A
new cult has been sweeping across Oxfordshire, as 'Levenism' has
begun to recruit new followers with astounding momentum. The arrival
of Peter Leven from the MK Dons in
the summer was perhaps one of the biggest eyebrow-raisers, as one
of the strongest performers in League One last season confounded all
expectations by moving down a league. It is little surprise, then,
that Peter Leven has been in majestic form this season, and following
another domineering performance as midfield puppet-master this
weekend, the Oxford United Twitterati have chosen to honour him with
the hashtag #ThatPeterLevenHeDoesWhatHeWants,
the number one trending topic in Oxfordshire
on Sunday evening.
This
time last year we were in the similar position of having returned
from Aldershot with three points, after claiming a narrow 2-1
victory. However, that couldn't come close to the almost
embarrassing dominance we saw on Saturday. The midfield trio that day
consisted of Asa Hall, Paul McLaren and Simon Clist – a solid but
uninspiring centre, bereft of any creative spark, and this was one of
the main factors in our inconsistent form last season.
Enter
Peter Leven and his magic left foot.
With
the ball, Leven is probably the best player we have had at Oxford in
a decade. His ability to pick out a pass is unrivalled in League Two
and his dead ball delivery can be deadly, if only our attackers were
capable of making enough space for themselves. With six goals to his
name so far he is also our second-highest scorer – not a bad record
from midfield!
Leven's
influence this season has indeed been remarkable. In little over four
months he has already provided numerous memorable moments; those two
inch-perfect dead balls at Swindon,
that delightful chip to set up Liam Davis at Barnet, and of course
his masterclass at Aldershot – setting up two goals before nabbing
a third for himself. And that's without mentioning that incredible
effort from the halfway line against Port Vale.
Video
courtesy of the BBC
Yes,
we football fans are prone to exaggeration and excitability, but when
we take the time to review the impact he has made at the club in the
short amount of time he has been here, it's not difficult to
understand the God-like reverence he now commands.
1 comments:
He didn't really impress me when he was making sub appearances at the start of the season. But now I am a massive fan.
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