Leeds-Spurs preview: Chris Waddle interview

IF wingers are judged on their end product then there have been few finer in the past generation or two than Chris Waddle.

The English maestro, with a dip of the shoulder and a devilish left foot, created goals and kept defenders guessing until his late 30s.

Either for Newcastle or Tottenham, Marseille or Sheffield Wednesday, Waddle was a constant conjuror of clear-cut chances for strikers who probably failed to realise how lucky they were until he was gone.

Even at Bradford City and Worksop Town in the twilight of his glittering career, Waddle was providing forwards with the most productive seasons of their careers.

Better English wingers than Chris Waddle in the past 50 years can be counted on the fingers of one hand.

One man given the chance to replicate the magic from the right wing is Aaron Lennon, the Leeds-born former United product, who returns to his boyhood club with Tottenham on Sunday in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Lennon has for a long time been an enigma of the English game; brilliant one minute, lamentable the next.

But Waddle – who will be watching on from the gantry in his role as pundit for broadcaster ESPN – believes we are finally starting to see the best of the 25-year-old Yorkshireman.

“I always judged myself on what I did with the ball,” said Waddle. “How many chances have I created, how many shots at goal, how have I used the ball?

“Aaron’s a talented player with terrific pace, he always has been, but that end product hasn’t been consistent enough, whether that’s through shots or crosses.

“When you’ve got that much pace and you’re running that fast, it’s a difficult skill to then turn that into an end product.

“Sometimes you feel like telling players like Aaron to slow down a couple of paces before they deliver.

“But he’s still young, he’s improving in that area, and he’ll always be dangerous because of his trickery and his pace.

“On Sunday against Manchester United he was excelllent and full-backs will always fear him.”

If Lennon at full pelt is not enough to strike fear into retreating defenders, then Gareth Bale on the other side serves to highlight the task facing Leeds in Sunday’s mouthwatering Cup game.

“It’ll be a big job for Leeds to stop Tottenham because you know for a fact they’re going to create chances with those players,” said Waddle.

“When you look at Bale and Lennon, and then Jermain Defoe down the middle, Leeds will have to play very well.

“If they leave space behind, then Tottenham will exploit it to the maximum.

“For me, Spurs are one of the best counter-attacking teams on the continent.”

Waddle has been impressed by the work being done by manager Andre Villas-Boas at Tottenham, saying the Portuguese has got his old club playing “the Tottenham way” again.

But he does not discount the possibility of a Leeds upset.

The Whites have won six on the spin at home in the League, which only adds to the former England winger’s bemusement at the growing disquiet surrounding manager Neil Warnock.

“It’s strange that fans are getting on the manager’s back after such good home form,” said Waddle.

“Often it’s because the frustration of indifferent away form can boil over at home. Teams win at home and move up a couple of places, then the following week they go away from home and lose a game and they drop back down those two or three places.

“So the fans are asking ‘why can’t we replicate that home form away from home?’”

Leeds are a club in need of a spark to unite the team and their fanbase, and Waddle – an FA Cup finalist with Sheffield Wednesday 20 years ago – knows just how galvanising a major scalp on Sunday could be.

“I’ve always maintained that a Cup run can bring a lot of positive change to a town and a city,” said Waddle.

“Leeds are a big club and are desperate to get back to the promised land. But it’s frustrating for the fans because you can only do what you’re allowed to do financially.

“Whether you get promoted is often down to the right finances and the right backing.

“Promotion is their target, but Sunday is a cracking Cup tie. Leeds have beaten Southampton and Everton this season, so why not beat Tottenham?”

ESPN will air live and exclusive TV coverage of Leeds’s FA Cup encounter against Spurs on Sunday from 11am. ESPN is also searching for the fans’ all-time favourite 
FA Cup moments at espn.co.uk/facuppoll.