Yorkshire Evening Post 31/10/07
Dave Bassett bound for Leeds United
By Phil Hay
DAVE BASSETT was today on the brink of becoming Leeds United's new assistant manager.
The 63-year-old has been identified as Leeds' first-choice replacement for Gustavo Poyet, and United were working today to reach a deal which would bring Bassett to Elland Road for the rest of this season. Dennis Wise had other alternatives available to him - notably Ray Wilkins, his managerial colleague at Millwall - but he has turned instead to the man who launched his playing career at Wimbledon back in 1985.
Ex-Wimbledon boss Bassett signed Wise from Southampton when the midfielder was 18 years of age, and a five-year stint at Plough Lane was the making of Wise, who went on to join Chelsea for £1.6million in 1990. Bassett also worked with Wise at Leicester six years ago, and the pair were reunited briefly as joint-caretakers of Southampton in 2005 following Harry Redknapp's exit from St Mary's. They are now poised to come together for a fourth time as Leeds prepare for life after Poyet, who stepped down as assistant at Elland Road to take up the position of first-team coach with Tottenham Hotspur on Monday.
United were in no urgent rush to fill the vacancy, but Wise has singled out Bassett as his favoured candidate and it seemed likely today that his long-time mentor would accept the opportunity to work with Leeds.
Bassett could be in place in time for Saturday's visit to Carlisle, but of greater concern to Wise was securing a number two before his three-match touchline ban begins ahead of United's FA Cup first-round tie at Hereford United on November 9.
Wise will also watch from the stands during the Johnstone's Paint Trophy clash with Bury and the forthcoming league match at home to his former club Swindon Town, and Poyet's departure was threatening to leave Leeds short of numbers in the dug-out next month.
Alan Thompson acted as Wise's assistant against Millwall last weekend but was not a candidate to assume the role permanently, and Bassett's arrival would add an experienced campaigner to United's ranks.
Bassett has worked with eight different clubs including Barnsley and Sheffield United, where he took charge of almost 400 matches between 1988 and 1995.
He has been absent from football management since leaving Southampton in 2005, but he now appears ready to resume his career. He would join United with the club creeping ever closer to the top of League One and only four points behind league leaders Carlisle.
Leeds have not commented on the possibility of Bassett's arrival, and it is understood that an agreement was still to be confirmed this morning.
Another potential bonus for Wise was due to be delivered this afternoon, with midfielder Shaun Derry lined up for his first competitive outing for more than 10 months during United's reserve clash with Hartlepool at Elland Road. Derry looks set to leave Leeds on loan next month after a long spell on the sidelines with a heel injury.
But a successful outing would give Wise another available midfielder within his squad.
Thompson, Andrew Hughes and Radostin Kishishev were all absent through injury during Saturday's 4-2 win over Millwall, and Wise has previously admitted that selection problems could offer Derry a way back into United's first team.
Portuguese winger Filipe Da Costa was also expected to receive a run-out during this afternoon's second-string clash.
Yorkshire Post 30/10/07
Wise ban hastens Leeds search for No 2
By Richard Sutcliffe
Chief Football Writer
An impending touchline ban for Dennis Wise means Leeds United's search for a successor to Gus Poyet is now a major priority at Elland Road.
The Uruguayan yesterday completed his switch to Tottenham Hotspur after an undisclosed compensation package had been agreed between the two clubs late on Sunday night.
Poyet's departure leaves Wise looking for a new assistant and a host of names have already been linked with the post including Dave Bassett – who has been a mentor to Wise throughout his career – and Italy Under-21 coach Gianfranco Zola. Suggestions Ray Wilkins is in the running are, however, believed to be wide of the mark.
Wise, who along with Carlisle's John Ward and Dean Wilkins of Brighton is on a three-man shortlist to be October's Manager of the Month, has made a feature of surrounding himself with personnel he can trust so United technical director Gwyn Williams could assume a more prominent coaching role.
The appointment will be a key one with Wise banished to the stands for three games next month after yesterday being found guilty of verbally abusing a referee by the Football Association.
