Under-achieving Leeds United added another sad statistic to their sorry Premiership campaign when they were beaten 3-1 by Newcastle at Elland Road.

That means Leeds have lost five league matches on home soil this season - the same number of defeats ailing York City have had inflicted on them at Bootham Crescent.

No wonder Leeds boss David O'Leary locked his players in the dressing-room for an hour after watching this latest embarrassing defeat and it is understood no punches were pulled.

Leeds are simply not functioning as a unit these days and far too many individuals are playing well below par.

Among them was skipper Lucas Radebe, United's most consistent player for several seasons, looked off the pace - perhaps finding himself in a club v country tug-of-war last week has taken its toll.

Radebe, who is set to miss Wednesday's rearrangeed Premiership game at Aston Villa and next Saturday's big FA Cup tie with Liverpool because he is on World Cup duty for South Africa against Burkia Faso, may end his international career after that game.

At least O'Leary will be able to recall Rio Ferdinand, who missed the Newcastle defeat after failing to shake off flu and should be available for the trip to Villa, a team that has had the Indian sign on Leeds at present.

Defeat at Villa Park would only serve to damage confidence further - and O'Leary knows it.

"Having spoken to the players a lot of them no longer have the same confidence they once did playing at home," revealed O'Leary after finally emerging from the dressing room.

"It makes me wonder what sort of game and result will make that confidence return, but I think a degree of complacency has also set in.

"We think that having played the big clubs in Europe we expect to beat teams like Newcastle, but that isn't happening because we have now become very nervous when we play at home.

"Because of what we have achieved since I took over, the level of expectation has risen, and in trying to live up to that we have now become afraid of making mistakes.

"We used to be a free-flowing, expressive, exciting side which took chances, but now we are looking to just do the simple thing and play the ball from A to B.

"It's hard for the players because they have never experienced what they are currently going through because from day one since I started everything has gone one way.

"They have never been asked questions like the ones being posed now and they are finding it hard to cope with those questions.

"Now they have to be big, strong and brave to battle through this and we will either succeed or fail," added O'Leary.

After last week's 4-0 win at Manchester City, the Newcastle match seemed to be the perfect launch pad for Leeds to finally light the blue touchpaper to their domestic campaign.

Robbie Keane set off where he finished at Maine Road with a goal inside two minutes but the lead quickly evaporated as Nolberto Solano equalised from the spot after Danny Mills handled.

Leeds kept pressing and only outstanding saves by transfer-seeking Shay Given, in for the injured Steve Harper, kept out hard drives by Mark Viduka and Lee Bowyer.

But despite all their possession Leeds looked shaky at the back with Dominic Matteo producing the kind of display which can only speed up the return of the axed Ian Harte to the left back spot.

Just before the interval Leeds made a mess of a short corner and Newcastle swept downfield where Clarence Acuna held off Mills and lobbed the ball beyond Paul Robinson in the Leeds goal.

With their noses in front Newcastle were content to frustrate Leeds in the same way so many sides have done in recent months.

For all their possession Leeds only carved out a couple of chances after the late introduction of Alan Smith - Keane volleying over and Eirik Bakke heading wide.

That left the door open for the Magpies to seal the points as the excellent Solano set up Shola Amoebi to drive home unhindered and triggered a mass exodus of home fans.

Updated: 11:55 Monday, January 22, 2001