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Season
2003/04 Part 4
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End
of an era
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Part 1 A season from Hell - Part
2 What went wrong? - Part 3 End of an era
- Results and table An unbreakable bond between the names of Leeds United Football Club and
Eddie Gray was forged in May 1963 when manager Don
Revie signed a slender left-footed Scot for his mediocre Second Division
outfit despite competition from some of the biggest clubs in Britain. Gray made his first team debut as a 17-year-old in January 1966, going
on to give what should have been a match winning performance in the mud
of Wembley in April 1970 in the Cup final against Chelsea. He was told
by the irascible Brian Clough in 1974 that if he'd been a racehorse he
would have been shot, before going on to play for Leeds for another decade,
registering almost 600 first team appearances. The club turned to him as manager in 1982 when they were relegated and
he inspired a new generation of Elland Road youngsters before being disgracefully
sacked in October 1985. Howard Wilkinson brought Gray back to the club
a decade later to coach another crop of youngsters, and he went on to
become assistant to David O'Leary. One of Peter Reid's first decisions when becoming 'permanent' manager
of United in May 2003, was to remove Gray from the position of assistant
manager, before the chairman made him his 'special ambassador'. Six months later, on 10 November 2003, when Reid was shown the door,
Leeds United turned to Gray, appointing him caretaker manager, with the
unenviable task of reviving a team rooted at the bottom of the Premier
League. Never once did Gray complain, welcoming the chance to once more manage
the club he loved. He said when he was appointed: 'It's a fantastic opportunity
for anyone to take over. I have been at the club for a long time and you
don't think it's going to happen again. I'm looking forward to it.' Gray was given special dispensation by the Premiership to take charge
despite not having the required coaching qualifications. His first match in charge of a Leeds United team for more than 18 years
saw his players facing Bolton at Elland Road, just the sort of game that
the team would need to win if they were to escape relegation. Unfortunately,
they had to take the field without Alan Smith, Dominic Matteo (both suspended)
and Gary Kelly (injured), while Gray chose to exclude Jermaine Pennant.
However, he felt able to recall Mark Viduka to play up front after his
spat with Peter Reid. United began well but saw defensive lapses hand Wanderers two goals in
the space of sixty seconds to leave them trailing after just 17 minutes. Zoumana Camara, deputising for Kelly
at right back, tried to stop the ball going out for a throw but succeeded
only in giving Bolton possession. Michael Duberry's weak clearing header
fell to Kevin Davies, who drilled the ball home. Seconds later, Davies
found a remarkable amount of time and space to free Stelios to score from
close in. After that, United huffed and puffed but the game was as good as over,
and a sixth successive defeat, the fourth in a row at Elland Road, left
Gray in no doubt about the enormity of the club's plight. He spoke frankly afterwards, saying: 'I expected a better performance
from them, but it didn't materialise. I didn't expect them to get beat
2-0 at home. It's a difficult situation and I said that before the game.
I still think that if the players apply themselves properly to the task
and we get one or two players who weren't available to us back then we
still have a chance of picking results up. 'The fact is we are at the bottom of the table and that is disappointing,
but you have to look at it with the point of view that if you can win
a couple of games you are right back in there. The aim of everybody at
the club has to be to get confidence flowing back through this club. There
is no doubt that there is definitely a lack of confidence in this team
as a unit. In general we have to defend better, and you look at the team
as a whole and we are making it too easy for teams to play. 'I was not looking for favours from the players, I was expecting them
to do themselves some favours and play with pride. They need to pick points
up because the important thing is for the club to maintain its Premiership
status.' Gray considered what he could do to stem the tide and give his beloved
club a chance of coming back from the dead. He decided on two significant
courses of action to try and change things around. Reasoning that the side badly needed an injection of fighting spirit,
he discarded the foreign loan players whom Peter Reid had signed, and
opted instead for home grown talent. Lucas Radebe and Mark Viduka were
the only non-Brits in his eleven for the following weekend's trip to Charlton,
with Jermaine Pennant the only loanee selected. Secondly, recognising the defensive weaknesses (Leeds had by far the
worst goals against record in the Premiership, with 33 goals conceded
in just 13 matches), he sought to make United difficult to break down
by deploying a defensive 4-5-1 formation. Welcoming Smith and Matteo back
from suspension, he ranged them in unaccustomed central midfield roles,
alongside David Batty, to stifle the opposition and deny them space. Pennant
and young James Milner, back from a loan period with Swindon Town, operated
on the flanks with Viduka ploughing a lone furrow up front. Gary Kelly returned at right-back to form an experienced Premiership
back four with Radebe, Michael Duberry and Ian Harte. Gray's changes reaped immediate dividends, as the new formation brought
much needed solidarity to the middle of the field, allowing Leeds to build
the foundations for a decent performance. Smith, Matteo and Batty put
in sterling, hard working displays, smothering the life out of Charlton.
