OUCH! Our post-Cardiff revival came shuddering to a halt in emphatic fashion at Elland Road on Sunday.

Graeme Souness was just about spot on in his post match assessment that Leeds showed up at 2pm and we left it until 2.15pm.

I made it 2.20pm but that's splitting hairs. Leeds are a good enough side already without being gifted a two goal start.

During that woeful opening spell our minds just didn't seem to be on the job. I thought the game was reminiscent of last season's 6th round FA Cup tie at Arsenal.

Then we had more pressing matters to attend to in the league and the result wasn't the end of the world. You'd have thought the same applied for 20 minutes on Sunday and in our current predicament that's not really acceptable.

A friend of mine put it succinctly when he commented that having clawed our way out of the relegation zone it was as if we'd mentally relaxed.

There's obviously no room for taking our foot off the gas and a hell of a lot of work still to be done before we are safe.

In fact everyone right up to Tottenham in ninth place with 38 points will be feeling they need three or four more points before they are completely safe.

Let's hope the break in Dubai helps the team rediscover the necessary focus before the visit to Leicester on Saturday week.

It's also to be hoped Sunday was a one off as a number of players had a collective off day.

It was the worst I've seen Tugay play in a Rovers shirt. Indeed in my view he's been somewhat short of his usual high standard since missing the final in Cardiff.

Substitute Keith Gillespie was himself substituted (let's hope he doesn't suffer another decline in form now Johnson's gone to Birmingham).

Damien Duff has been electrifying for the last two games but on Sunday allowed Danny Mills to completely mark him out of the game.

On his day, running at and terrorising defences Duffer is as good a winger as there is in the Premiership. When he does have an off day he seems to permanently have his back to goal with no apparent inclination to try and beat anyone.

Defensively I wouldn't have said any of the back four could claim to have had a good day. Lucas Neill in particular endured a torrid afternoon courtesy of Harry Kewell.

To me Lucas looks every inch a right sided midfielder being pressed into action in a role he isn't particularly comfortable with. I must confess to being baffled by the continued selection of Lucas in that position as opposed to a talented natural right back in John Curtis.

I am steadfast in my belief that Martin Taylor is our most accomplished defender and would like to see his name as one of the first on the teamsheet.

Up front the return of Andrew Cole from suspension cannot come soon enough.

As I write this column there is apparently a story brewing in one of Tuesday morning's tabloids about him wanting to quit the club at the end of the season.

I fervently hope this story is unadulterated rubbish because what on earth has happened to Yordi? At Cardiff we got a cameo performance bristling with power, promise and aggression.

He has looked progressively less effective with each performance since, culminating in Sunday when he looked completely out of his depth.

So come on fellas, you're better than you showed on Sunday. Enjoy your break then let's have maximum concentration for the last eight games!