What have they all been playing at?

Sounding remarkably like David O'Leary when the former manager referred to his sparring partners on the plc board - references that appeared to lead to his dismissal - Ridsdale admitted yesterday that as an employee of a public company, he was honour bound to consider 'any reasonable offers'.

That was also an odd contrast to his statement last Friday that 'our obligation to shareholders is to build a winning team to make Leeds United even more successful'.

And United boss Ferguson added to the pressures facing Ferdinand by emphasising again yesterday that he may have to look elsewhere for a defender.

Speaking on MUTV, Ferguson said: ' It's on- going. Nothing seems to be happening. Leeds are saying a lot of things which we have to take on board. We're running out of time so we have to do something quickly. Maybe we will have to move on somewhere.'

Just as Ferdinand was getting his head around all that - and preparing to meet Ridsdale after he returns for pre- season training today - his agent, Pini Zahavi, weighed in with a double- sided message that left all observers completely baffled.

Ferdinand apparently would be only too happy to move to Manchester United, according to Zahavi, but would willingly stay at Leeds if that was what the club wanted. No wonder 'torn apart' Rio does not know whether he is coming or going. Literally.

Why would Ferdinand, admittedly seduced by the notion of Old Trafford's glamour and doubtless not discouraged by new-found England pals such as David Beckham and Wes Brown, make a transfer request that leaves him out on such a limb?

He has alienated a significant proportion of the Leeds crowd that made life hell for Eric Cantona when he returned to Elland Road wearing Manchester United red after his shock £1.2m move in 1992.

Why would Zahavi, while apparently trying to leave an escape route back into the fans' hearts, utter the one phrase - 'he wants to join a bigger and better club' - that will condemn Ferdinand to utter damnation in their eyes?

And why would Leeds believe that they can turn the clock back beyond that fateful transfer demand and convince the player that he can see out four more happy years with the club he was so keen to quit?

Ferdinand's letter to Ridsdale containing his transfer request has changed everything, and though the pair will have a heart-to-heart today after the chairman interrupted his holiday, deep down all the protagonists know the likely outcome.

Ridsdale's understandable fury at the way Ferdinand's head has been so expertly turned has led him to declare: 'Someone, somewhere seems to be conducting this whole business through the media and I find that disturbing.'

The truth is that Leeds lost Rio somewhere out on the Pacific Rim when the champagne football that is the World Cup went to his head and he wanted more.

Ridsdale's best and last hope of snatching Ferdinand away from the Red menace - and preventing this season's Premiership from becominga one- horse race for turf aficionado Ferguson - was to put an arm around him before whisking him out of harm's way on the club trip to Australia and the Far East.

That is still the plan, but in his heart Ridsdale will fear it is simply too late to clasp Rio back into the bosom of the family and pretend that it was all just a bad dream.

Perhaps Ferdinand was being naive in demanding a move. Perhaps not. Having stepped over the line of what is acceptable to many Leeds United fans, perhaps it was a fait accompli in disguise.