The spirit of the side was light years away from the feeble surrender
that had characterised their display against Bolton. In a gentle echo of their shock 6-1 win at the Valley in the spring of
2003, Leeds took the fight immediately to their high placed hosts. Alan Smith looked justified in his unsuccessful penalty appeal early
on when Mark Fish pulled him, but his side was soon in a surprise lead.
Mark Viduka moved in from the left to push the ball to Milner on the edge
of the area. The 17-year-old's first touch was superb and gave him the
space inside to slide the ball past Charlton keeper Dean Kiely. Despite the negative formation, United continually troubled the fourth
placed club, going close on several occasions. They always had the upper
hand and enjoyed a dominant afternoon, emerging with their Eddie Gray was delighted with his team, saying afterwards: 'I thought we deserved our win. This is a difficult place to come to
and most sides would be delighted to win here. I'm especially pleased
with our attitude. There has been a lack of confidence running through
the club and hopefully this victory will give the players a lot more belief
and we can start to climb the table. The ability is there. The players
just need to have belief in each other. We have a long way to go before
we can consider ourselves a good side but I'm extremely pleased how it
went for us today.' Dominic Matteo also sang the praises of his teammates: 'Today we got
back to playing together as a team. Viduka was outstanding. He worked
his socks off, some people have said he doesn't work hard enough, but
you could not fault him today, he was amazing. It was great to see Batts
back in. We always wanted that but it is up to the manager who picks the
team, he gives us that little bit of cover in front of the back four and
is class to play alongside.' Despite the win, Leeds were still bottom of the table, but when another
hard working performance at home to big spending Premiership leaders Chelsea
brought a shock point, Leeds managed to climb above Wolves and leave themselves
just a couple of points away from clearing the relegation zone. United
had taken the lead with a smart goal from Jermaine Pennant. The winger
ispossessed Claude Makelele on the right flank and weaved his way through
William Gallas and Wayne Bridge as if they weren't there, before clipping
the ball adroitly over Carlo Cudicini from eight yards The Sky TV cameras were at Elland Road for the following match, on Sunday
14 December, as Leeds entertained a Fulham side who were enjoying a wonderful
season and sitting fourth in the table. Bolstered by the turnaround in their fortunes, Eddie Gray's men were
suddenly exuding confidence. Stephen McPhail, had been the only change
against Chelsea, replacing David Batty, but now the veteran England midfielder
was back, with the other ten players combining for the third game in a
row. Such uncommon stability was refreshing and once more the five-man midfield
unsettled supposedly superior opponents. The first half was evenly contested,
but from the thirty-minute mark confidence and composure allowed Leeds
to exert some dominance and put together a few decent movements. Nevertheless, it seemed the first half would end in deadlock, until,
with four minutes to go, there came a somewhat fortunate breakthrough.
Luis Boa Morte brought down Alan Smith on the right hand edge of the area.
Ian Harte's free kick was smartly parried by Fulham keeper Edwin Van der
Saar, but cannoned back into the net off Michael Duberry's knees for the
big defender's first goal since May 2000, although he knew little about
it. Seconds after the interval, Leeds were two up. Mark Viduka shuffled his
way across the area from the left and curled in a brilliant right-footed
effort, giving the keeper no chance. That should have been that, but United were by no means yet fully recovered.
