Leeds United have drawn League 2 Crawley Town away in the third round of the FA Cup and some fans are already seeing it as a big banana skin.
You can understand why.
Leeds haven’t got out of the third round of the FA Cup in the past three years, losing to Newport, QPR and then Arsenal.
The previous year was even worse. Leeds squeaked past Cambridge in the third round before going out 1-0 to non-league Sutton.
That memory is still fresh for a lot of Leeds United fans – and the worst thing is that all five games were away.
You have to go back to the 15/16 season for the last game Leeds drew at home in the FA Cup and even that was followed by two away games.
That statistic hasn’t gone unnoticed by Leeds fans and it makes the Crawley game that much harder.
The bookies have priced Leeds up at 33/1 for the cup this season and that seems pretty generous for a team that’s proved it can go toe-to-toe with anyone.
However, is Marcelo Bielsa going to take it seriously or play his Under-23s?
The winter schedule is pretty brutal and the Premier League is the priority for Leeds.
Leeds play on December 27 (Burnley), December 29 (West Brom) and January 2 (Tottenham) ahead of the Crawley game on the weekend of January 9, before a midweek clash against Southampton on January 12.
That says to us that Bielsa won’t put out his strongest side and it means that there could be a genuine chance of a Cupset.
That’s what these fans think after Athletic journalist Phil Hay relayed the news…
Eurgh, why are we always away. Statistically the FA cup hates us.
— James (@JayBios) November 30, 2020
Oh no. Stupid matches like these are the worst. Bielsa will play Kiko and the kids and we will get walloped and these wimps will be on every front cover giving it large. Seen it all before let's hope it doesn't make our season toxic.
— Voxy (@ZodiacDistant) November 30, 2020
Gulps!
— Rob Wylie (@RWileECoyote) November 30, 2020
Announce Leeds getting knocked out by Crawley
— Daz 💛💙🤍 (@Itscheekyboy90) November 30, 2020
Urgh. Horrible.
— Richard Craven (@Richiecraves) November 30, 2020
Should be on the telly at least. Huge cupset potential there and in a lot of other ties #FACup https://t.co/Il99Hq1psq
— BelieverInBielsa💙💛 (@MultiJono88) November 30, 2020
@mrrllewis Banana skins incoming 🤣🤣 https://t.co/UMnGKP2jq2
— John Rhys Jones (@rhysjos) November 30, 2020
😂😂 horrible draw. Time to go for some silverware though, being in this league. Full throttle. No mercy. #lufc https://t.co/Fch037U1jK
— Brandon Yates (@Brandon7Yates) November 30, 2020
definite loss
— Rob (@RobbbOgden) November 30, 2020
In other Leeds United news, BBC pundit: Liverpool should sign ‘enormous’ Leeds star who was ‘far too sharp’ for Toffees
