Everton...2 Leeds United...0Terry Venables will pick Leeds's team to play Gillingham in tomorrow's FA Cup replay at Elland Road. He will not speak to Peter Ridsdale before the tie and will chat with him afterwards only if he decides to tender his resignation. If Venables walks out on Leeds he will tell the chairman. There will be no consultation.
The bond between Venables and Ridsdale has been irreparably broken by the sale of Jonathan Woodgate to Newcastle about which the manager says he was misled and kept in the dark. Either he or the chairman must go to ease the disunity on a sinking ship.
Until four o'clock last Thursday Venables claims he believed Woodgate would stay. He was then visited by Ridsdale and two directors, David Walker and Steve Harrison, and informed that the defender would be sold.
"Were you told or consulted?" Venables was asked on Saturday. "I was told." At that moment the divide between manager and chairman became a chasm, Ridsdale having told Venables that the sale of Robbie Fowler to Manchester City would be the end of the selling, and Leeds's future was put into freefall.
Tomorrow night the fans will make it as clear as they did at Goodison Park on Saturday that Venables must stay, Ridsdale must go. Demonstrations are planned before, during and after the game and they are likely to get their wish.
While Venables's tetchy, muddled, brow-beaten air after Saturday's defeat was in stark contrast to his usual polished, confident self, suggesting a mind in turmoil, he has a £2 million-a-year contract, has finally won over the fans and, despite a largely inept start at Elland Road, come out of the latest crisis smelling of roses.
In contrast Ridsdale's stock, like the club's share price, is at an all-time low and within a month he is likely to be replaced by a new chief executive to take over the day-to-day running of the club. Relinquishing the chairmanship will be far harder but, having received death threats and acquired three minders and a police escort following last week's upheaval, the strain may become intolerable.
Leeds now have a squad who will not compete for a European place this season and a club which, to current players, has become a less desirable place to stay and which, to any potential future arrivals, has slipped even further down the Premiership pecking order. Venables knows the consequences of Woodgate's departure are profound.
"Winning or losing against Gillingham will make no difference to whether I stay or go," he said. "You win and lose 50 times a year. This is not a 50-time-a-year event.
"Whatever I do is not going to be ideal. I've been put in a difficult position and I think that at all times the manager of a football club should know what's going on. On this last situation I have been kept in the dark. Before that, when others have been sold, I have fought them right the way along and my feelings weren't being taken notice of. But this was different as I wasn't aware what was happening and I've got to think that through. I can make the decision with the knowledge that I have at the moment," he added pointedly.
At least on Saturday Venables had the consolation that, for the first time in his six months at Leeds, the supporters sang his name. They sang Ridsdale's name, too, but with chilling animosity. "We are Leeds", they also chanted, as in we the supporters not you the pillaging plc.
Everton's fans joined ironically in the chants of "sack the board", the furthest thing from their minds as they continue to ride high. A goal from Thomas Radzinski after a neat one-two with Li Tie sealed victory after the Canadian had been brought down by Danny Mills for Everton's first goal, a penalty dispatched by David Unsworth. As for Leeds, they rarely threatened.
One player short, you could say, of being a half-decent side.
Guardian Service
EVERTON: Wright, Pistone, Weir, Stubbs, Unsworth, Watson, Li, Gemmill, Naysmith, Radzinski, McBride (Campbell 73). Subs Not Used: Pembridge, Gravesen, Yobo, Gerrard. Goals: Unsworth 56 pen, Radzinski 68.
LEEDS: Robinson, Kelly, Mills, Matteo (Radebe 71), Lucic (Harte 45), Smith, Bakke (Milner 79), Okon, Wilcox, Viduka, Kewell. Subs Not Used: Martyn, Seth Johnson. Booked: Bakke.
Referee: M Halsey (Lancashire).
