Fox in the Penalty Area

After the league, followed by the fourth round of the FA Cup.

This time Leeds City drew the British Championship team Hounslow, Clark still rotates the lineup, so that those substitute players and young players who have little chance to play in the league can get training opportunities in the FA Cup.

Of course, Clark didn't completely let the young players and substitute players toss about casually, regardless of the outcome.

He will still send some main players to hold the line.

This time, Leeds City won the opponent 1-0 in the away game and advanced to the fifth round of the FA Cup.

After the early relegation of the league, some Leeds City fans spoke and discussed online, thinking that the team can actually try to hit the FA Cup.

Anyway, the team's season goal has been completed ahead of schedule, so is it necessary to be a salted fish in the remaining half of the season?

The League Cup has already been eliminated in advance. Although the league is ranked second, but look at the stable and terrible first place Stan Park Rangers, such a thing as the league championship is even impossible to think about.

However, the FA Cup, as an "unpopular hotbed", is the most suitable for the passionate team of Leeds City.

Because the FA Cup is not the kind of home and away two-round game, but a single knockout game.

Only before the quarter-finals, if the two teams are tied and there is no winner, there will be a rematch on another day.

After entering the semi-finals, it is always a game to determine the outcome.

Such a competition system makes the FA Cup matches particularly prone to upsets

Those wealthy teams that show off their power and domineering in the Premier League may also be eliminated by teams ranked lower than themselves in the FA Cup, or even low-level league teams-this kind of upset happens every season.

Since other teams can do it, why can't Leeds City?

However, fans of Leeds City also opposed this opinion, thinking that after Leeds City succeeded in relegation ahead of schedule this season, it is obvious that they should focus on qualifying for the Champions League-as long as we can stay in the top four at the end of the league, we can win. Qualification for next season's Champions League.

On the FA Cup side, even if they win the championship, they will at most participate in the Europa League.

Which is more important, the Champions League or the Europa League, is self-evident.

So if you can go to the Champions League, why go to the Europa League?

And there is a huge hidden danger in competing for the FA Cup championship:

If in order to compete for the FA Cup, their performance in the league declines and they lose the Champions League, who is responsible for this loss? Can those fans who speak out demanding that the team compete for the FA Cup live up to this responsibility?

Besides, even if you go all out to compete for the FA Cup, you may not be able to win the FA Cup.

Everyone knows that the FA Cup is a "hotbed of unpopularity", so why do you only think about Leeds City's upset, but can't other teams upset Leeds City?

After all, now that Leeds City is ranked second in the league, the opponents they encounter will definitely take it very seriously. The chances of Leeds City wanting to take advantage of the opponent's underestimation and be upset are very, very low...

It is possible to be attacked by a team ranked lower than yourself.

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FA Cup?

Or Champions League qualification?

The debate among the fans spilled over to the media, who also started discussing the topic.

In response to such discussions, Leeds City manager Tony Clark did not express any views, and he remained silent.

In the next twenty-fourth round of the league, Leeds City was tied at home by Sydenham, who ranked fourteenth in the league.

The performance of the Leeds City players who played at home in this game was obviously not good. Perhaps they felt that their opponents were so weak that there was no reason why they could not win at home. In short, the Leeds City team obviously did not enter the game state after the start of the game.

On the other hand, Sydenham, who played in the away game, played freely with his hands and feet.

They also of course advanced the ball and took the lead against Leeds City in the away game.

Leeds City, which was behind, was even more flustered. For a while, the home team fans in the stands were a little desperate-they felt that if they continued to play like this, Leeds City would definitely lose at home.

Fortunately, after adjustments in the second half,

The players also rediscovered the feeling amidst the roar of coach Clarke and the singing of fans.

The Jedi counterattacked in the last 30 minutes, and finally in the 77th minute, Farreck Quinn used a corner kick in front of the goal to smash the football into Sydenham's goal.

The score was thus equalized.

The final score was 1:1, and Sydenham took away a point from the away game.

Although Leeds City didn't win, they didn't lose either, especially when they conceded a goal first in the first half, they were able to get a draw in the end, which is considered an acceptable result by many people.

But some people don't see it that way.

After the final whistle, Tony Clark was the first to walk towards Sydenham manager Tyler Walker, and he had already extended his hand before he could reach him.

While shaking hands with Walker, he also patted Walker on the shoulder hard.

After shaking hands, he turned and walked back to the locker room without staying on the sidelines.

When the players of Leeds City returned to the locker room, what they saw was the black-faced head coach.

Those players who still felt that "a draw is better than losing" when they left the field suddenly felt a little bit in their hearts.

Clark didn't speak, but just stood there with a dark face, watching the players come in coldly.

The players who came in didn't dare to make a sound. Those players who were talking and laughing outside entered the room and saw the black face of the head coach. Although they didn't understand what happened, they immediately looked like teammates who had come in earlier. Like them, they sensibly shut their mouths, then slipped to their seats and buried themselves in changing clothes.

For a while, the atmosphere in the locker room was a bit awkward...

Assistant coach Sam Randle was the last to walk in, and he gestured to Clark that all the players were in the locker room. After seeing Clark nodding at him, he backed out and closed the door.

When the locker room door was closed, the players of Leeds City all looked back from that door.

At the same time, Clark's voice sounded in the room: "It stands to reason that after we succeeded in relegation ahead of schedule, I shouldn't be too demanding on you. After all, from the beginning of the season, our goal is to relegation. We All the plans and efforts are all aimed at relegation... so since we have successfully relegation and completed the task, how can we continue to ask you?"

Unlike his dark face, Clark's voice is not loud, nor does it sound harsh, and even a little... approachable?

But then he changed the subject: "But when I was watching the game on the coach's bench off the court, I always had a thought that made me want to say a few words to you."

He paused here and looked around.

"I can see that since we managed to avoid relegation, some people's minds seem to be out of the game. Although there are still four months to the end of the season, they may already be thinking about where to go on vacation in the summer. It's normal, after all, the task is completed, and we should be in a state of wanting nothing... Yes, there have been some discussions outside recently about what we should pursue next this season, and I have heard it and paid attention to it. But now I don't want you to have a democratic vote, and finally choose to determine our goals, I just have a question to ask you: "

Clark leaned forward slightly, with his hands on his hips, watching the players who bowed their heads and said nothing.

"As a professional player, do you play as you want after completing your goals? It is natural to lose motivation and fighting spirit? Others say that you have no desires and desires. Do you really have no desires and desires?"

The players knew that the boss was dissatisfied with their performance, so they all lowered their heads and remained silent.

This is the best way to deal with criticism, never try to justify it to your boss...

Clark also didn't seem to need the players' answers, and continued: "I think, as professional players, after you have received so much training, the moment you set foot on the court, shouldn't you be thinking about 'today's game? I want to win the game'? No matter what the ultimate goal of this season is, no matter whether we have completed the tasks given by the coach or the board of directors... Isn't the goal of every game and every game very clear? ? That's victory! As a professional player, the pursuit of victory should be the instinct of each of you! You don't need any reminders, you should know how to play and win!"

"Think about my words, there's still half of the season left!"

Throwing down these words, Clark turned and left to attend the post-match press conference.

There was silence in the locker room, only the hum of the central air-conditioning outlet.

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