Confidence might have been restored, but it remained fragile, and while
the supporters were still celebrating, Fulham had reduced the advantage.
Louis Saha's long range low drive slipped under Paul Robinson's vain dive
and suddenly Leeds were subject to a desperate case of the jitters. Fulham came close to equalising on several occasions, but it looked like
United would hold out to earn all three points as the seconds ticked by. There were four minutes to go when Saha found the time to fire another
effort goalwards from the same sort of distance as before, and once more
it reached the back of the net. Elland Road was as silent as the grave
as it looked like all the old frailties had returned, but the action was
not yet over. Leeds now threw caution completely to the wind and swept forward, desperately
struggling for an unlikely winner. Two minutes from time they were awarded
a free kick out on the right and when Ian Harte floated the ball over
Dominic Matteo rose majestically in the area to flick the ball home with
his head. It was the defender's first goal since the heady night when
he had scored against AC Milan in the Champions League. United had snatched
the most dramatic of victories just when they looked to have thrown the
points away. You could smell the emotion and the relief all round Elland Road as players
and fans saluted each other. It was a startling victory, lifting the hearts
of everyone at the club. They now had fifteen points from 16 matches,
and some over optimistic scribes in the local papers pointed out that
United were only ten points shy of a Champions League spot! Draws followed at Manchester City and at home to Aston Villa, and it
seemed that Eddie Gray had discovered the Midas touch, finally giving
the club some reason to hope they could emerge successfully from this
battle against relegation. Unfortunately, a late knee injury for Lucas
Radebe at City saw the back four disrupted with young Matthew Kilgallon
taking over from the Chief. Another goal from Michael Duberry saw Leeds take the lead at bottom club
Wolves on 28 December, but a fluke error by Alan Smith brought the Midlands
club back onto level terms. The Independent: 'In what was a must-win match for both clubs,
Michael Duberry had headed Leeds in front after just three minutes. Such
was the impact on Wolves' fragile confidence that one sensed a second
goal for the visitors might lead to a rout. Another Leeds player duly
scored in the 18th minute, but to the despair of their acting manager,
'The crowd groaned when Henri Camara scuffed an 18th-minute corner kick
straight to Smith, who was stationed at the near post. However, the jeers
turned to cheers, tinged with disbelief, as the Leeds forward sliced his
attempted clearance back over the heads in a crowded six-yard box, the
ball entering the net off the far post.' That stroke of fortune changed the course of the entire game; indeed
it might have shaped the entire season for Leeds United. Their good luck
rejuvenated Wolves' flagging spirits and prompted them to overwhelm the
Yorkshiremen, with two second half goals from Steffen Iversen earning
a 3-1 victory Wanderers so badly needed. This was a match that Leeds simply HAD to win. Wolves had been there
for the taking, and a win for United would have kept a run going which
could have been decisive. As it was, a stumble became a full-scale disaster,
and the shock of the defeat set the club back firmly on its heels, destroying
the brittle confidence that had been building up. A week later Premiership leaders Arsenal won 4-1 at Elland Road to end
United's slim hopes of FA Cup glory despite a shock opening goal from
Mark Viduka in the eighth minute when Gunners keeper Jens Lehmann fluffed
his clearance. Rather more serious for United, however, was the run of
five straight Premiership defeats that followed, decorated with but a
single goal, a late consolation by Matthew Kilgallon at Southampton. As the club teetered almost inevitably towards administration, Eddie
Gray continued to speak hopefully but desperately of survival: 'You try to instil as much belief as you can but they've got to have
that belief as well. That's the important factor. I have confidence and
belief in them and you say that to them but they have got to have the
belief themselves that they can get out of trouble. I don't think that
belief is waning. I still think the players feel they've got a chance
to pull away. 'We need to start going into games without that fear of losing. It is
difficult at a club in our position with the expectation levels here.
But the boys have to overcome this and have the confidence and courage
to try things because that is what wins matches. They have to express
themselves more. That is what happens with the top teams - and it is that
freedom of expression that keeps them there. Manchester United and Arsenal
have top players who can go out and change the course of games. That's
what makes the likes of Roy Keane, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Thierry Henry
and Robert Pires great players. 'I am confident we have the players here who can do that. Jermaine Pennant
and James Milner may only be young, but they can transform matches with
their ability. But time is not on our side. We have to start winning games
- quickly. 'Like me and everybody else connected with the club, the supporters have
got to have the hope that we can get out of trouble, it's up to the players
to have that hope as well. We have still got the players at this football
club that can turn it around. 'The players themselves know the situation and they can be a help to
the club if they get out of the situation we are in. They need to try
and help the club. They are a bit concerned with things that have gone
on, but I try and impress upon them that they should concentrate on football
and everything else will take care of itself whatever happens. It has
'Nothing's changed for me at this club. Most of my playing days here
were in great times. This is just the other side of things. People were
talking about Leeds going under 20 years ago, too. The big difference
now is that there's far more money involved, in terms of the size of the
debt and what the players earn. But our club will survive. We've bounced
back before and we will again. 'We couldn't afford eight years in the wilderness like the club had after
we last went down. Look what's happened to Sheffield Wednesday. When they
were doing well in the Premiership a few years ago, who would've thought
they'd be playing league games with Rushden & Diamonds, who my son Stuart
plays for? That's why it's vital we do our utmost to stay up.' On the plus side, United had got through the January transfer window
without losing any of their crown jewels, as had been widely expected.
Striker Michael Bridges, fighting his way back from injury, was sent on
loan to Newcastle with his contract due to expire in the summer, while
Scottish international defender Stephen Caldwell made the return journey,
also on loan. Chief executive Trevor Birch fought hard to retain the best players,
with Mark Viduka staying at the club despite rumours of a move to Middlesbrough.
Birch had refused to accept an offer of £5m from Tottenham for Paul Robinson
and James Milner, although only issues with Premiership rules blocked
the transfer of the goalkeeper. Originally, it was agreed that Robinson
would be sold and then loaned back to Leeds for the remainder of the season,
but that would have broken regulations on the numbers of players on loan
and so the deal fell through. Two players who did leave were Cyril Chapuis and Roque
Junior, as their loan deals were terminated in an attempt to save
money. The club had also sought to offload Zoumana Camara, Salomon Olembe
and Lamine Sakho, but they opted to remain at the club, at least until
their loan periods ended in the summer. Roque Junior had one of the most disastrous of all Elland Road careers
- all but one of his seven appearances ended in defeat, with 25 goals
conceded in the process. The Brazilian was booked twice and dismissed
against Birmingham City after conceding a penalty. The contributions of Peter Reid's other recruits were only marginally
less inglorious than that of the South American: Jody Morris made 12 appearances
before having his contract terminated and departing to Rotherham United
after allegedly turning up drunk for training - he also faced rape charges,
which were eventually dropped by the Crown Prosecution services; Domi
(12 appearances), Chapuis (3 - 2 of which were in Worthington Cup), Olembe
(12) and Camara (13) played only a marginal part, while injuries restricted
Sakho to 17 Premiership appearances and a single goal after a bright pre-season.
Strangely, Domi made the majority of his Leeds appearances under Eddie
Gray, but Roque Junior, Morris, Chapuis, Olembe, Camara and Sakho made
just seven starts and 10 substitute appearances between them after the
departure of Peter Reid. The one exception to the roll of dishonour was
Jermaine Pennant who maintained exciting form throughout the season and
was a regular choice, even though at times he flattered to deceive. David Batty was told that he would not figure in Eddie Gray's plans for
the first team for the rest of the season, and there were dark hints that
the midfielder was becoming a disruptive dressing room influence, while
Mark Viduka was missing for several weeks after being granted leave to
spend time with his seriously ill father in Australia. As February began, Viduka returned to the club and suddenly there came
the faint hint of a playing revival, which commenced one dark night in
Leeds, as an equally desperate Wolverhampton Wanderers came to call. The Observer: 'Last against second-last, a six-pointer and then
some. For the home side the mathematics of defeat may not be decisive
but the effect on players, club and fans, not to mention creditors owed
about £100 million, will almost certainly be terminal. 'The omens are bad. Leeds have lost six in a row and Wolves are showing
signs of a revival. The morning's Guardian includes a doomy feature
about life after Leeds United and the afternoon's Yorkshire Evening
Post fills its back page with the message: "If United fail to
beat Wolves tonight will the last person out of Elland Road please turn
off the lights?" "'or the vultures in the press box the script for this cold, wet Tuesday
night is written already: the club is about to tip into relegation, administration
and possibly oblivion. Thirty minutes in and that is just how it looks.
