "Let's sack Gary Mac" through to "Let's play Ben Parker at centre half" having populated cyber space.  Now I am the first to realise that at present our points to games ratio will only just get us into the dreaded play offs..........possibly........but football is fundamentally a game of patience and that's what's needed by the fans.  We are playing much more attractive football than last year coupled with a dodgy defence and although this combination does nothing for anyone with a weak heart it still offers the best  way forward in terms of building a team that will compete higher up the leagues...............as long as we resolve the weakness at the centre of the defence.  I think I might just take my boots tomorrow!

Dear Gary,

As you are having problems finding a centre half who can win a defensive header at set pieces I thought I might put myself forward. Think of me as a cross between Gordon McQueen & Lucas Radebe.  Alright I am not in the first flush of youth and I might be a tad unfit but regardless of that I shall win every single ball that comes into the box.  So if you can organise a bit of pace to cover me it might just work? What do you think?

Regards

Mr Marching on Together