Leeds boss Terry Venables has criticised the war of words between chairman Peter Ridsdale and former manager David O'Leary as "not helpful."
The feud reared its ugly head again at the weekend with O'Leary claiming he was in no way to blame for Leeds' current demise after Ridsdale had previously suggested the current decline started under the Irishman.
O'Leary, who is still embroiled in a stg£2.5million compensation battle with Ridsdale and Leeds following his sacking in June, feels aggrieved at suggestions that he left behind a bad team, claiming such words are "disgusting".
It is a spat which has done little to aid Venables' cause in the face of a growing crisis both on and off the field.
Clearly the cracks which Venables has previously spoken of are widening as he said: "There are lots of problem areas around the club which don't help, but they are the things you sometimes have to deal with.
"I mean the chairman has had a lot of publicity. Of course he and David O'Leary seem to constantly have this battle which is not helpful.
"While David O'Leary has said that I said we're going to win the championship. Now where that one comes from I don't know."
The message from an unhappy and under-pressure Venables is clearly for both men to bury the hatchet and shut up because the friction between them is damaging the club.
It is a situation Venables does not need, especially with his under-performing players having won just one of their last nine Premier League games to leave Leeds four points off the relegation zone.
Venables, who has never been sacked in his managerial career, has so far stated he will not walk away from Leeds, but his stance now appears to have shifted a little in the wake of the maelstrom which is swirling around Elland Road.
"The fact is the results are not good enough yet, and the players and the staff will be the first to say that," added Venables.
"If I feel that I am not doing well enough and it's not helping anyone, you've got to have a look at that because stubbornness is not a strength in my book.
"I think you've got to look at it and see how it can improve, and if you have to make a decision at some stage on that, you have to do it.
"But when I've had time I've always done well wherever I've gone. Now it doesn't look like I'm getting time on this occasion. The pressure has been on very, very, very early and that's been a bit of a shock.
"I know if you lose games the fans are not going to be happy. It's as simple as that. Whether they have made their mind up that if even if you have a run and you then lose one, and they feel the same, then that's not good for the club in general.
"Something will have to happen, maybe. But it helps if they support the team. That is why they are called supporters.