Leeds have scrambled a goal through Alan Smith only for Wolves to cancel
it out. The home defence is a mess, with goalkeeper Paul Robinson missing
crosses and central defender Steve Caldwell, just in on loan, wobbling
under pressure. It's only a matter of time. 'Then something changes. Seth Johnson starts winning tackles; James Milner,
on the wing, makes Denis Irwin look his age; Smith is reaching the high
balls; Mark Viduka's little passes find their men. Sensing the shift the
crowd turns the volume up, chanting with arms aloft: 'We are Leeds! We
are Leeds! We are Leeds!' Just before half-time, Dominic Matteo scores
and, after the hour, Milner makes it 3-1. '"Want another," says a fan beside me greedily, and he has his wish.
In the final minute Viduka wins the ball on the left, slips past a couple
of defenders and thumps it between keeper and upright. 'On the bus back into town afterwards fans smile and shake their heads
in disbelief. They have defied the doomsayers and bought the club some
precious time; there's a long way to go yet but perhaps the worst That was an astonishing night in a dismal season, when once more the
old times were remembered at Elland Road, when the players performed as
the supporters knew they could, but had rarely seen in recent times. Finally,
hope was burning bright in the hearts of those supporters again. Days later, some of that hope turned to despair when the news came through
that United legend John Charles
had passed away at the age of 72 following a long battle against illness. Charles had been admitted to hospital in January after feeling unwell
prior to a scheduled appearance on Italian television. He was taken to
Milan's San Carlo hospital where he needed an emergency two-hour operation
on his heart, after suffering a burst blood vessel in his leg. A private
jet owned by Juventus brought Charles back to England, where he was transferred
to Wakefield's Pinderfields hospital. Those who loved football were heartbroken at the news and thousands rushed
to pay tribute to the Gentle Giant. There was a minute's silence as a
mark of respect before Leeds' visit to Manchester United and the occasion
seemed to inspire the team, with Alan Smith rising majestically to head
a second half equaliser, and 18-year-old rookie goalkeeper Scott Carson
making save after save in his first start after coming in for the suspended
Paul Robinson, sent off against Middlesbrough. More tributes to Charles came the following week at Elland Road when
Leeds fought out a 2-2 draw against Liverpool, Harry Kewell and all. It
was like the great old days, when United and the Anfield club held sway
over English football and the thrill of battle ignited the hopes of one
of the most passionate supports in the game. 'Marching on together', they
sang, demonstrating once more the incredible loyalty that had withstood
all the horrors of recent years, all the betrayals, all the negligence,
all the pain. It was possible once more to be proud to be a follower of Leeds United. The fans had been incredible throughout this most dismal of seasons,
and had never once wavered in their support, even if their faith had long
since deserted them. Leeds might have been going down, but at least they
were going down fighting. The emotions had cooled by the time Leeds lost at Fulham but were in
evidence again during the next home match against Manchester City, who
themselves were being drawn into a relegation battle. The club's new owners
watched the game with Gerald Krasner and the men who made up Adulant Force
in attendance. Leeds pulled off a breathtaking victory when a run by Alan
Smith earned a controversial late penalty winner for Mark Viduka. Leeds were still in desperate straits, but they had managed to escape
administration and now looked like they might also be able to escape the
grip of relegation. Their visit to Birmingham City saw them start off promisingly. Jermaine
Pennant's cross field run cut through the heart of the Midlanders' defence
and his clipped ball to Mark Viduka at the far post allowed the Aussie
to round Maik Taylor in the Birmingham net and open the scoring. Viduka had already gone close with a volley from an Alan Smith header
and in the 10th minute he put another wonderful chance wide from close
range. At this point, Viduka and Smith were pulling the home back four
all over the place, but any confidence evaporated when Bryan Hughes equalised
a couple of minutes later. United did, however, at least hold their own for the rest of the half,
