Andy Gray column: All to blame for Tel hell

IF LEEDS get beaten by Charlton today there is a very real possibility that Terry Venables will decide enough is enough, and walk out.

He isn't a quitter, but he is human - and there comes a point when relentless criticism and abuse from fans grinds you down to the stage when it really isn't worth the hassle.

Terry is very close to reaching that point.

Tel has a reputation as a great coach, but also as someone who keeps smiling in the face of adversity, and emerges from the other end with a laugh and a joke.

But that cheeky, Cockney Chappy-smile has been replaced recently with the look of a man who is haunted by the critics.

And Peter Ridsdale didn't help by failing to give his manager a single word of encouragement after the club's annual general meeting, where he managed to save his own job as chairman.

For a bloke who likes talking to the cameras, I was a bit surprised he didn't take that opportunity to give Terry a boost.

Ridsdale is too keen to be seen putting his point of view forward in the public domain. He is the only chairman I have ever seen on the pitch with the manager celebrating, when Leeds were going well in Europe.

He loves being in front of the cameras and that is good for the media, but there is a halfway house he has missed somewhere.

I applaud the fact that he is a genuine fan who has done a lot for Leeds, but at times he acts too much like one of the supporters .

In his favourite position in front of the cameras, Ridsdale should at least have said he thought Tel was still the right man for the job, as he was at the time of his appointment.

Hearing nothing made it look like Terry was being hung out to dry.

If Venables quits, it will be a black mark on Ridsdale's CV, particularly as there were other candidates like Steve McClaren in the frame for the job.

I still think Terry is a brilliant coach, but what could tip him over the edge is that at every club he has been at, such as Spurs and Barcelona, he's had the fans' backing .

This is the first time he has worked in a hostile environment and the criticism has started to hurt.

Three weeks ago Terry was his usual self, laughing it off and insisting he would get it right.

Unfortunately it hasn't got much better and, arriving back from Malaga, where Leeds had a great result, the spark just wasn't there.

And when you have a nice TV job waiting for you the temptation to cut your losses is even greater.

The only thing holding him back will be that he has some terrific players.

They are under-achieving at the moment, but personally I would find it impossible to turn my back on them after a few months.

I just hope Terry is his usual self on the training pitch, because if he isn't, then Leeds really are in deep trouble.

And if he does walk it will be a huge blow to Leeds, one they may struggle to swiftly recover from .

So who's to blame for this mess? We have all seen the pathetic squabbling in the press between O'Leary and Ridsdale. But I'll tell you who should shoulder responsibility - everyone.

Terry carries the can as manager, Ridsdale must learn to behave more like a chairman, the players have to raise their game, and fans should get off Venables' back, before it is too late.

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