Meltdown at Elland Road

Roque Junior (loan)
Brazilian defender from AC Milan looks part with sun on his back. With Duncan Ferguson on his back and rain teeming down looked a liability.

Didier Domi (loan)
From Paris St Germain, having made favourable impression at Newcastle United, but started inauspiciously in 4-0 humbling by Leicester.

Salomon Olembe (loan)
Capped 56 times for Cameroon, the tough recruit from Marseille has competed at the highest level. Not that you'd know it from contributions so far.

Jermaine Pennant (loan)
Only one from Reid's variety of temporary signings who has fitted in and looked as if he could make a difference. On an extended stay.

PLAYERS SOLD

Rio Ferdinand (£30m to Man Utd)
Selling to their fiercest rivals causes uproar, but Ridsdale remains defiant. 'Shareholders have been ringing me all day to congratulate me on getting such a good price.'

Robbie Keane (£7m to Spurs)
Barely six weeks into his tenure, Venables is forced to cash in on another of his prized assets. Keane was firm favourite with the fans.

Lee Bowyer (£100,000 to West Ham)
Six months after £7m deal with Liverpool had collapsed, so did Bowyer's valuation. Left for London with five months left on his contract.

Olivier Dacourt (£3.5m to Roma)
Venables, nearing end of his tether and so irritated by Dacourt's attitude, fumes: 'I'll make sure it goes through. I'll drive him to Rome myself.'

Robbie Fowler (£6m to Man City)
Sold for £5m les than he cost little over a year earlier. In addition, Leeds continue to pay him £500,000-a-year in wages due.

Jonathan Woodgate (£9m to Newcastle)
Venables adamant defender would stay and almost quit when Ridsdale deemed otherwise.

Harry Kewell (£5m to Liverpool)
Ridsdale had gone, but successor Prof John McKenzie did not cover himself in glory. Went for a pittance and agent walked away with a cool £2m.

Jacob Burns (Free to Barnsley)
Came through ranks and had showed promise against Besiktas in Champions League. Joined the exodus last summer, though.

Danny Mills (on loan to Middlesbrough)
Regular member of England squad and seemed indispensible. Spectacular fall-out with Reid.

Nigel Martyn (£500,000 to Everton)
Ousted by Paul Robinson during Venables reign and spent a frustrating season on bench.

MATCHES THAT MATTERED...

Leeds had won their previous six Premiership games and were third in the table when they visited Highbury on May 5, 2001. The game was sandwiched between the Champions League semi-final double-header against Valencia. Leeds lost 2-1, Freddie Ljungberg and Sylvain Wiltord scoring for Arsenal. On the same day a Michael Owen hat-trick gave Liverpool a 3-0 victory over Newcastle and Gerard Houllier's side moved above Leeds with two games to play. Despite Leeds taking maximum points from their remaining games, O'Leary's side finished a point behind Liverpool and missed out on the Champions League.

On New Year's Day 2002 Leeds were top of the Premiership. But failure to win any of their next seven League matches and a critical 1-0 home to defeat to Fulham on April 20 meant they could finish only fifth and out of the Champions League again.

A third-round FA Cup defeat at Cardiff and the trial of Bowyer and Woodgate added to a miserable season.

GOLDFISH ... AND COMPANY CARS

In May 2003, Leeds chairman Professor John McKenzie revealed the scale of 'indulgent spending' when the club had been run by his predecessor Peter Ridsdale. It included: