As if there is not enough already to test O'Leary's powers of resilience, he now has to contend with a public perception that Kidd's promotion to second in command, demoting Elland Road legend Eddie Gray in the process, marked the starting point of the decline in Leeds' fortunes.
Strains of 'Who is Brian Kidd?' had been followed swiftly by a rousing chorus of 'One Eddie Gray'.
An indignant O'Leary countered: 'I am very lucky to have Brian Kidd as No.2.
'Anyone who has worked with him or spent any time with our players will tell you that.'
'The players have had a chat about it in the dressing-room and are very sad that there should be chanting like that.'
Matteo went into the book for a foul from behind in the 27th minute and was on his way 12 minutes later when, with a palpable lack of self-control, he ploughed through the back of Kevin Campbell.
Matteo was not alone in failing to heed the most basic of lessons.
Smith's yellow card was for a similar indiscretion and could easily have been followed by another as he threw himself into a succession of rash tackles that only subsided when O'Leary summoned him to the sidelines for a 'cool it' lecture.
If there was any shred of comfort, Leeds at least salvaged a point from another disjointed, dispirited performance that stretched their barren run to nearly seven hours without a goal.
They could so easily have left empty-handed after Alan Stubbs had a 38th-minute header cleared off the line by Matteo, Tomasz Radzinski wasted a 41st-minute chance by firing straight at keeper Nigel Martyn and Tobias Linderoth dragged another clear-cut opening wide of the far post in the 68th minute.
Finally, with Leeds fans berating O'Leary for not making use of the bench, Smith sent on David Ginola as a late substitute and saw him juggle the ball round Batty, deep in injury-time, before unleashing a volley that flew just wide.
There would have been no way back for Leeds at that late stage - and no sparing O'Leary an even greater backlash from an unforgiving public who, judging by the manager's demeanour afterwards, are sorely testing his patience.
