For a man presiding over a club with no full-time manager, the Leeds United chairman Peter Ridsdale cut a distinctly carefree stance as Leeds prepared for their UEFA Cup second round, first leg tie in Rome yesterday.
Risdale had nothing further to say about Leeds' managerial situation but Martin O'Neill, the main candidate, said after Leicester's win over Tottenham last night he would make up his mind about the Leeds job in the next 24 hours. "I promise you I'll end it one way or the other," said O'Neill. "I've got a situation that is dead simple. I haven't got permission to speak to Leeds United.
"Obviously I'm disappointed with that and that remains the situation. So what do you do? Do you walk out on a technicality? Do you end up saying, `I have this right to speak to them?' But I have a decision to make and I promise you I'll make it in the next 24 hours," he said.
The seriousness of the predicament in which Leeds find themselves cannot be overstated. Without a replacement for George Graham, David O'Leary continues in the caretaker role.
This would be all very well, especially if the bold team selection O'Leary produced to claim a 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest is anything to go by, but O'Leary is banished from the touchline and dressing-room tonight because he was dismissed for protesting about some perceived diving in the firstround tie at Maritimo.
O'Leary said: "I thought the decision was very harsh but the bottom line is that there is no appeal. It would be lovely in a democracy to see what's in the (referee's) report rather than getting a fax saying you are banned. But that's life."
Eddie Gray will coach from the bench but all contact with O'Leary is forbidden, and that could be relevant given his view of Roma - "they are a better team than us". It is difficult to argue with that assessment. While Leeds were earning praise at the City Ground having played for an hour with 10 men, Roma were beating Fiorentina with a man less.
Fiorentina arrived in the capital as undefeated Serie A leaders and looked to be leaving it with a fifth consecutive victory of the season after Gabriel Batistuta gave them a 31st-minute lead.
Things deteriorated further for Roma when Luigi Di Biagio and Vincent Candela were sent off but goals by Dmitri Alenichev four minutes from time and Francesco Totti four minutes into injury time gave Roma victory.
The points leave Roma in second place behind Fiorentina and in good form for tonight.
Glenn Hoddle yesterday challenged his critics to produce a tape recording of his alleged dressingroom bust-up with captain Alan Shearer after England's Euro 2000 qualifier in Luxembourg.
Reports of an argument between Shearer and Hoddle have been denied by both men, but radio personality Danny Baker claims a tape exists of a row.
Baker, speaking on he Baker and Kelly show on Talk Radio, said: "We had a call from a friend of Danny Kelly's (Baker's co-presenter) who is a top English footballer at the highest level and he said there is a tape of Alan Shearer and Glenn Hoddle.
"One of the team switched on a tape recorder and caught the moment of the confrontation. This is an absolutely bona fide story. He said the tape was passed around on the coach and played on everyone's Walkmans. They were all killing themselves laughing."
Baker added: "It has now been put on a recordable mini-disc so there's probably a few copies around. As soon as Glenn Hoddle leaves the room there is a lot more vindictive comments and lots of laughing going on."
The Republic of Ireland under-16s have been drawn with hosts South Africa, Egypt and Spain for the group stages of the Meridian Cup, an intercontinental competition for the best football teams from Europe and Africa in late January and February.
Some of those who will be travelling to South Africa, and to Israel a few weeks later for this season's UEFA championship qualifying tournament, will also be involved tomorrow night in Drogheda when Brian Kerr's side play a friendly match against Northern Ireland (7.0).
The Irish junior team, meanwhile, take on the Netherlands in a friendly game at Tolka Park this Saturday evening at 7.30 p.m.
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND UNDER-16 PANEL: Barry Roche (Nottm Forest), Andrew Lonergan (Preston NE), David van Zantan (Tolka Rovers), Clifford Byrne (Sunderland), Ken Coleman (Leeds, Cork), Patrick Mitchell (Wolves), Niall Hudson (Nottm Forest), Alan McDermott (Manchester Utd), Alan McNally (Belvedere), John Lester (Everton), J J Melligan (Wolves), Barry Jenkinson (Drogheda Boys), Colin Larkin (Wolves), Andrew Reid (Nottm Forest), Michael Costello (Tranmere Rovers), Joe Gamble (Everton, Cork), Declan Field (Arsenal), Robert Doyle (Blackburn Rovers), Charlie McCormick (Peterborough), John O'Flynn (Leeds, Cork), Niall McNamara (Nottm Forest), Gerard Robinson (Middlesbrough).