Should Poyet's successor not have been found by the time the touchline suspension begins on Friday, November 9 when Leeds face Hereford in the FA Cup first round it will leave just goalkeeping coach Andy Beasley and Joe Allon in the dugout.
When contacted by the Yorkshire Post, former Sheffield United manager Bassett said rumours of him possibly joining Leeds's coaching staff were "news to me".
But he added: "Knowing Dennis as I do, he will be thinking very carefully about what to do next. He is not the type to rush into a decision like this.
"Losing Gus will be a blow because they were good mates. Most managerial duos are people who know each other very well and have a strong bond.
"But I am sure Dennis will be even more determined to push on. He had a difficult time last season, but, like when I was at Sheffield United in 1988, sometimes you have to take a step back to go two forward.
"Relegation hurt Dennis, but he has got Leeds flying now and it is great to see things going so well for him."
Alan Thompson stood in for Poyet on Saturday during the 4-2 win over Millwall, but the United captain is hoping to return to action in time for the tie at Edgar Street, which was yesterday selected for live transmission by Sky Television.
The 33-year-old midfielder has already ruled himself out of the running to replace Poyet on a permanent basis by insisting his priority remains playing.
Thompson said: "I do not think I will become the No 2. I might step into a coaching capacity at some stage, but I don't think I will be the assistant manager. The manager wants me to carry on playing."
As part of next month's touchline ban, Wise will also have to sit out the Johnstone's Paint Trophy tie with Bury on November 13 and the following Saturday's League One meeting with former club Swindon Town.
The charge related to alleged comments made by the Leeds chief to referee Danny McDermid during half-time in the 1-1 draw with Gillingham in September.
At a Football Association hearing, Wise was fined £5,000 and handed a ban. A spokesman said: "The Regulatory Commission invoked a previous suspended one-match touchline ban and issued a further two-match ban. In reaching its decision, the Commission took into account Wise's poor recent disciplinary record."
In a further twist, the FA have also charged McDermid with using abusive and/or insulting words towards Wise and the official has until November 13 to respond.
Along with the search for an assistant, Wise is also considering a loan move for a striker after Wayne Andrews returned to Coventry City after a month at Elland Road.
Mark De Vries, who joined Leeds on loan at the same time as Andrews, went back to Leicester City last week after suffering a broken toe in the win over Brighton.
It means Leeds have no back-up to Jermaine Beckford and Tresor Kandol due to Tore Andre Flo having undergone an operation on his foot and Leon Constantine, who is yet to make his debut, only having returned to training this month.
Leedsunited.com 229/10/07
BOSS BANNED
At a Football Association Regulatory Commission hearing, United manager Dennis Wise was fined £5,000 and given a three-match touchline ban.
The boss was charged with using abusive and/or insulting words towards referee Danny McDermid at half-time of the game against Gillingham on September 29.
An FA statement added: "The Commission invoked a previous suspended one match touchline ban and issued a further two-match ban. In reaching its decision, the Commission took into account Wise's poor recent disciplinary record."
The touchline ban becomes effective from Thursday November 8 and will cover the games against Hereford (FAC), Bury (JPT), and Swindon Town's league visit to Elland Road.
The FA has also charged referee Danny McDermid with using abusive and/or insulting words towards the United boss.
The incident is alleged to have occurred following the 1-1 draw at Gillingham. McDermid has until November 13 to respond to the charge.
Yorkshire Evening Post 2/10/07
Match report: Life after Gus is nothing to fear for Leeds United
Leeds United 4 Millwall 2
By Phil Hay
Leeds United's post-match huddle has become symbolic of the collective mood which is breeding inside Elland Road this season.
In the aftermath of what threatened to be their biggest victory of the campaign on Saturday – and what should, in the circumstances, be seen as their most satisfying – the habitual gathering lacked its usual euphoria. It appeared as if something, or someone, was missing.
The absentee was Gustavo Poyet, who it seems has taken his seat in United's dugout for the final time as the their assistant manager. The Uruguayan was still to confirm his departure to Tottenham Hotspur this morning, but the crisis at White Hart Lane is such that Spurs' offer to Poyet will be beyond his refusal. Dennis Wise knows, as he must have known on Friday, that their professional partnership is at an end.
It is not a scenario that Wise would have envisaged this time last week, nor a development that aids the order and continuity that he has established at Elland Road.
But United are that type of club, and if Wise has not learned already to predict the unpredictable then he never will. Poyet's departure seems like a problem. Wise, in reality, has dealt with far worse. The instruction to his players in the minutes before kick-off on Saturday will have been to avoid missing a step.Poyet was purposefully absent from both the touchline and from Elland Road, a decision intended to minimise the attention on the doubt surrounding his position, and United's response was masterful. As they sat on a 4-0 lead with half-an-hour remaining, it was worth remembering that the whole of a club should always be greater than the sum of its individual parts.
With or without Poyet Leeds are now in a position to decimate League One. Saturday's win moved Wise's players into the play-off positions for the first time this season, and next weekend's visit to leaders Carlisle United is another opportunity to creep towards the summit of the table. It is likely that, by the end of November, they will be there or thereabouts.United are not infinitely superior to the rest of the division, but the gulf created by both results and momentum is tangible. Wise's line-up was below full-strength on Saturday, and the speculation surrounding Poyet did not lend itself to calm preparation. The fact that Radostin Kishishev had strained his hamstring in Leeds' final training session on Friday complicated an awkward situation.
It may, on reflection, have been the best opportunity so far for an opposing team to damage United's unbeaten league record, but Millwall were throttled by three goals inside six minutes soon after half-time. In the most difficult of circumstances, the victory provided enormous satisfaction; Poyet, it must be said, was barely missed.
Millwall competed gamely for the first half-hour, but once David Prutton opened the scoring with a screaming finish in the 37th minute, the result was a formality.
The visitors imploded in a manner which does not bode well for the remainder of their season, and caretaker manager Richard Shaw will have a hard job of making the position his on a permanent basis if future results follow suit.
Two late replies softened the scoreline, but Leeds were coasting to the finishing line by the time Ahmet Brkovic reduced their lead to two goals with 14 minutes remaining. As if to demonstrate how reluctant he was to dwell on Poyet's departure, Wise's reaction in the dressing room afterwards was to criticise his players for their late concessions.
United's manager pays close attention to detail, but when Jonathan Douglas established their four-goal advantage in the 60th minute, United's performance was beginning to border on perfection.
The Republic of Ireland international delivered his most effective display of the season and was rewarded with two opportunist, but clinical, goals in the space of only three minutes.
Douglas struck once with a shot on the turn and again with a low free-kick, taking advantage as Millwall's composure deserted them. Had Leeds not settled for their commanding lead and allowed Shaw's side back into the game, the visitors would have endured a horrible run to the final whistle. Still, highlighting United's failure to protect a clean sheet seemed like picking fault for the sake of it.
Without Alan Thompson and Andrew Hughes, and then deprived of Kishishev, Wise had turned to Ian Westlake to fill the vacancy alongside Douglas in the centre of midfield, and an unfamiliar partnership underpinned a comfortable victory once Millwall's threat had been extinguished.
The visitors had the ball in the net in the third minute after Will Hoskins finished off a quick exchange involving Gary Alexander, but Leeds were bailed out by an offside flag, and once Danny Senda had guided a measured lob a foot beyond Casper Ankergren's post, United began to exert themselves.
Jermaine Beckford pulled a left-foot shot wide of Millwall's goal, and Tresor Kandol failed to trouble goalkeeper Lenny Pidgeley with a free header from Frazer Richardson's cross which was begging to be finished. Prutton, however, proved more exact with the searing strike which brought the opening goal after 36 minutes.
Sebastien Carole lost Senda on the left wing with a clever piece of skill and whipped the ball into Millwall's box. Shaw's weak header fell to the feet of Prutton, who took a touch to control the ball before driving a rising shot from 10 yards into the top corner of Pidgeley's net.
Millwall's keeper came under immediate pressure and was forced to beat away a shot from Douglas at the foot of his right-hand post five minutes before the break, but having excelled himself once Pidgeley was guilty of gifting Leeds their second goal in the 53rd minute.
The former Chelsea trainee drilled a straightforward clearance against Kandol, and was helpless to prevent Beckford from running the rebound into an empty net. The floodgates opened quickly, and two rapid finishes from Douglas put the result beyond doubt with an hour on the clock.
Millwall's willingness to struggle on spoke highly of their attitude, and Hoskins reduced the lead with an easy finish in the 65th minute after Jay Simpson's run had opened up Wise's defence. Brkovic then guided home a glorious glancing header which dipped into the net at Ankergren's far post, but the goal served to shake Leeds from their temporary slumber and ensure a quiet finish.
After the week that was, Wise would not have welcomed another nasty surprise.
Leeds United fury over Gus exit
Gus Poyet today confirmed his exit from Leeds United after agreeing to become Tottenham Hotspur's new first-team coach.
United opened the way for Poyet's move to London by agreeing compensation with Spurs last night, and the Uruguayan accepted Tottenham's offer this morning after holding talks with the Premiership club. But Leeds have been incensed by Spurs' approach for their assistant manager, and the way in which their attempt to lure him to White Hart Lane has been handled. Poyet will work under manager Juande Ramos, whose switch from Sevilla to Tottenham was completed on Saturday, and the move has taken him back to the club where he finished his playing career. Spurs have also named Marcos Alvarez, who worked with Ramos at Sevilla, as an additional first-team coach. Ray Wilkins – Dennis Wise's former managerial colleague at Millwall – appears a natural successor to Poyet. He is available and would be an experienced and knowledgeable replacement.
Leeds were first made aware of Spurs' intentions by a fax sent to Elland Road's general fax number at 11.39pm on Thursday evening, hours after news of Poyet's probable departure had begun circulating. The development prompted suspicions at Leeds that Tottenham had mounted an illegal approach for their assistant. Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is believed to have waited until Saturday night before contacting United personally, when it is understood he spoke with Leeds chief executive Shaun Harvey.
The two clubs were still haggling over compensation yesterday afternoon, and an undisclosed figure was finally agreed late last night.
Poyet was absent from Saturday's game between Leeds and Millwall but sent text messages to a number of United's players beforehand wishing them luck. He had missed Friday's training session at Thorp Arch after indicating that he intended to listen to Tottenham's offer.
But United chairman Ken Bates, who was first made aware of Spurs' interest by television reports, dismissed claims that Poyet's relationship with Leeds manager Dennis Wise had broken down as a result of his interest in a return to London.
Bates said: "All these reports about them falling out are complete rubbish.
"Gus is the innocent party in all this. The reason he wasn't at Elland Road (on Saturday) was because we knew it would turn into a media circus and distract everyone from the game."
Poyet's departure seemed likely from the moment United announced that he would not be in the dugout for the club's 13th league game of the season. United produced a convincing performance in his absence and moved up to sixth place in League One with a 4-2 victory over Millwall, but Wise is now beginning his search for a new assistant.
Alan Thompson has ruled himself out of the running for the position after stepping into Poyet's shoes temporarily at the weekend. Thompson was already certain to miss the clash with Millwall through injury and was invited to operate as Wise's assistant, but United's captain is still seen as a central member of the playing squad at Elland Road and does not appear ready to switch to the touchline on a permanent basis. The 33-year-old said: "I don't think I'll become the number two.
"I might step into a coaching capacity at some stage but I don't think I'll be the assistant manager. The manager wants me to carry on playing.
"Gus has great experience and he's a great coach but things move on. We've got good players here and it's not about what goes on on the touchline. It's about what goes on over the white line.
"He will be missed but I would think he'd be replaceable."
Fellow midfielder David Prutton admitted Poyet's loss would be keenly felt by the squad at Elland Road, but insisted none of his team-mates should be surprised to see the Uruguayan moving on. "With prospects and opportunities springing up, it's always going to be a game of change," said Prutton. "It's a reflection of the way football is. "It's not the best because he's a nice fella and he has a lot of input in the team. I've not got a bad word to say about him – he's spot on.
"But things always change and I'm sure we've got plans for how to deal with it."
Dave Bassett bound for Leeds United
By Phil Hay
DAVE BASSETT was today on the brink of becoming Leeds United's new assistant manager.
The 63-year-old has been identified as Leeds' first-choice replacement for Gustavo Poyet, and United were working today to reach a deal which would bring Bassett to Elland Road for the rest of this season. Dennis Wise had other alternatives available to him - notably Ray Wilkins, his managerial colleague at Millwall - but he has turned instead to the man who launched his playing career at Wimbledon back in 1985.
Ex-Wimbledon boss Bassett signed Wise from Southampton when the midfielder was 18 years of age, and a five-year stint at Plough Lane was the making of Wise, who went on to join Chelsea for £1.6million in 1990. Bassett also worked with Wise at Leicester six years ago, and the pair were reunited briefly as joint-caretakers of Southampton in 2005 following Harry Redknapp's exit from St Mary's. They are now poised to come together for a fourth time as Leeds prepare for life after Poyet, who stepped down as assistant at Elland Road to take up the position of first-team coach with Tottenham Hotspur on Monday.
United were in no urgent rush to fill the vacancy, but Wise has singled out Bassett as his favoured candidate and it seemed likely today that his long-time mentor would accept the opportunity to work with Leeds.
Bassett could be in place in time for Saturday's visit to Carlisle, but of greater concern to Wise was securing a number two before his three-match touchline ban begins ahead of United's FA Cup first-round tie at Hereford United on November 9.
Wise will also watch from the stands during the Johnstone's Paint Trophy clash with Bury and the forthcoming league match at home to his former club Swindon Town, and Poyet's departure was threatening to leave Leeds short of numbers in the dug-out next month.
Alan Thompson acted as Wise's assistant against Millwall last weekend but was not a candidate to assume the role permanently, and Bassett's arrival would add an experienced campaigner to United's ranks.
Bassett has worked with eight different clubs including Barnsley and Sheffield United, where he took charge of almost 400 matches between 1988 and 1995.
He has been absent from football management since leaving Southampton in 2005, but he now appears ready to resume his career. He would join United with the club creeping ever closer to the top of League One and only four points behind league leaders Carlisle.
Leeds have not commented on the possibility of Bassett's arrival, and it is understood that an agreement was still to be confirmed this morning.
Another potential bonus for Wise was due to be delivered this afternoon, with midfielder Shaun Derry lined up for his first competitive outing for more than 10 months during United's reserve clash with Hartlepool at Elland Road. Derry looks set to leave Leeds on loan next month after a long spell on the sidelines with a heel injury.
But a successful outing would give Wise another available midfielder within his squad.
Thompson, Andrew Hughes and Radostin Kishishev were all absent through injury during Saturday's 4-2 win over Millwall, and Wise has previously admitted that selection problems could offer Derry a way back into United's first team.
Portuguese winger Filipe Da Costa was also expected to receive a run-out during this afternoon's second-string clash.
Yorkshire Post 30/10/07
Wise ban hastens Leeds search for No 2
By Richard Sutcliffe
Chief Football Writer
An impending touchline ban for Dennis Wise means Leeds United's search for a successor to Gus Poyet is now a major priority at Elland Road.
The Uruguayan yesterday completed his switch to Tottenham Hotspur after an undisclosed compensation package had been agreed between the two clubs late on Sunday night.
Poyet's departure leaves Wise looking for a new assistant and a host of names have already been linked with the post including Dave Bassett – who has been a mentor to Wise throughout his career – and Italy Under-21 coach Gianfranco Zola. Suggestions Ray Wilkins is in the running are, however, believed to be wide of the mark.
Wise, who along with Carlisle's John Ward and Dean Wilkins of Brighton is on a three-man shortlist to be October's Manager of the Month, has made a feature of surrounding himself with personnel he can trust so United technical director Gwyn Williams could assume a more prominent coaching role.
The appointment will be a key one with Wise banished to the stands for three games next month after yesterday being found guilty of verbally abusing a referee by the Football Association.
Should Poyet's successor not have been found by the time the touchline suspension begins on Friday, November 9 when Leeds face Hereford in the FA Cup first round it will leave just goalkeeping coach Andy Beasley and Joe Allon in the dugout.
When contacted by the Yorkshire Post, former Sheffield United manager Bassett said rumours of him possibly joining Leeds's coaching staff were "news to me".
But he added: "Knowing Dennis as I do, he will be thinking very carefully about what to do next. He is not the type to rush into a decision like this.
"Losing Gus will be a blow because they were good mates. Most managerial duos are people who know each other very well and have a strong bond.
"But I am sure Dennis will be even more determined to push on. He had a difficult time last season, but, like when I was at Sheffield United in 1988, sometimes you have to take a step back to go two forward.
"Relegation hurt Dennis, but he has got Leeds flying now and it is great to see things going so well for him."
Alan Thompson stood in for Poyet on Saturday during the 4-2 win over Millwall, but the United captain is hoping to return to action in time for the tie at Edgar Street, which was yesterday selected for live transmission by Sky Television.
The 33-year-old midfielder has already ruled himself out of the running to replace Poyet on a permanent basis by insisting his priority remains playing.
Thompson said: "I do not think I will become the No 2. I might step into a coaching capacity at some stage, but I don't think I will be the assistant manager. The manager wants me to carry on playing."
As part of next month's touchline ban, Wise will also have to sit out the Johnstone's Paint Trophy tie with Bury on November 13 and the following Saturday's League One meeting with former club Swindon Town.
The charge related to alleged comments made by the Leeds chief to referee Danny McDermid during half-time in the 1-1 draw with Gillingham in September.
At a Football Association hearing, Wise was fined £5,000 and handed a ban. A spokesman said: "The Regulatory Commission invoked a previous suspended one-match touchline ban and issued a further two-match ban. In reaching its decision, the Commission took into account Wise's poor recent disciplinary record."
In a further twist, the FA have also charged McDermid with using abusive and/or insulting words towards Wise and the official has until November 13 to respond.
Along with the search for an assistant, Wise is also considering a loan move for a striker after Wayne Andrews returned to Coventry City after a month at Elland Road.
Mark De Vries, who joined Leeds on loan at the same time as Andrews, went back to Leicester City last week after suffering a broken toe in the win over Brighton.
It means Leeds have no back-up to Jermaine Beckford and Tresor Kandol due to Tore Andre Flo having undergone an operation on his foot and Leon Constantine, who is yet to make his debut, only having returned to training this month.
Leedsunited.com 229/10/07
BOSS BANNED
At a Football Association Regulatory Commission hearing, United manager Dennis Wise was fined £5,000 and given a three-match touchline ban.
The boss was charged with using abusive and/or insulting words towards referee Danny McDermid at half-time of the game against Gillingham on September 29.
An FA statement added: "The Commission invoked a previous suspended one match touchline ban and issued a further two-match ban. In reaching its decision, the Commission took into account Wise's poor recent disciplinary record."
The touchline ban becomes effective from Thursday November 8 and will cover the games against Hereford (FAC), Bury (JPT), and Swindon Town's league visit to Elland Road.
The FA has also charged referee Danny McDermid with using abusive and/or insulting words towards the United boss.
The incident is alleged to have occurred following the 1-1 draw at Gillingham. McDermid has until November 13 to respond to the charge.
Yorkshire Evening Post 2/10/07
Match report: Life after Gus is nothing to fear for Leeds United
Leeds United 4 Millwall 2
By Phil Hay
Leeds United's post-match huddle has become symbolic of the collective mood which is breeding inside Elland Road this season.
In the aftermath of what threatened to be their biggest victory of the campaign on Saturday – and what should, in the circumstances, be seen as their most satisfying – the habitual gathering lacked its usual euphoria. It appeared as if something, or someone, was missing.
The absentee was Gustavo Poyet, who it seems has taken his seat in United's dugout for the final time as the their assistant manager. The Uruguayan was still to confirm his departure to Tottenham Hotspur this morning, but the crisis at White Hart Lane is such that Spurs' offer to Poyet will be beyond his refusal. Dennis Wise knows, as he must have known on Friday, that their professional partnership is at an end.
It is not a scenario that Wise would have envisaged this time last week, nor a development that aids the order and continuity that he has established at Elland Road.
But United are that type of club, and if Wise has not learned already to predict the unpredictable then he never will. Poyet's departure seems like a problem. Wise, in reality, has dealt with far worse. The instruction to his players in the minutes before kick-off on Saturday will have been to avoid missing a step.Poyet was purposefully absent from both the touchline and from Elland Road, a decision intended to minimise the attention on the doubt surrounding his position, and United's response was masterful. As they sat on a 4-0 lead with half-an-hour remaining, it was worth remembering that the whole of a club should always be greater than the sum of its individual parts.
With or without Poyet Leeds are now in a position to decimate League One. Saturday's win moved Wise's players into the play-off positions for the first time this season, and next weekend's visit to leaders Carlisle United is another opportunity to creep towards the summit of the table. It is likely that, by the end of November, they will be there or thereabouts.United are not infinitely superior to the rest of the division, but the gulf created by both results and momentum is tangible. Wise's line-up was below full-strength on Saturday, and the speculation surrounding Poyet did not lend itself to calm preparation. The fact that Radostin Kishishev had strained his hamstring in Leeds' final training session on Friday complicated an awkward situation.
It may, on reflection, have been the best opportunity so far for an opposing team to damage United's unbeaten league record, but Millwall were throttled by three goals inside six minutes soon after half-time. In the most difficult of circumstances, the victory provided enormous satisfaction; Poyet, it must be said, was barely missed.
Millwall competed gamely for the first half-hour, but once David Prutton opened the scoring with a screaming finish in the 37th minute, the result was a formality.
The visitors imploded in a manner which does not bode well for the remainder of their season, and caretaker manager Richard Shaw will have a hard job of making the position his on a permanent basis if future results follow suit.
Two late replies softened the scoreline, but Leeds were coasting to the finishing line by the time Ahmet Brkovic reduced their lead to two goals with 14 minutes remaining. As if to demonstrate how reluctant he was to dwell on Poyet's departure, Wise's reaction in the dressing room afterwards was to criticise his players for their late concessions.
United's manager pays close attention to detail, but when Jonathan Douglas established their four-goal advantage in the 60th minute, United's performance was beginning to border on perfection.
The Republic of Ireland international delivered his most effective display of the season and was rewarded with two opportunist, but clinical, goals in the space of only three minutes.
Douglas struck once with a shot on the turn and again with a low free-kick, taking advantage as Millwall's composure deserted them. Had Leeds not settled for their commanding lead and allowed Shaw's side back into the game, the visitors would have endured a horrible run to the final whistle. Still, highlighting United's failure to protect a clean sheet seemed like picking fault for the sake of it.
Without Alan Thompson and Andrew Hughes, and then deprived of Kishishev, Wise had turned to Ian Westlake to fill the vacancy alongside Douglas in the centre of midfield, and an unfamiliar partnership underpinned a comfortable victory once Millwall's threat had been extinguished.
The visitors had the ball in the net in the third minute after Will Hoskins finished off a quick exchange involving Gary Alexander, but Leeds were bailed out by an offside flag, and once Danny Senda had guided a measured lob a foot beyond Casper Ankergren's post, United began to exert themselves.
Jermaine Beckford pulled a left-foot shot wide of Millwall's goal, and Tresor Kandol failed to trouble goalkeeper Lenny Pidgeley with a free header from Frazer Richardson's cross which was begging to be finished. Prutton, however, proved more exact with the searing strike which brought the opening goal after 36 minutes.
Sebastien Carole lost Senda on the left wing with a clever piece of skill and whipped the ball into Millwall's box. Shaw's weak header fell to the feet of Prutton, who took a touch to control the ball before driving a rising shot from 10 yards into the top corner of Pidgeley's net.
Millwall's keeper came under immediate pressure and was forced to beat away a shot from Douglas at the foot of his right-hand post five minutes before the break, but having excelled himself once Pidgeley was guilty of gifting Leeds their second goal in the 53rd minute.
The former Chelsea trainee drilled a straightforward clearance against Kandol, and was helpless to prevent Beckford from running the rebound into an empty net. The floodgates opened quickly, and two rapid finishes from Douglas put the result beyond doubt with an hour on the clock.
Millwall's willingness to struggle on spoke highly of their attitude, and Hoskins reduced the lead with an easy finish in the 65th minute after Jay Simpson's run had opened up Wise's defence. Brkovic then guided home a glorious glancing header which dipped into the net at Ankergren's far post, but the goal served to shake Leeds from their temporary slumber and ensure a quiet finish.
After the week that was, Wise would not have welcomed another nasty surprise.
Leeds United fury over Gus exit
Gus Poyet today confirmed his exit from Leeds United after agreeing to become Tottenham Hotspur's new first-team coach.
United opened the way for Poyet's move to London by agreeing compensation with Spurs last night, and the Uruguayan accepted Tottenham's offer this morning after holding talks with the Premiership club. But Leeds have been incensed by Spurs' approach for their assistant manager, and the way in which their attempt to lure him to White Hart Lane has been handled. Poyet will work under manager Juande Ramos, whose switch from Sevilla to Tottenham was completed on Saturday, and the move has taken him back to the club where he finished his playing career. Spurs have also named Marcos Alvarez, who worked with Ramos at Sevilla, as an additional first-team coach. Ray Wilkins – Dennis Wise's former managerial colleague at Millwall – appears a natural successor to Poyet. He is available and would be an experienced and knowledgeable replacement.
Leeds were first made aware of Spurs' intentions by a fax sent to Elland Road's general fax number at 11.39pm on Thursday evening, hours after news of Poyet's probable departure had begun circulating. The development prompted suspicions at Leeds that Tottenham had mounted an illegal approach for their assistant. Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is believed to have waited until Saturday night before contacting United personally, when it is understood he spoke with Leeds chief executive Shaun Harvey.
The two clubs were still haggling over compensation yesterday afternoon, and an undisclosed figure was finally agreed late last night.
Poyet was absent from Saturday's game between Leeds and Millwall but sent text messages to a number of United's players beforehand wishing them luck. He had missed Friday's training session at Thorp Arch after indicating that he intended to listen to Tottenham's offer.
But United chairman Ken Bates, who was first made aware of Spurs' interest by television reports, dismissed claims that Poyet's relationship with Leeds manager Dennis Wise had broken down as a result of his interest in a return to London.
Bates said: "All these reports about them falling out are complete rubbish.
"Gus is the innocent party in all this. The reason he wasn't at Elland Road (on Saturday) was because we knew it would turn into a media circus and distract everyone from the game."
Poyet's departure seemed likely from the moment United announced that he would not be in the dugout for the club's 13th league game of the season. United produced a convincing performance in his absence and moved up to sixth place in League One with a 4-2 victory over Millwall, but Wise is now beginning his search for a new assistant.
Alan Thompson has ruled himself out of the running for the position after stepping into Poyet's shoes temporarily at the weekend. Thompson was already certain to miss the clash with Millwall through injury and was invited to operate as Wise's assistant, but United's captain is still seen as a central member of the playing squad at Elland Road and does not appear ready to switch to the touchline on a permanent basis. The 33-year-old said: "I don't think I'll become the number two.
"I might step into a coaching capacity at some stage but I don't think I'll be the assistant manager. The manager wants me to carry on playing.
"Gus has great experience and he's a great coach but things move on. We've got good players here and it's not about what goes on on the touchline. It's about what goes on over the white line.
"He will be missed but I would think he'd be replaceable."
Fellow midfielder David Prutton admitted Poyet's loss would be keenly felt by the squad at Elland Road, but insisted none of his team-mates should be surprised to see the Uruguayan moving on. "With prospects and opportunities springing up, it's always going to be a game of change," said Prutton. "It's a reflection of the way football is. "It's not the best because he's a nice fella and he has a lot of input in the team. I've not got a bad word to say about him – he's spot on.
"But things always change and I'm sure we've got plans for how to deal with it."