Leeds' fall from grace does not surprise Gray

EDDIE GRAY is saddened by Leeds' fall from grace in the last three years but is not totally surprised by the sorry tale of events.

May 2, 2001 marks the pinnacle of Leeds' recent history. On that date they faced Spanish side Valencia in the first leg of a Champions League semi-final.

After being held to a goalless draw at Elland Road, Leeds lost the return 3-0 six days later, yet despite that defeat, no-one then envisaged the subsequent decline.

Three years on and Leeds are now staring at the prospect of relegation and Nationwide League football. A Manchester City victory at home to Newcastle today, combined with a defeat for the Whites at Bolton less than 24 hours later, will see Leeds down.

Gray feels such an ignominy could have been avoided. During the days when money seemed no object to Leeds, the Scot had an inkling something was not right.

When Leeds subsequently missed out on a return to the Champions League, which became a necessity rather than a bonus, the wheels started to fall off.

Gray said: "It's been quite a fall from the top, but that's what happens in football if you don't plan the future right.

"I wasn't aware the club had to get back in the Champions League, but I thought we were spending an awful lot of money, although you didn't think then about what would happen.

"We were thinking about playing football and winning matches, but from top to bottom the club went a bit silly, and not just the big hitters, just in general.

"It wasn't so much the spending of the money, it was the upkeep of the place. That was the biggest problem, week in and week out.

"People talk about spending money and recouping money back, but that's not the problem. The problem is the wage bill, which was the biggest problem then and is the same now even though we've not spent any money for a while.

From the summer of 2002, Rio Ferdinand led an exodus which went on to include the likes of Jonathan Woodgate, Lee Bowyer, Robbie Keane, Robbie Fowler and Olivier Dacourt.

Harry Kewell has subsequently departed, and regardless of which division Leeds are in next season, it seems certain Alan Smith, Mark Viduka and Paul Robinson will all leave this summer to further ease the crippling wage bill.