It is impossible to witness the collective purpose of David O’Leary’s men as they pursue their unlikeliest of European campaigns without one of Norman Hunter’s infamous declarations of intent coming to mind, the kind that induced a frisson of fear down the spine of any opponent who had the temerity to lay hands on a Leeds player in the Revie era: “You touched one of us ­ and you touched us all”.
Wednesday night’s goalless draw at Elland Road epitomised that mindset on an occasion when the powerful pulsing of the collective heart preserved Leeds’ interest in securing a European final place. No longer, it seems, is the passion play confined to Oberammergau. Spare little doubt about it, Valencia’s Mestalla stadium will be the theatre for another one on Tuesday.O’Leary would not have it any other way. Overseeing a squad who are perilously threadbare beyond the first 16 or so names, the Irishman is aware that Leeds are running on adrenalin, fuelled by the players’ intense faith in their own abilities, an absence of trepidation when confronted by Europe’s ?te, and a belief that they should put the doubting Thomases in their place.At times, O’Leary is somehow reminiscent of Elwood, James Stewart’s character in Harvey, who imagines that he is friendly with a make-believe white rabbit. O’Leary’s “friends” are the Elland Road critics whose doubts around the turn of the year he can’t wait to disprove, yet by his own admission they represent only “that one per cent of prats”.In football that amounts to near-universal appreciation rather than mass condemnation. Indeed, you would be hard-pressed to find anyone outside Manchester and Liverpool who doesn’t harbour admiration for his side’s achievements.

Nevertheless, such perceived slatings seem to assist the psychological trick, of which O’Leary is swiftly becoming a master. Which is why he will not object at all to the Spanish media’s description of Leeds as “primitive”.True, the Valencia players were unsettled by the tempo of Leeds’ play and their ferocious foraging for the ball. But they know now that their opponents’ repertoire includes considerably more than the abrasiveness of Alan Smith and the bruising frames of Lee Bowyer and David Batty. It includes the almost balletic grace of Harry Kewell’s footwork, Ian Harte’s Beckham-esque crossing, the obduracy of Rio Ferdinand and Dominic Matteo, who have been well schooled in their defensive duties by Brian Kidd, and the forbidding presence of Batty and Olivier Dacourt.Certainly, Valencia’s midfielder Didier Deschamps, World Cup-winning captain and the man who has appeared for four Champions’ League and European Cup teams, is thoroughly appreciative of their virtues. “It was a good result for us tonight, but I think we will see an open game next week,” the Frenchman said. “It is not a big advantage us being at home, but Leeds, with their English spirit, will play the same game They do not change anything whether they play home or away.

It will be difficult for us, even though we will be in Valencia, where we play better football, and have our fans behind us.” Deschamps, who holds the record for the number of European club games he has played ­ 86 in all ­ was captain of Marseille when they won the 1993 Champions’ League final and a member of the successful Juventus side of 1996. “Leeds are a young team, but also very strong,” he continued. “Last season [when he was at Chelsea], I was very impressed with them. I regarded them as the team who played the best football in the Premiership.”The strength of Valencia, last season’s defeated Champions’ League finalists, is demonstrated by the fact that France’s ‘98 World Cup- winning captain has recently been confined to the substitutes’ bench, though his coach, Hector C?, may recall him on Tuesday as the midfielder Ruben Baraja will be suspended. The career of the character whom Eric Cantona belittled as a mere “water-carrier” may be gradually on the wane. But he is no mean judge of French talent and he will be acutely aware of the danger presented by the ever-improving Dacourt, whom Deschamps regards as “a very interesting player”.The now-retired French captain added: “Olivier’s playing well and is very close to getting into the French national team, though that won’t be easy because France are very strong in midfield.

Leeds have improved technically as a result of Dacourt going there and also physically because he has great spirit and is a fighter. Like Batty, who’s also important to Leeds, he works hard in midfield and is always available to help out the defence.”That rearguard fared well against the towering Norwegian John Carew ­ a player who would not be averse to a move to Elland Road at some stage ­ and whose sole goal proved Arsenal’s undoing three weeks ago when the Gunners ventured to the Mestalla boasting a 2-1 first-leg victory.There are those who suspect that a talented Valencia will overrun O’Leary’s men in Tuesday’s second leg. Hector’s house is, after all, a remarkably secure institution and class will tell, won’t it? Even the Leeds manager concedes that his squad suffer from a lack of depth and, hence, a dearth of options if the conduct of the contest calls for changes. Yet, those who have followed Leeds’ fortunes closely this season will, like their manager, continue to believe that this particular night in Spain yields a unique opportunity, rather than the potential for opprobrium.Leeds are scarcely worse off than Arsenal, despite the sceptics’ view. You cannot blame O’Leary for not being impressed by “all the doom and gloom that exists in some quarters about the goalless draw” The issue is straightforward enough. Leeds, with the exception of the second leg against Deportivo La Coru?have not recently been conceding goals.

In six and a half hours of Premiership games they’ve conceded only one.However, they are capable of scoring them ­ from all sources. Though it would help if Mark Viduka ­ hardly a £20m man ­ would rapidly rediscover the classy touch, explosive power and rapport with young Smith which somehow deserted him on Wednesday.O’Leary maintains: “The players are all up-beat and realise what they’ve got to do. What I don’t understand is how some people are depicting it as a one-off game we’ve got to win We could earn a score-draw and still go through Even a 0-0 draw would do, followed by penalties. It was an exciting match on Wednesday that could have ended up a 1-1 or 2-2 draw, which would have been a worse result for us.”Yes, it’s going to be tough We know their record on their home ground We know they’ve got the best defence in Spanish football But the result gives us a platform, something to build on I don’t expect them to throw men at us, either I think it’ll be another tight match. But we can come through and get into the final.”Past experience this season suggests it would be foolish to chide that conviction Not with the mood that Leeds and their manager are in O’Leary has not come this far to capitulate obligingly now.. The Stadium Of Light has been in the shade as Sunderland have slipped from second to seventh, and this scintillating affair in which they recorded their first home victory since New Year’s Day has probably come too late to revive their European ambitions. The Stadium Of Light has been in the shade as Sunderland have slipped from second to seventh, and this scintillating affair in which they recorded their first home victory since New Year’s Day has probably come too late to revive their European ambitions.
They now rely on Chelsea slipping up in sixth, while Charlton’s chances also evaporated, particularly when Kevin Lisbie put his 90th-minute close-range header on to the post.