GORDON STRACHAN put his old boss Ron Atkinson through televised torture as Leeds stormed back to the First Division summit yesterday.

The little Scot gave Leeds' public image the perfect facelift with an inspirational performance that enthralled millions of TV viewers.

But while it had manager Howard Wilkinson and a huge travelling support beaming broadly, it left his former Old Trafford boss shaking his head in disbelief.

Atkinson's Villa side went into the televised showdown on a roll of five straight League wins that had hoisted them from 14th to fourth. Yet they were given such a drubbing that the Villa manager was forced to concede: "We've had our backsides kicked.

"They gave us a good spanking, and on the evidence of that they are the best team we've seen all season.

"They showed belief and organisation, and when you see Strachan and Gary McAllister back-heeling the ball to each other you wonder whether our pitch is really that bad after all.”