Sunderland V Leeds - view commentary, squad, and statistics of the game live.Poyet saddened by Leeds plightSunderland head coach Gus Poyet will go into FA Cup third-round battle with former club Leeds saddened by their fall from grace.Less than 14 years ago, the men from Elland Road, with the likes of Nigel Martyn, Rio Ferdinand, Jonathan Woodgate, David Batty and Mark Viduka among their ranks, made it to the semi-finals of the Champions League.However, the intervening years have brought financial collapse and chaos on and off the field, and the recovery process is only partially complete.Poyet spent a year at Leeds working as then manager Dennis Wise's assistant between 2006 and 2007, and retains a huge fondness for a club whose fortunes provide a salutary lesson.He said: "It's sad because I think they have got everything to be in the Premier League - they should be in the Premier League - but they are paying the price of two or three incredible years at the highest level."It was well done, it was achievable, but as soon as they went down, there was so much money spent that to recover from that, you never know if you need three, five, 10 or 15 years and that's why they are still paying that price."All the enjoyment of that Champions League moment - now it's the other side, the darker side, and it's not easy."They are on the way back, but it's taking a little bit longer than I would have expected, to be honest."Leeds currently sit in 20th place in the Sky Bet Championship table, just a point above the relegation zone and with manager Neil Redfearn - the third man to hold the post this season - reportedly under pressure after a run of five defeats in seven games.Sunderland are themselves on a frustrating run of form, having won just one but lost only three of their last 10 Barclays Premier League matches.However, a gruelling festive programme has left Poyet's resources stretched to the limit, particularly at the back, and he knows Sunday's tie, which rekindles memories of the famous FA Cup final meeting between the two clubs in 1973, will be no walkover.He said: "It's a difficult gameIt's a tricky one because it all depends how the game starts and how good you are on the day."We cannot relax
We need to be better on the ball, we need to impose our quality and difference between a Premier League player and a Championship player, it's as simple as that
Then we will see."Poyet will be without midfielder Lee Cattermole, who has a groin injury, but he has a ready-made replacement in Liam Bridcutt following his recovery from concussion.Neil Redfearn is proud of Leeds' history in the FA Cup and hopes he and his players can create some more on Sunday.United's head coach grew up a Leeds fan and experienced the highs and lows of knockout football following his team in the competition.He watched them beat Arsenal to win the 1972 final with an Allan Clarke goal, before they were denied back-to-back successes a year later when they were shocked by Sunderland in an all-time classic.The club has a very different feel about it now to then - owner Massimo Cellino has overseen a cosmopolitan overhaul that was unthinkable when Don Revie and his players were Wembley regulars - but Redfearn claims the club is still focussed on FA Cup glory as it was when he was idolising them on the television."It was a big day for us which would start at 10am with all the interviews and I would be glued to the telly," the 49-year-old recalled
"Being a Leeds fan and knowing about 1972 when we won against Arsenal, and then losing to Sunderland, they're the games that stick in your mind as a youngster."Obviously, the great players that Leeds had, Clarke, (Peter) Lorimer, (Billy) Bremner, these are people that have gone down in legendary history at Leeds United and they add to this romance that this football club has got with the FA Cup, so it's important that we go up to Sunderland give a good account of ourselves."The sides have not met in the cup since that final 42 years ago, and such was Revie's impact at Leeds that Redfearn reckons revenge will still be on the mind of some connected with the club."I would have thought so, I would see it as that," he said."I have to say there are a lot of people here that I have met in my seven years that are associated with the club that associate with the Revie ways."
Source : PA
Source: PA