although Birmingham went close on a couple of occasions before taking
the lead when Hughes netted his second goal after 67 minutes. There was
then little doubt about the result and a brace from Mikael Forssell produced
a 4-1 scoreline that left United five points away from the Premiership
safety zone with just eight games to go. The first of those matches was a key one, at Elland Road against fellow
strugglers Leicester City, sitting three points above the Whites. Both
teams knew a win was vital, and for Leeds a defeat was simply unthinkable. When Michael Duberry's header gave United the lead after 11 minutes,
and Mark Viduka's sharply taken overhead kick doubled the advantage within
two minutes, it looked like it would be a bit of a cakewalk. Indeed, the
next hour saw the home side assume control. But in this most awful of
all seasons, the Yorkshiremen never once made life easy for themselves,
and first Paul Dickov and then Muzzy Izzet got onto the scoresheet. It
looked as if Leicester were the team likeliest to snatch it, but with
four minutes to go, United's crown jewels finally showed what they could
do. James Milner pushed the ball into the area for Viduka to chest down
into the path of an onrushing Alan Smith. The sometime England striker
gleefully buried the chance to spark wonderful celebrations and capture
three vital points, drawing Leeds level with their visitors. The drama was not yet over, however. Viduka's time wasting tactics in
the closing seconds, when he kicked the ball away, saw him dismissed for
a second bookable offence, and out of a decisive fixture against Portsmouth.
It was a rush of blood to the head by the Aussie that was to prove crucial. When a relatively comfortable 2-1 win at Blackburn brought up the first
back-to-back victories of the season, United were signalling that they
were building up a head of steam that could yet see them pull off a great
escape. They were now on level terms with Blackburn and Portsmouth and
two points behind Manchester City, with Leicester and Wolves bringing
up the rear. Unfortunately, however, old boy Nigel Martyn returned to Elland Road
to haunt his former colleagues, giving a brilliant display to deny Leeds
the win against Everton they desperately needed. James Milner equalised
Wayne Rooney's opener, but then Martyn defied all that was thrown at him.
It was an ominous result, which slowed the momentum that had been generated,
and days later Thierry Henry's four goal super show for champions elect
Arsenal further knocked Leeds' slim hopes. Smith and Viduka had offered
some early threat, but the Gunners scored five times without reply to
leave Leeds in tatters. They now faced a vital home game, with Portsmouth the visitors and had
to take the field without the suspended Viduka. A vast improvement in
discipline by Alan Smith meant that Leeds had at least one of their star
strikers on show. Smith had gone 13 games without being cautioned, after
receiving nine bookings earlier in the season. If he had had his name
taken once in that period he would have been banned. He had received a
suspension earlier for throwing a bottle back into the crowd during the
Worthington Cup against Manchester United, and was consequently withdrawn
from an England squad, but it seemed he had finally turned over a new
leaf. Smith led the line against Portsmouth, in partnership with young Simon
Johnson, but Leeds were never at the races. Yakubu gave Pompey a ninth
minute lead and when Lomana Lua Lua scored a second six minutes after
half time, the game was all but up. A late penalty from Ian Harte was scant consolation as Leeds' Premiership
future teetered on the edge. They needed to pull off an extremely unlikely
win at Bolton's Reebok Stadium. Viduka was back for the game and netted
a first half penalty to give his team the lead, but more indiscipline
saw him dismissed minutes later. The ten men remaining were no match for
an in form Wanderers side who hammered in four goals to leave United well
beaten. Alan Smith was in tears at the end - his beloved hometown club were not
relegated, but their dire goal difference meant that survival was only
a mathematically remote possibility, and everyone knew that a fourteen
year stay in the top flight had come to an ignominious end. Smith said afterwards: 'I just feel sorry for the fans. If the team had
been as good as them, we'd probably have won the league. For the foreseeable
future I am a Leeds United player and we have to show pride and passion
in the games that are left. It has been a long and hard season for us.
