Have-nots have chance to dream

A Chelski-style miracle could yet save Leeds

Football, like history, is littered with what-might-have-beens, but few will have tortured Leeds United minds more than the tantalising story that could have played out if last summer Roman Abramovich had turned his gaze away from Stamford Bridge and zoned in on Elland Road.

Instead of the urbane Claudio Ranieri struggling to find the English words at the top of the Premiership, Peter Reid could have been fluent in Anglo-Saxon as he discussed problems of Alan Smith's form keeping Hernan Crespo on the bench. With the Russian's multi-millions to back them, Leeds might even have run to a financial adviser, too.

With a London address, who knows? If the football tsar from the East could overlook the red figures in Chelsea's books, he could surely have turned a blind eye to the chasms in Leeds' cash-planning, but the pull of the King's Road proved greater than that of Poverty Row in West Yorkshire. So while Chelsea supporters could spend last week contemplating who they might buy in the next post-Christmas transfer window, their Leeds equivalents were wondering whether they will have a club to support once their next financial deadline, 19 January, passes.

Not that the match programme could enlighten the supporters yesterday because, Pravda-like, it avoided mention of the less savoury elements of the regime. To be fair, the editor did point out in the press room that the story was moving too fast for a publication with a midweek deadline and, as if to underline the point, the newly resigned Allan Leighton was still listed as deputy chairman. It says a lot about a club when directors should wear numbers on their shirts to help spectators follow boardroom changes.

The man trying to make sense of the fiscal chaos at Elland Road is Trevor Birch, the chief executive, who pulled off the minor miracle of tempting Abramovich to Stamford Bridge when he held a similar position at Chelsea, and is currently scouring the East again for a financial saviour.

Last time it was Russia; now he is looking to Bahrain and Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Mubarak Al-Khalifa, who stands to become the longest name to own a football club since Robert "The Pilferer of Pensions" Maxwell if his consortium can find the £80m to bail out Leeds .

The sheikh is a fan, which may or may not be a good thing, as Peter Ridsdale also swore allegiance to the club colours, but you did not need to be partial to be impressed with Leeds. It was bottom versus top, the rich against the poor, yet you would not have known it.

It is in midfield where Leeds' stricken circumstances stand out most obviously, and Eddie Gray, who is serving as caretaker manager after Reid's dismissal, has addressed that by adding quantity where quality once held sway. Five men, including defender Dominic Matteo and striker Alan Smith, formed a spiky if makeshift shield for Chelsea to become impaled on.

Any system that requires a lone striker, Mark Viduka, to produce energy and will to provide an outlet for this midfield carries obvious risks but, thanks to Jermaine Pennant's spectacular 19th-minute goal, there was something to cling on to, and the Leeds players took a firm grip.

Matteo set an inspiring example as players took the difficult decisions and made the decisive interventions. They worked, they tackled, they fully justified the raucous support of their followers.

Anyone familiar with the recent Elland Road story, will not be surprised to learn that the ending did not live up to the start, but the 1-1 against the haves of Chelsea was almost as heartening as the draw they achieved with their debtors on Thursday. It has been a good week at Elland Road. And there have not been too many of those recently.