DENNIS WISE believes Leeds United must win a mini league at the foot of the Championship before they can adopt loftier ambitions.

A gap has developed, cutting off the bottom four teams from the rest and Leeds cannot ignore the threat of relegation even at this early stage of the season.

After a bitterly disappointing 3-0 home defeat against Southampton rapidly wiped out the optimism which followed the 3-0 win over Colchester, Wise admitted: "We are in a mini-league between four of us.

"First of all we have to make sure we get out of that mini league and try to catch the others. We will only do that through hard work and organisation."

Wise added: "I was very disappointed. At 1-0 down we were probably the better team but the second goal deflated us and we lacked the belief that we could get back into it.

"We made some bad errors and our positioning sense was poor. I couldn't ask for more effort from the players but unfortunately they are making errors which are costing us goals and points."

Ironically, it was almost 12 months to the day that Leeds trailed 3-0 at Southampton with 19 minutes to go and won 4-3.

But in Saturday's re-match there was not enough fighting spirit from the home side. Too many players were off form and Wise was angry that left-back Stephen Crainey was booed by a section of Leeds fans.

"I was disappointed with the reaction of some of our supporters to Stephen," said the Leeds manager. "They booed him every time he touched the ball. It was uncalled for. If you boo one of us you boo us all because we are in it together and Stephen gives his all for us.

"Maybe there are individuals the fans don't like for some reason but those players are part of the team and the fans should get behind them. The lads need the fans' full backing."

It was the Saints' first win in eight visits to Elland Road and, after taking a 29th minute lead they looked the better side, launching swift counter-attacks, particularly down the left where teenager Gareth Bale was a constant threat.

Grzegorz Rasiak, Saints' Polish World Cup striker, was given too much room, scoring with headers in each half to end his nine-match scoring famine, and Czech Republic international Rudi Skacel also took advantage of poor defending to rifle in his goal.

Hayden Foxe was too often caught out of position at right back, where he again deputised for the injured Gary Kelly, but the whole Leeds defence looked off the pace and up front David Healy and Geoff Horsfield made little impact.

Horsfield missed a simple chance as early as the third minute, slicing his shot wide of the near post, and the injured Richard Cresswell was badly missed.

Wise said: "We will show them some footage of that game and they won't enjoy it. Then they will know what we expect of them. I have a good group of lads who are willing to work, which is important, but we will have some ups and downs in the coming months."

Southampton manager George Burley is convinced Wise will turn things round and make a success of the Leeds job. Burley said: "Dennis has the credentials to get it right. You are judged on results as a manager but he did well at Swindon and Millwall and I am sure Leeds will improve with him in charge."

Leeds match facts

Coca-Cola Championship
Leeds United 0, Southampton 3
(at Elland Road)Leeds United: Stack, Crainey, Kilgallon, Heath, Lewis (Beckford 71), Foxe, Derry, Douglas, Healy, Blake, Horsfield (Moore 55). Subs not used: Warner, Johnson, Westlake.

Southampton: Davis, Makin, Bale, Lundekvam, Baird, Surman, Wright, Pele, Skacel, Wright-Phillips, Rasiak (McGoldrick 81). Subs not used: Bialkowski, Ostlund, Lika. Booked: Wright-Phillips. Goals: Rasiak 29, 75, Skacel 69.

Referee: Scott Mathieson (Cheshire).

Attendance: 19,647.