By Stuart Roach BBC Sport Online

So, that's another fine mess Leeds have got themselves into.

Dumped out of the Uefa Cup, and missing out on the precious millions that a place in the last 16 automatically brings, things are lurching from bad to worse for the financially-hamstrung club.

Thursday's hapless defeat at the hands of Malaga provided a neat window on a sorry season for Leeds.

Manager Terry Venables was within inches of being attacked by an angry fan.

Team-mates Jason Wilcox and Gary Kelly were pushing and shoving each other and the terrace chants were for Venables to go, chairman Peter Ridsdale to go and former England midfielder David Batty to return.

Bowyer's challenge was indefensible

But, should the exiled Batty ever find himself back in favour, it could be as the last-man standing in what is developing into an ugly Elland Road brawl.

Literally, in Lee Bowyer's case.

Bowyer heaped more disgrace on a season of embarrassment when he vented his steaming frustration on Malaga defender Gerardo.

It can be little fun being a Leeds player right now - but stamping on the head of an opponent is unforgivable.

You could imagine the dressing room scene as Bowyer sheepishly approached his manager following Thursday's latest embarrassment.

A club in a mess

In a certain light - certainly the befuddled haze of a season spiralling out of control - you could mistake Venables and his hapless midfielder for Laurel and Hardy.

And on Thursday, Venables had every right to turn to Bowyer and sigh: "That's another fine mess you've got me in to."

Venables though, is not laughing.

Few people are at Elland Road these days.

After all, this is no classic comedy, more a twisted plot of scandal, violence, intrigue and financial disasters that would beggar belief had someone scripted it.

Leeds is truly a club in a mess.

Ridsdale gave Venables a big-money deal

A hopeless, tangled mess and one that won't go away simply by sacking the manager.

The fans, understandably, want a scapegoat.

But the media frenzy that would surround a Venables sacking would merely paper over the cracks that are rapidly becoming chasms.

Olivier Dacourt highlighted that last month when he described Leeds as a "disgrace" in an interview with a French magazine.

A club fine and an extension to his spell on the sidelines were the price of his honesty.

Expanding debt

But Dacourt is right - Leeds are a disgrace right now.

At least �60m in debt - more if you believe some whispers - they have borrowed the same amount and mortgaged the debt against attendances over the next 25 years.

Venables needs to sell off his assets to help ease that expanding debt, but he also needs to buy to mould a team of his own.

And, while the debt rises, the value of Leeds' on pitch stock devalues almost daily.

In any case, Leeds cannot afford to sack Venables, a manager appointed on such a lucrative two-year deal in the summer that any severance would cripple the club yet further.

Those supporters who see that direct their anger at chairman Ridsdale.

Kamikaze club

Those without an argument either way simply continue to heckle assistant boss Brian Kidd closer towards taking up a job with England or the Republic of Ireland.

After all, he is a former Manchester United coach. It must be his fault.

Whoever is to blame, Leeds are out of control.

They started the year top of the Premiership, but could finish it bottom of the barrel.

And if this kamikaze club hits rock bottom, then the consequences could be dire beyond belief.