AS Terry Venables flew off into the sunset on Sunday, en route to an ambiguous "working holiday" in the Seychelles, he left behind a club staring into the abyss.

While Venables fiddles, or whatever one does on working holidays in the paradise islands in the Indian Ocean, Leeds is burning.

Lee Bowyer is leaving; likewise, Olivier Dacourt - probably.

And then there is Rio Ferdinand, the man who resembles the footballing equivalent of a Roman centurion for club and country as he repels opponents' raids.

Only loyalty, a scarce commodity in a game driven by greed, last night stood between Ferdinand and a quick hop along the M62 to Old Trafford. And sources in the Ferdinand camp were yesterday suggesting that his talks on Sunday with Venables had not persuaded Leeds' England defender to stay at Elland Road.

It mattered not one jot how much Venables pleaded with the defender across the breakfast table at their meeting in a London hotel.

The Leeds manager might have spoken of his vision for the future; of how he, with Ferdinand as captain, will lead the club to trophies for the first time since 1992.

Ferdinand's obligation to honour a contract he signed in good faith in 2000 and which has a further four years to run probably cropped up during their talks.

But Venables's words were drowned out by the clatter of cutlery and crockery, Ferdinand having all but made up his mind that his heart lay 40 miles across the Pennines.

Oh how miserable life must be for a Leeds fan today, with Ferdinand ready to join Bowyer in leaving a club whom they took to within 90 minutes of the Champions League final just 14 months ago.

And while Arsenal continue to ponder a bid for Ferdinand, it is Manchester United - Leeds' nemesis - whose shadow looms largest over the summer's biggest transfer scramble.

Ferdinand, 23, was the figurehead of David O'Leary's Leeds tyros, an £18m talisman and leader who had proved his welter of critics wrong by growing in stature with each accomplished display.

And now he's likely to become the £35m figurehead of Sir Alex Ferguson's efforts to wrestle the Champions League crown from Real Madrid's vice-like grasp.

The mushy peas, a Yorkshire delicacy, and tripe will be sticking in the throats of Leeds fans across the land as they digest news of Ferdinand's imminent exit.

Just six days ago they were hoping for a future as bright as the sunshine that greeted Venables to Elland Road.

OK, so Bowyer was leaving, but chairman Peter Ridsdale was adamant: Rio Ferdinand will not leave. Such a boast must now seem like the emptiest of empty promises to those who are staring at the prospect of Ferdinand pulling on the red of Manchester United next month.

As their team breaks up, through a combination of a £77m debt and the desire of individual players to leave, the Elland Road die-hards are left with just glorious memories to cling to.

Of victories against Deportivo La Coruna and AC Milan, together with the defeat of Sven-Goran Eriksson's Lazio in Rome.

Of a titanic home draw with Barcelona, and the march to the last four of the UEFA Cup and Champions League in successive seasons.

Of belying Yorkshire's stereotypical image as a county full of people with deep pockets and short arms, with Ridsdale bankrolling O'Leary's extravagant spending spree.

But such profligacy in the transfer market, coupled with another Champions League near miss, couldn't continue.

And now the collective failure to bring success to Elland Road is set to bring about the ultimate penalty: the departure of Rio Ferdinand.

Even from more than 5,000 miles away, Venables must be feeling the heat. He was branded a fire fighter when he saved Middlesbrough from relegation last year - he must now douse the flames of discontent at Leeds.