Gray wants Leeds players to respond on the field

LEEDS chairman Trevor Birch delivered a personal ‘thank you’ to the players following their decision to defer 25% of their salaries, but surely he could not have envisaged the latest fall from footballing grace.

Birch applaued the players for playing their part in what he described as “securing the future of Leeds for the rest of the season”.

Birch described the players as having “responded magnificently” and for acting “in a mature and responsible way,” but what of Leeds’ future should they be relegated?

The players may have dipped in their pockets to find half of the required £5m to stave off administration and for the club to continue for the rest of the campaign, but on the pitch they remain in freefall.

Middlesbrough inflicted upon Leeds a sixth successive defeat, and with five of those in the Barclaycard Premiership, caretaker-boss Eddie Gray’s rock-bottom side are six points adrift of safety.

Birch is to seek special dispensation from the Premier League this week in asking for Gray to continue as manager until the end of the season, with the hope it will be granted.

When Gray was first appointed on November 10 following the dismissal of Peter Reid, he was given a three-month hiatus by the League as he did not possess the necessary coaching qualifications now required to manage at the highest domestic level.

If Gray is allowed to continue, it is almost certain he will oversee the club’s slide into the Nationwide League and likely administration for without the £25m in TV revenue afforded to top-flight teams, there would appear no way Leeds can survive given their gross debts of more than £100m.

Gray is seemingly growing as frustrated as the watching fans at his side’s failure to raise their game when such an horrendous consequence is staring them in the face, and there appears little he can do to affect confidence.

“They’re in a situation where they should realise they are the only people who can do anything about the matter, individually and collectively,” said a dejected Gray.

“We can keep on making excuses, but when they go out for 90 minutes they have to perform and we never performed.

It’s about having the confidence to go out and play.”

What disappointed Gray most was the lack of creativity, for despite reverting back to a 4-4-2 formation, Leeds’ only notable chances were two Alan Smith efforts on the hour mark.

By that stage Leeds were one down after being carved apart in the 53rd minute, with the move ended by a rasping drive from Boudewijn Zenden The match was over in the 78th minute when substitute Joseph-Desire Job rounded Robinson before sliding home.

Ten minutes later another substitute, Michael Ricketts, was upended by Robinson and after the England international was given a straight red card, the Boro striker clinically despatched the resultant penalty past debutant Scott Carson.