Recruitment and injuries have exposed the fact the Premier League strugglers are simply not rich enough for relegation not to be a threat
The Leeds fans at the Reebok Stadium were raucous. “We’ll support you ever more,” they bellowed, because when relegation comes defiance is pretty much the only option that remains. Did they know just how long ever more would be? Did they have any idea just what a journey they would have to undertake before, 16 years later, they next played a Premier League game?
Certainly hope was scarce that afternoon in May 2004. Mark Viduka had swept home a penalty to give the away side a lead they had barely deserved, but was then booked for jabbing a heel into Emerson Thome. Then, in the space of two minutes, he squared up to Nicky Hunt and clattered Ivan Campo before finally collecting a second yellow for flinging an arm into the face of Bruno N’Gotty.
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