There was a familiar menace to the character emerging from the Elland Road press room and Kenny Dalglish recognised it immediately. Still a little angry and shocked, Dalglish was, nevertheless, surprisingly mellow about the rubbish he had just watched, but as he pressed the flesh of the menacing one, he must have thought: `We needed you today.' Kenny Burns, you will remember, embodied everything that Newcastle United lacked on Saturday. Resolute, fierce, accomplished - these three adjectives describe Burns, but not Newcastle's performance. Flimsy, vague and unacceptable are more fitting.

Dalglish used the latter with the adverb `totally' before it. He was not wrong, but said he hoped this would be Newcastle's "blip".

Superficially, the notion seemed logical. Until this shambles, Newcastle had conceded only five goals in seven league games, and their lower than expected scoring frequency has been tolerated because of the absence of first Alan Shearer, then Faustino Asprilla.

It has been widely accepted that Newcastle have mutated into a different animal, which is why this score-line was met with such surprise.

However, if Newcastle's European games are considered, this theory feels less persuasive - on each of their last three matches, they have conceded two goals - and in Zagreb and Kiev, although both games were drawn, they received a far greater battering than in Yorkshire.

Given the reduced verve that they have shown, Keith Gillespie's header being only their eighth League goal, it is therefore possible to argue that Dalglish's "blip" was the glorious victory over Barcelona.

If this is a more accurate analysis of Newcastle's form, Dalglish finds himself in a curious position in terms of team-building; so far, the fault-lines have been well camouflaged by luck, Asprilla and the excellence of Shay Given.

Then again, it might not yet be appropriate to call this `Dalglish's team' he inherited all five of Saturday's defenders - but he is in a quandary about who to choose in Eindhoven on Wednesday night.

The contrast offered by George Graham's Leeds - and they now can be described that way - was interesting. Graham thinks that after 13 months in charge, he is beginning to complete the moulding process.

It has not been easy. Only a few weeks ago, Graham's future was under scrutiny, and neutrals could say that he has some way to go yet. After all, the goals from Bruno Ribeiro, Harry Kewell and David Wetherall were accompanied by shocking defending. The other was deflected in by John Beresford - well, Asprilla aside, he is Newcastle's top scorer.

Graham's belief that Leeds have reached a turning point has deeper foundations. Figures he viewed as disruptive - Tony Yeboah, Carlton Palmer, perhaps Ian Rush, have been off-loaded, while Tomas Brolin has been frozen out. Team spirit, he says, has soared since.

There is another factor to Graham's optimism, though, and it may come as a bit of a bombshell - Howard Wilkinson's legacy. "We've got some outstanding kids coming through," said Graham. "One thing Howard left was a wonderful youth policy. We've got three in the England under-18 team that goes to Russia and we've got three great Irish lads, too.

"The secret is to maintain this while these boys are maturing. Alex (Ferguson) did it brilliantly."

Graham clearly thinks it is a task he could emulate. Dalglish, meanwhile, has Kevin Keegan's defence on his mind.

AC Milan turned back the clock in desperation yesterday by recalling veteran midfielder Roberto Donadoni, but they looked a shadow of the side that once ruled Europe as they crashed 2-1 at home to bottom side Lecce.