Manchester United successfully avenged their humiliating 2010 FA Cup defeat to rivals Leeds United, with a comfortable 3-0 victory at Elland Road.

For Leeds, this was always a no lose game. If they won, they got to wind up the Premier League champions, and if they lost, they were out of a pointless cup competition that a squad so severely lacking in depth could do without.

Draws like Leeds v Manchester United are supposed to be the League Cup’s saving grace, but when the Elland Road club use it as nothing more than a money spinning opportunity, and the Premier League champions field their reserve team, it’s extremely difficult to care. Hence the empty seats.

Once upon a time, Leeds and Manu could have met in a pre-season friendly and the stadium would have sold out twice over. The match, regardless of prize, would have been a “must win” for both sides – honour and bragging rights would have been on the line, and any player leaving the field without ‘blood on his boots’ (so to speak) would have been forever vilified.

But the overwhelming feeling amongst regulars at this one was apathy. No one expected to win, no one felt it would benefit us in any real way if we did and very few were buying the hype Leeds United had tried to create to justify the ticket prices. I think the only reason many of the regulars turned up was for the exchanges on the terraces, and even they were a little muted by previous standards.

The game itself wasn’t particularly memorable either. Leeds did OK, no individual player will have left feeling they let the side down and two of Manchester United’s goals were lucky, but the result wasn’t really flattering or in anyway undeserved.

The game, like the atmosphere, was a bit disappointing really. It was like seeing your favourite band attempt to take the step up from academies and arenas, to packed out stadium gigs. You hoped they’d still be able to impress on the bigger stage, but your suspicions that they’d lose their edge were justified.

There was a bit of tension in the air, caused in no small part by the idiot in the away end with an Istanbul banner – something I imagine will go largely unreported as it was the sickening actions of the Manchester United fans, rather than “Dirty Leeds”.

“Dirty Leeds” fans didn’t help their own case with trouble before and after the match, and even though it was only a small minority, no one will be particularly surprised by this, which is a pretty sad state of affairs in 2011.

Crowd troubles aside, this match left very little to report. There were no real surprises, meaning Leeds’ Worthless Cup campaign is over for another season and it’s back to League duty with a big match away to Brighton this Friday.