The clash between the Champions and the FA Cup winners will features Manchester City and Chelsea, and although it is essentially a friendly, both teams will want to win. Chelsea have had a poor pre-season, despite the many millions spent on improving their midfield, while City have yet to spend big and have largely the same squad that so dramatically won them the title.
2011 winners Manchester United
For this post, I've listed three of the more memorable Charity Shield clashes, which is getting harder with some rather insipid showings in recent years. There isn't much by way of science or reason for the selection, so forgive any glaring omissions, any suggestions below the line are welcomed!
1974 - Liverpool v Leeds United
Famous for two reasons. One immortalised in book and cinema, and one for a hilarious display of machismo. The match was the first of the reign of Brian Clough, starting his 44 days in charge of the club. After a well publicised rivalry with Leeds while managing Derby, Clough took over after Don Revie's departure to manage England. Fact mixed with fiction as a result of The Damned United, by David Peace. It's safe to say that Clough's reign was short, and this match did little to help Clough try to turn the Champions into a free-flowing side.
The second reason was for a coming together between Kevin Keegan and Billy Bremner, which was building over a series of fouls throughout the match. Bremner was the chief terrier in the Leeds midfield, while Keegan was the talisman of an ever-improving cup winners Liverpool. The fight was as famous for the pair departing the pitch as the blows themselves, both players removing their shirts in protest, seemingly trying to out-posture the other. Keegan was banned for three games, Bremner eight, and both fined £500.
The result itself is almost forgotten, an early Phil Boersma goal cancelled out in the second half by Trevor Cherry, and Liverpool winning the resulting penalty shootout 6-5.
Dirty Leeds captain on the receiving end for a change
1992 - Leeds United v Liverpool
A rematch from 18 years previously, and again it featured Leeds as champions and Liverpool as cup winners. This time however, the result was memorable for the football as opposed to the management or scuffles. The Premier League was about to bring a new era in football, and little did Liverpool fans realise that their dominance of the domestic game was dwindling hugely.
A hat-trick by Eric Cantona effectively won the game for Leeds, against a makeshift Liverpool defence including such legends as Nick Tanner, Mike Marsh and David Burrows. Cantona was on the move to Manchester United soon after, and won plenty of trophies after that. Even an own goal by Gordon Strachan couldn't change the scoreline, which ended 4-3 to Leeds.
A crowd of just 61,291 witnessed the game, which perhaps was indicative of the apathy for the tie, while there hasn't been anywhere close to seven goals in a match since.
Leeds deployed the jumping over shot technique
1998 - Arsenal v Manchester United
Arsenal came into this game as double winners, with the rule that they play the league runners-up in that case. It also happened to be their first outright victory since 1953, and looked like the balance of power was beginning to shift. United had been the dominant team since the Premier League began, but Arsene Wenger's team blew them away in 1998, and the blend of experience and youth looked invincible (it would take six years for that feat to be achieved).
Another sideshow was the return to England of David Beckham, in his first large match since his sending-off in the World Cup in France. The Arsenal fans were duly welcoming, a sign of what was to come over the next few months, as remembered here.
The game itself ended 3-0 to the Gunners, goals from Overmars, Wreh and Anelka. The teams were difficult to separate over the coming season, memorable for Man United winning the treble, but the margins were fine as they only won the league by one point (ahead of Arsenal), knocked Arsenal out of the FA Cup semi-final in an extra-time replay (THAT goal by Giggs), and won the Champions League in injury time.
Beckham was glad for the support of the Arsenal fans
You missed off the fact that the 1998 Charity Shield saw the birth
ReplyDeleteof the Gooner version of "oh Teddy Teddy...."