PETER LORIMER REFLECTED ON the decline of Leeds United and mused: “If you’d pulled a drunk off the street and said ruin a football club, he couldn’t have done it any quicker than that board did.” He was speaking about events almost a quarter of a century ago, but the words ring truer than ever as Elland Road becomes despoiled by playground spats.

The vacuity of Peter Reid’s trial by pub gossip was laid bare when the Leeds manager was reported yesterday to be on the verge of resigning. He had failed to show up for the post-match press conference, leaving Kevin Blackwell, the head coach, to say: “Any decision he (Reid) makes, he now does so from a position of strength.” If he was implying that Reid could resign with honour because of a victory over a Blackburn Rovers side in turmoil, then he is as nutty as any professor. Yesterday, Reid was not answering his phone as he made the board sweat. Touché.

Having assumed the role of victim and secured an £850,000 payoff, Reid may consider it to be a good time to depart. He was spitting blood after his public humiliation and his relationship with Professor John McKenzie, the chairman, lies in tatters. However, one source said that yesterday’s antics were merely Reid’s revenge. Nobody should be too precious about Reid’s position. The abject nature of 4-0 defeats away to Leicester City and Everton, plus the predilection for foreign loans, meant McKenzie was entitled to be concerned. His problem was a public relations gaffe that recalled the best of Peter “Publicity Pete” Ridsdale.

Contrary to popular belief, the fans are not totally enamoured with Reid, either. Rather than demanding that he stay when asked their opinion, they merely said that it was too early to sack him. While appreciating that he is not to blame for the soul being ripped out of the club, they also know that it is possible for the wronged man to be the wrong man. If only Leeds chairmen and managers showed the transparent honesty and resilience of David Batty and Michael Bridges.

They like heart in Leeds. Batty used to have a dodgy one and took tablets for it. Now he is back after 18 months, the cardiac trouble forgotten amid the cathartic joy of seeing a flint-faced hero upend floppy-fringed tyros. He is Leeds. They are Leeds. That really is the heart of the matter. Bridges, too, has trawled through purgatory. In recent years he has endured everything from meningitis to ruptured tendons, ending up in a Colorado clinic next to an Olympic skier “who had his legs wrapped round his neck”. “We were hugging and kissing in the changing-rooms,” Jermaine Pennant said, after what is likely to prove his penultimate match before he returns to Arsenal. “It’s difficult when the back four speak different languages,” Alan Smith added. Smith should have scored after eight seconds and missed two more gilt-edged chances. At the moment Smith is full of parochial passion but not much of a finisher.

Seth Johnson, pictured above, did score twice, the first courtesy of a fumble by Brad Friedel, and the second via the post. Mark Viduka shrugged off his apathy before being taken off in anger and, with Pennant providing pace and panache on the right, you wondered what all the fuss had been about.

But Leeds being Leeds, they allowed Blackburn a way back into the match. Andrew Cole hit an upright, David Thompson and Brett Emerton drew smart saves from Paul Robinson and nerves jangled. After Dino Baggio had headed home, Leeds did their best to undo their improvement with calamitous defending.

Reid’s subsequent no-show was the fitting finale to a strange day. It had started with the fans holding up anti-racism placards. That was nice to see at a ground where the National Front used to sell its propaganda in the 1970s. Having spelt out their message, the fans sat down to boo Tugay’s every touch.

Smith later revealed that Reid had apologised to the players for last week’s soap opera. “He said it was out of his hands,” Smith said. “We did it for the manager and the supporters. It is easy to shy away and curl up when things aren’t going right.”

Anyone with serious thoughts of quitting may want to take note.

Leeds United (4-4-2): P Robinson 7 — G Kelly 6, Z Camara 6, D Matteo 7, S Olembé 4 — J Pennant 7 (sub: L Sakho, 85min), D Batty 8, J Morris 6, Seth Johnson 7 — A Smith 4, M Viduka 7 (sub: M Bridges, 67 7). Booked: Johnson, Matteo, Robinson. Substitutes not used: S Carson, L Radebe, J Milner. NEXT: Manchester United (h). FORM: WLLLWD

Blackburn Rovers (4-4-2): B Friedel 4 — S Reid 5 (sub: D Baggio, 65 6), N-E Johansson 6, M Taylor 4, V Gresko 5 — B Emerton 7, G Flitcroft 5 (sub: B Ferguson, 46 6), Tugay 5 (sub: C Grabbi, 74 5), D Thompson 8 — A Cole 6, D Yorke 4. Booked: Gresko. Substitutes not used: A Kelly, M Jansen. NEXT: Charlton Athletic (h). FORM: LLWLDL.

Shots on target: (h) 7 (a) 10. Fouls: (h) 18 (a) 20. Offsides: (h) 2 (a) 2

Referee: U Rennie 5. Attendance: 35,039