Portsmouth  6 Leeds 1Peter Reid could be facing the sack from crisis club Leeds United today after the humiliating 6-1 rout at Portsmouth on Saturday.

Earlier this season the former Manchester City and Sunderland boss kept his Leeds job against all odds when the club's directors decided to listen to the fans who said he deserved more time to turn things round.

But after the savage mauling at Fratton Park, Reid admitted the rag-tag-and bobtail collection of foreign on-loan imports he has brought in to replace the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Jonathan Woodgate, Lee Bowyer, Olivier Dacourt, Harry Kewell and Robbie Keane are just not responding to his appeal for hard graft and commitment.

Leeds, facing a massive £78 million debt and having already announced a record £49.5 million annual loss, must decide whether that is Reid's fault or whether they just have to get rid of the current crop of players as well. The decision, whatever it may be, will be implemented by Trevor Birch, the new chief executive at Elland Road and recent recruit from Chelsea.

It looks certain to be based on attracting new money into the club and Birch knows that cash rarely accumulates to big-time losers.

Whatever happens Reid will not give up and walk away. "If you are going to ask me that then don't bother because I've never been a man to resign," he said. "Whether I'm still in charge for the next match is somebody else's decision.

"All I can say that any solution for us now lies on the training field. There is no magic wand and, at the end of the day, you run out of options.

"But as I see it the players just have to get down to hard work and find a desire to win football matches," he said. "That is not happening at the moment and I wonder whether the players realise the seriousness of the situation we are in."

Leeds are now firmly nailed to the foot of the Premiership table after their biggest defeat in the top-flight this season and their seventh in eight Premiership matches.

Their defence was a shambles at Fratton Park, the midfield a mindless muddle and the attack blunt and over-elaborate.

Portsmouth, having gone ahead through Dejan Stefanovic's unmarked header from a corner on 16 minutes took until first-half stoppage time to regain the lead with Gary O'Neil's blurring volley after Alan Smith snapped an equaliser with his third goal in four games.

But once centre back Hayden Foxe increased Portsmouth lead on 62 minutes Leeds collapsed dismally.

And O'Neil, on his Premiership debut, Patrik Berger and Ayegbeni Yakubu added further goals to bring the famous Portsmouth chimes ringing out from a delirious home crowd.

Reid, who took over from Terry Venables at the tail-end of last season and kept Leeds up with a late run of wins, was able to recall midfielder Jody Morris from a month-long club ban and centre back Michael Duberry who has recovered from a fractured cheekbone at Fratton Park.

Brazilian Roque Junior and Salomon Olembe were the only two of his seven on-loan overseas players in the starting line-up.

Yet still there was no real spark and Reid had to admit: "The players didn't deserve to pick up their wages after a performance like that.

"The second half was one of my lowest points as a manager. Nobody wanted to make a tackle or fight for the club. It was very disappointing," he said.

"I'm trying to give honest answers when I'm asked what could put things right but I think the first thing is to find out whether the players really appreciate the huge problem we are facing."

Reid also has to solve the problem he has with Mark Viduka, having dropped him earlier this season for turning up late for training and leaving him behind again on Saturday following a row when the striker was told he would only be a substitute against Portsmouth.

Many fans point out that Viduka had similar clashes with the managers of his two previous clubs when he was seeking to move while under contract.