I think we deserve to go down because we have not been good enough but
it is certainly difficult to take when it comes. I'm not a First Division
player, I've got an international career to think about and I hope the
Leeds fans will understand that. But I'm no different to anybody else
right now. I've got pride and I'm hurting. Hopefully, in years to come,
it won't be the last time they see me in a Leeds shirt.' An exciting 3-3 draw at home to Charlton gave the Elland Road faithful
the chance to pay a final farewell to Smith, mobbing him at the end, despite
rumours that he had decided his future lay at arch rivals Manchester United.
Before Leeds' final game, England keeper Paul Robinson departed to Tottenham
in a £1.7m deal which had been widely predicted. There had been warnings from the new board for some time that the summer
would inevitably bring holesale changes to the playing squad, and relegation
ensured that the cull would be drastic. 'We have 60 professionals at Leeds
- that's first-year professionals right up to internationals. Fifteen
of those professionals are on £1m or more. It's unsustainable,' said Geoffrey
Richmond before he departed the club. One player, he remarked, referring
to Mark Viduka, earned £3.5m a year, but Richmond ruled out any suggestion
that contracts might be renegotiated. 'It is impossible to renegotiate
a contract. These contracts were negotiated in good faith. However, some
contracts - £11m worth of player contracts - come to an end on June 30
and it is unlikely any will be renewed.' David Richmond: 'It is not going to be easy because we don't have a lot
of money but we have to do what we can for those wonderful supporters.
We have got the backing of the best fans in the country and they deserve
a lot better than what they have got. 'Next year we will have the passion on the pitch to compare with the
passion shown by our fans. There is a lot of hard work ahead and that
may include making some decisions which, in the short term, will prove
unpopular, but this football club is in such a mess in every single way
that we will need to completely re-build in the summer. 'We need a new team of hard-working players. Nobody wants our players
because of their wages, some of which are beyond belief, but I will get
rid of those players we need to as quickly as possible to give us the
best possible chance of coming back stronger next season. 'Come August we will have a very, very good Division One team. We won't
be buying average Division One players, we will have between £4m to £5m
available to spend on wages and we will bring in the best possible players.
On paper, at least, we will have a side that the fans can look at and
say "we have a chance."' During the week the club unceremoniously confirmed that Eddie Gray's
time at the helm was over. Gray was calm dignity itself at the news, saying:
'I have said before that the club do not owe me anything and they don't.
I have had a great life with the football club and it's just sad that
it has come to this but that's life. 'I just wish the club all the best and hope they bounce 'I will continue in a consultancy role for a year and see what happens.
At this moment I just wish all the players and all the staff the very
best, they deserve to be back in the Premiership. I have also always had
a great relationship with the supporters, I can't thank them enough for
that and I firmly believe they will be the people who really help the
club to bounce back.' After the game The Independent carried an incisive analysis by
Nick Townsend on life with Leeds: 'Three years ago, they were Premiership peers, their ambition unconstrained
by the man then considered the League's most admired chairman, yoked to
the most promising young manager. Yesterday at Elland Road, an ebullient
atmosphere could not conceal the inner despair. For Leeds, the culmination
of a season - some say the most traumatic for a relegated team since Manchester
United descended into the old Second Division 30 years ago - in which
the Yorkshire club have been variously mocked, condemned, and now, finally,
pitied. 'The end of the peer show, as we recall those acts which have passed
through: David O'Leary, Terry Venables, Peter Reid and Eddie Gray; Peter
Ridsdale, Professor John McKenzie and Gerald Krasner. But will it be Leeds
United's final curtain as they pass from the glamour of the West End to
the hand-to-mouth existence of repertory? 'The best one can say is that Leeds are currently in thoroughly appropriate
hands. Those of an accountant. But not just any old balance-sheet shifter.
