Mind me back, Robbie! (RossKinnaird/Allsport)

Had he been at Filbert Street even a man of Bassett's enthusiasm might have been having thoughts after his new charges were destroyed by awesome Leeds.

Revenge may have been sweet for David O'Leary and his men - twice they have been sent out of the Worthington Cup by Leicester in recent years - yet it must also have felt rather like punching a man while he was down.

It was not so much a match as a mauling as Robbie Keane's hat-trick - aided and abetted by strikes from Eirik Bakke, Mark Viduka and Harry Kewell - knocked out what stuffing was left in the demoralised home dressing room.

O'Leary, whose team top the Premiership, paid Leicester the respect of fielding his strongest side because, as the Elland Road boss explained: 'I don't have a squad strong enough to rest players like Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool.'

The outcome was inevitable from the moments Irishman Keane struck his first blows in the 12th and 16th minutes with perfect penalty-box reactions when loose balls fell his way.

He completed his hat-trick in the 53rd minute with a tap-in after Bakke, set up by Keane, had rifled a shot home in the 40th. Viduka contributed a delightful, delicate shot into the top corner of the net after 56 minutes and Kewell completed the rout as he drove a shot beneath the body of goalkeeper Ian Walker in the 64th minute.

O'Leary was, naturally, impressed with his team's performance. He said: 'I thought we played excellent football, showed wonderful move-ment and scored superb goals. We had them by the throat. We were positive from the start on a ground that has been a bit of a hoodoo for us in recent years'.

He is certainly taking the Worthington Cup seriously, adding: 'I'd be delighted to win this competition. We haven't won anything yet and I'd be proud if we carried off this trophy because it would mean we have another route into Europe.'

Leeds can certainly dream those dreams. Leicester can only concern themselves with Premiership survival and Bassett, the one-time Sheffield United boss, has the vital experience to do them a job - despite the opinion of those fans who made it clear last night he will not be a popular appointment.

Their club is not exactly spoiled for choice and Bassett may well turn to Brighton's Micky Adams, who was on his management team at Nottingham Forest, to be his right-hand man.

But there is little doubt that it will require a massive injection of his own enthusiasm and experience to rally round players whose confidence is so clearly at rock-bottom.