Gray faces up to his blackest day

A DESPONDENT Eddie Gray was last night left to reflect on the worst day of his 40-year association with Leeds United.

The club will be playing Division One football next season following a thumping 4-1 defeat at Bolton Wanderers which has left them requiring a mathematical miracle to retain their Premiership status.

Leeds trail nearest rivals Manchester City by six points with two matches to play, but their goal difference at minus 37 is far inferior to that of Kevin Keegan's side.

After a career spanning four decades with the Elland Road club as player, manager, coach, assistant manager, and currently caretaker boss, yesterday was a harrowing day for Gray.

"This is a disappointing day for everyone connected with the club the players, the staff and the fans," said the Scot.

"I am bitterly disappointed. This is as bad a day as I have had, but over the season we weren't good enough.

"I have played in a side that got relegated (in 1982) and that was not good then, but I don't regret stepping in to take the job.

"Unfortunately we have been one of the sides fighting against relegation this season and we couldn't cope with it.

"This is obviously a sad day for the club, but it doesn't mean it's the end of the club. The club will survive. There will be a football club in our city."

It is three years ago to the day that Leeds played Valencia in the first leg of a Champions League semi-final, and since then their fall from grace has been nothing short of astonishing.

The financial recklessness of former chairman Peter Ridsdale and his board at the time led to a host of top-name players needing to be sold to ease the club's debts, a heavy price which Leeds will again pay during the summer.

The likes of Mark Viduka, Alan Smith, Paul Robinson and James Milner are all likely to be moved on during the closed season, with Gray acknowledging: "We will have to wait and see what happens.

"The board will have to take a look at it and decide which way they are going to go. It's quite obvious now that we spent too much money in the past. The board were ambitious and you always have to have ambition otherwise there's no point playing.

"We have lost a lot of major players over the past few years and that's been the difference. You take four or five players out of the Arsenal or Manchester United sides and see what a difference it makes."

Gray is confident Leeds can bounce back but the last time the club were relegated it took them eight years to return to the top flight.

"There's a lot of disappointed players in the dressing room, but I am sure we will return," insisted Gray.

"It might not happen overnight, particularly because over the years the First Division has always been a difficult one to get out of.

"Everybody at our football club is under no illusions about that, but we have the capabilities to get back up there."

Bolton boss Sam Allardyce believes Leeds are an example of how not to run a club.

"It's quite staggering, to say the least, that three years ago Leeds were in the Champions League semi-finals," said Allardyce.

"But finances play the first and major part in every football club and Leeds' gamble did not pay off. The supporters have had to pay a heavy price for that.

"Nobody was complaining at the time and you cannot blame them for having a go, but the consequences they have since suffered have been absolutely devastating."

He added: "It's a lesson not just for them, but for all of us that you can only spend what you can afford and nothing else."