Gray out to lift spirits

Leeds’ caretaker manager Eddie Gray admits his first job when he walks back into Elland Road tomorrow will be to restore dressing-room confidence.

Morale is at an all-time low after five straight defeats, with the club at the bottom of the Barclaycard Premiership – and tonight’s departure of boss Peter Reid leaves Gray in an unenviable position.

Bringing in Leeds favourite Gray to take the reins while the club consolidate their position and plan their next move may nonetheless give the playing staff a boost.

The former player was initially appointed assistant to David O’Leary in 1998 - but when Reid took over from the Irishman’s successor Terry Venables he brought in his own backroom staff, and Gray was asked to leave on 12 months’ notice in March as part of cost-cutting measures.

But as Leeds lurch into a new crisis, Gray is the man they have turned to - and he has responded by promising to fight to keep his club in the top flight.

“I don’t think it is a lost cause – but it is a difficult task,” he said.

“People only have to look at the league table and the finances of the club to realise that – it was not an easy job for Peter Reid.

“But it is a big club with a big fan base – and there is potential, especially with the crowds the club can attract.

“I will try to instil a lot of confidence in the players and I hope they will respond to that.

“If you start to win a few games it begins to pick people up.

“If you are in there fighting you always have a chance, and we will look to move up the league.”

The 55-year-old, who will be assisted by current first-team coach Kevin Blackwell, played 559 times for Leeds between 1965 and 1983.

He was made player-manager in 1982. But when he failed to secure promotion from the old Second Division after three attempts he was relieved of his duties.

Jobs as reserve coach at Middlesbrough and manager’s roles at Rotherham and Hull followed before he returned to Elland Road in 1995 to work with the youth teams alongside current Nottingham Forest manager Paul Hart.

His success in guiding them to the 1996 Youth FA Cup resulted in promotion to reserve-team coach and then assistant to O’Leary.

Gray will need to use all that experience to galvanise a side whose fortunes have gone from bad to worse this season.

But his appearance at the helm may throw a lifeline to Leeds outcasts Mark Viduka and Danny Mills.

Viduka was left out of the last two squads by Reid after a series of bust-ups, while Mills was farmed out on loan to Middlesbrough in August after a disagreement with the manager.

“I think we are going to be okay with Mark,” Gray told Sky Sports News.

“I have no problems handling Mark. He is definitely an important member of the first-team squad.

“I don’t know how long the loan is with Danny; I will look at it tomorrow,

The departure of Reid came as a shock to no one. Speculation had been rife about his future for more than a month – even before the club slipped into their current losing run.

Last weekend’s 6-1 defeat at Portsmouth proved to be the final straw, and the move was confirmed in a statement to the Stock Exchange this evening.

“Following a meeting between Trevor Birch, chief executive, and Peter Reid, it has been mutually agreed that Peter steps down as first-team manager with immediate effect,” it said.

“While the board acknowledges that Peter did a sterling job for the club towards the end of last season in keeping United in the FA Premier League, it believes it must not allow this season to reach a point beyond which the club’s Premiership status comes under serious threat.

“The recent run of results has clearly been unacceptable. The board therefore concluded that it has a duty to act now.

“The process of identifying a longer-term first-team manager is under way, and the board has a clear view of the credentials required of any candidate.

“Notwithstanding current financial constraints, United is determined to return to its place as one of the top clubs in England and is looking to appoint a new first-team manager who will reflect this determination.”

Birch, who has been in the job less than a fortnight, added: “It is, of course, sad to part company with Peter under these circumstances.

“The board appreciates and thanks Peter for his efforts and recognises that he has always worked in the best interests of the club.

“But we have got to move forward and are overwhelmingly focused first and foremost on retaining our Premier League status and ultimately bringing success on and off the field back to this great club.”