"I am an insolvency specialist," declares Krasner, the latest
chairman. "I lecture on it. Companies in administration who need
surgery, I give them advice. We are like undertakers or surgeons - we
either bury them or save them. The only difference is I bury the same
person more than once. '"In terms of ruthlessness, I've been very polite today," adds Krasner,
54, a pinstripe-suit clad, bluff Yorkshireman, with a dry humour and a
sharp tongue. "But you haven't seen the other side of me. Ask a few
people in Leeds. You don't save businesses from going bust by being genial." 'The deal with the bond holders means the board can now sell and lease
back Elland Road, which will provide a crucial source of finance. Krasner
says: "We saved this club from going into extinction. But we're not
in this for credit. We went into this because we all live here. My late
father is buried a mile from Elland Road. He always taught me if things
are good in life, put something back." 'I asked Krasner if his brief exposure to the realities of Premiership
football had astounded him. "My background, in insolvency and recovery
for 20 years, means there are not many things that have shocked me,"
Krasner replies. "It's upset me we didn't stay in the Premiership.
But having been threatened with a body bag being sent round to me by a
funeral director I had dealings with, I can cope with anything." 'Thrice-married, with two grown-up daughters but now separated from his
third wife, Krasner is a long-standing fan of the club and was among a
record crowd of 57,892 who witnessed a game against Sunderland in 1967.
"It's a surreal experience being chairman at Leeds," he says.
"It's good that I come to my office and find out what's really important
in life. Or you switch the news on and find out what's happening in Iraq
and get another perspective of the world." 'You ask what emotions he had felt, from the outside, as he watched Leeds
spiral into decline from Champions' League and Premiership title contenders
under the Ridsdale-O'Leary regime to relegated club in just three years?
"Firstly, we never won anything," he says. "You get nowt
for being second, as we say in Yorkshire. You saw the signings, but you
didn't realise the commitments that were being entered into. Looking at
it with hindsight, we had to win the Premiership and Champions League
to break even each year. Even Arsenal can't do that. 'What Krasner and his five fellow directors now have to assess is how
to reduce an annual wage bill of £53m - no, that's not a misprint - to
realistic proportions for the First Division. Alan Smith and Viduka will
depart once the season ends next Saturday. "It's very unfortunate
that Alan will probably be leaving," says Krasner. "Smithy is
the Mr Leeds United of the current era. Before that, it was Billy Bremner.
Before that, John Charles. Maybe James Milner will be the new Mr Leeds
United." 'He is adamant that the teenage midfielder will stay, "because he's
a young rising star", though Krasner swiftly adds: "If somebody
offered me silly money I'd seriously have to think about it, because the
finances of Leeds United are more important than any one player." 'Though he won't comment directly on what individual players have contributed,
or, more pertinently, have not contributed, this season, he observes:
"I thought we had enough players not to go down. Some haven't played
to their potential. Whether they've lost it or the discipline is wrong
are in-house matters - but that will not occur next season." 'It is understandable that there has not been the formation of an orderly
queue of would-be new chairmen, prepared to wrest the club from his hands.
Local businessman Steve Parkin is reportedly preparing a takeover bid,
but has yet to convince the board he has the necessary funding. "I
want to get Leeds back in the Premiership and will do whatever that takes.
If it's somebody coming in and wanting to do it their way I won't stand
in their way," Krasner says. "But unless MrAbramovich Mark II
comes along, I think I'm here for the long haul." 'Certainly, he doesn't appear to suffer from the stress of it all. "I've
got younger since I took this job," he says dismissively. "I'm
a great believer that worry never solves a problem." 'Which is just as well because, where Leeds United are concerned, there
is no prospect of the problems being resolved in the foreseeable future.' After the sacking of Eddie Gray, the board announced that his assistant,
Kevin Blackwell, would assume temporary control, supervising a last day
visit to Premiership runners up Chelsea. Leeds emerged creditably from
a 1-0 defeat with Scott Carson performing heroics in goal, but there was
very much a feeling of after the Lord Mayor's Show as Blues manager Claudio
Ranieri also bade farewell to his club. With the vultures already circling around Elland Road, the club tottered
out of the Premiership and into an uncertain and perilous future, with
no money, few hopes of retaining their star players and perilously few
notes of optimism. The days at the top were over, for a year at least … Part 1 A season from Hell - Part
2 What went wrong? - Part 3 End of an era
- Results and table |