Martyn pleads with Leeds to keep faith

Nigel Martyn has watched Leeds United being rebuilt in front of his very eyes - and he urged the club's owners not to pull the team apart.

In the six years the England goalkeeper has spent at Elland Road, around £95million has been splashed out on players - but trophies continue to elude Leeds.

There have been suggestions of summer sales and speculation about the future of players such as Olivier Dacourt and Mark Viduka which would improve the balance sheet. However, after Saturday's defeat of Aston Villa, Martyn said: 'I don't think our manager, David O'Leary, is going to rip it up and start again - at least I certainly hope not.

'We've got some great players here and if certain players do have to be sold, we still have the nucleus of a decent side.

'We don't know if we are playing for our places. If a player is sold, the rest of the squad is usually the last to know. I hope that doesn't happen.'

As if to prove a point, Viduka settled this match with an exquisite turn that left Villa right back Mark Delaney clutching at thin air. He then flicked the ball past Peter Enckelman with the outside of his right boot.

Villa's second-half onslaught, though, showed manager Graham Taylor that on their own patch, at least, they are a force to be reckoned with.