Keane hammers nail in Leeds coffin but backs them to beat drop

ROBBIE KEANE may have returned to Elland Road to haunt his former club, but he insists Leeds can still escape the spectre of relegation.

It is now five league games without a win, and three successive defeats under Eddie Gray who on Saturday rounded on his players for the first time since becoming caretaker-manager two months ago.

Gray accused them of lacking the courage and confidence to play, particularly in front of an Elland Road crowd who have backed them to the hilt this season, but who clearly can stomach no more as they voiced their dissent at another abject display.

Only striker Mark Viduka had a legitimate reason for not pulling his weight, with his thoughts elsewhere due to a member of his family being ill, resulting in the Australian flying back home last night after only playing the first half.

It was perhaps inevitable Keane would hammer another nail in Leeds' coffin as the Republic of Ireland international has a happy knack of scoring against a club he left in August, 2002. Keane's 55th-minute winner was his third goal in four appearances since a £7m move, as part of an exodus last season which also saw Rio Ferdinand, Jonathan Woodgate, Lee Bowyer, Robbie Fowler and Olivier Dacourt depart.

Leeds are continuing to pay the price for their financial mis-deeds, with the ultimate penalty of relegation looming larger with every game.

Keane, who refused to celebrate his goal with a trademark cartwheel out of respect for his former team-mates, concedes Leeds face a tough task in escaping the drop, but not an impossible one.

"I'm very surprised at where Leeds are in the table," said Keane, who now has eight goals for the season. "But when you all of a sudden let a lot of players go, you can't expect them to be right up there and be challenging for anything. It's going to be tough for them it would be tough for anyone but they still have quality players and with the table so close, I don't see any reason they cannot be right up there if they get a few results.

"If they get a few back-to-back results, as we have, then they will shoot back up there and I really hope they do. I've a lot of friends here and a lot of respect for people, especially for Eddie Gray who was someone I could always have a chat with when I was here."

Gray, though, faces a problem in raising the morale of a team who are five points adrift and who would appear to have an eye on off-field problems as the prospect of administration is potentially just a week away. Gray feels that would be a lame excuse for recent performances, with the 55-year-old instead believing it is due to a lack of quality that Leeds find themselves in such dire straits.

"The financial predicament shouldn't affect the players," insisted Gray. "It doesn't affect how I think. They should just go out and play football because I don't think they've a lot to worry about. It's not as if they're going to be out of work. What's worrying is they are lacking the courage and confidence to perform and if you don't show that then we are not going to get anywhere."