HarryfromBath assesses the mood in the opposition camp ahead of Tuesday's game by delving into their forums.
"That was the worst footballing week of my life", "This is the second week I've been able to watch them and the second week I've been utterly embarrassed", "We look like a team fighting relegation and utterly clueless as to how to play simple football."
"Five losses are almost palatable, but embarrassing defeats which show no progress being made are totally unacceptable. I bet Rochdale's squad cost coppers", "This is so bad it's almost funny. There is no other reaction unless you want every weekend ruined by this mob."
Leeds come into Tuesday's game off the back of five straight losses, including a 6-0 trouncing by Sheffield Wednesday and a 2-0 defeat at League Two Rochdale in the FA Cup. Fans felt that some respectability was recovered at home to Leicester last Saturday week, although they lost to a late David Nugent goal.
"It was gut-wrenching to lose to a late goal after turning in such a good performance and giving so much effort", "Did my eyes deceive me? We actually played football", "We played so much better today. Mind you, we needed to."
"As for McDermott, I don't think that sacking him is the answer. We need stability, but he needs to make some waves. We can't keep playing like this and I say this for his sake as well as the club's. Nobody will tolerate these scorelines and performances much longer."
Most Whites are perplexed by recent results, but there is not the anger which was visible towards his predecessor Neil Warnock when Leeds visited Portman Road last spring. This could quickly change if the current slump continues.
"Most of Wednesday's goals came from utter confusion caused by the ‘three-at-the-back' system. The players are abject, but I'm looking at you, Brian. This clearly is not working."
"If McDermott continues with 3-4-3, I can see us losing badly." This ominous comment became prophetic ahead of the Whites' six-goal defeat at Hillsborough. Brian McDermott has struggled to find some width and tried this formation at Rochdale and Hillsborough, but it unravelled badly.
"Instead of it being 3-4-3, we ended up with five at the back, two of whom were wing-backs, and two wingers. We were outnumbered and overrun in the centre of the pitch. It also meant four wide men trying to cross for one player."
"In essence we were playing 5-4-1, a five-man defence and three non-ball-playing centre-backs and two full-backs. It was a licence for disaster. The midfield had no support or an extra push from the defence. It doesn't help when you have nobody in the centre of the park that can play football."
"McDermott is right in saying that we have to go right back to basics, damn right", "He's got decide on his two best centre-backs and to go back to 4-4-2." Leeds regained shape and composure, playing a traditional 4-4-2 against the Foxes, with two holding midfielders and orthodox wingers."
"Happy with that 4-4-2 line-up", "The performance was better, but never great", "The side was picked the previous Tuesday. McDermott has said it's the closest to the way he's wanted us to play yet. I expect we'll see this formation next time out against Ipswich as well."
They did tire against Leicester. "The team played really well in the first half, but the momentum dropped after half-time", "We looked tired in the last 15 minutes and Kevin Phillips was the centre of everything when he came on", "A goal was always coming as we dropped deeper."
"Our defence looked solid and adopted a safety first approach (against Leicester) which was the right thing to do", "We were hammered by the Owls because of absolutely rank, rubbish defending. If defenders make so many basic mistakes in games, then we've no chance."
"You know something's wrong when the keeper is the best player in a 6-0 defeat." Thirty-five-year-old former QPR goalkeeper "Paddy Kenny was also the only player who was focussed throughout the 90 minutes against Rochdale. It could have been five or six but for Paddy."
Former Portsmouth centre-back Jason Pearce "may not be the most composed, but is never afraid to put his body on the line." The 26-year-old one-time Town target "was more composed in a four-man defence than he has been under the three-man system", being "less likely to hoof the ball up the pitch".
"Tom Lees controlled things well at the back and limited a strong Leicester forward line to a few opportunities." The 23-year-old youth product "had a terrible miss" against the Foxes. "He gets pulled out of position too easily" and "was as slow as Kenny to react to Nugent" for Leicester's goal.
"Can McDermott trust that Marius Zaliukas will not be as bad again? He has got progressively worse", "He needs to pull his socks up fast", "He was woeful — back-heeling a pass in his own box to the opposition", "His timing of the ball was miles off, and he struggled to chase back to his own goal as he had no pace
"Zaliukas has been rubbish since signing a new contract." The 30-year-old former Hearts centre-back and Lithuania international was dropped after a nightmare against the Owls. "He will never play as badly again. I bloody hope so."
"Warnock and Byram are our best full-backs, and with games and fitness will only get better", "Sam Byram was awesome defensively and getting back to his pre-injury form." The 20-year-old right-back and youth product "kept Lloyd Dyer quiet. Young Sam's improving with every game."
"Byram made very few runs forward against Leicester, but this may be due to Jimmy Kebe's lack of fitness", "Right-back is his natural position, and with his ability to get up the field, he could be a really decent partner with Kebe once they are fully match fit."
"Stephen Warnock covers a lot of the pitch and gets forward well. One or two of his corners looked dangerous, but he needs to be more consistent." The 32-year-old former Villa and Liverpool left-back replaced Danny Pugh against the Foxes, giving the defence some much needed solidity.
"He made some good clearances, good runs down the flanks and added some toughness to the team", "So glad to see Warnock is back at left-back, and the great Danny Pugh experiment of 2013 has run its course", "I don't see Pugh as a full-back, but more of a wing-back."
Many Whites feel that the 31-year-old former Stoke man "can count himself unlucky to be out of the squad. There were worse players than him at Hillsborough", "He busts his lungs to track back when required", "Pugh has been one of our better players of late."
Ex-Leicester man Lee Peltier was "possibly the worst right-back have ever seen watching Leeds. No clue where to position himself. He doesn't know when to attack, when to tuck in, and managed to play all the Wednesday players onside from the left back position."
"In the middle we still lack someone to put their foot on the ball and control the game", "We are still very wasteful in possession. Too many times we give the ball away cheaply or play a hopeful long ball that runs out of play. We need more movement and more people who want the ball."
"We need a nasty destructive player in midfield snapping at their heels, harassing them and giving them no time to think", "Austin and Brown in midfield were both good against Leicester, but they are quintessentially the back-to-basics pairing, and we can't rely on this in the long term."
"I think Michael Brown has been watching Vinnie Jones DVDs this morning", "He got stuck in against Leicester and was aggressive without crossing the line and giving away stupid fouls", "He fulfilled the role of nasty little s*** who held the midfield together."
The 36-year-old former Wigan and Portsmouth player "isn't the future, but he might earn us the right to have one. We need Brown's experience", "I don't like Brown, but if he does get stuck in, he gives his partner a chance to get forward", "The old man brought some order to our midfield."
Former Crewe captain, 24-year-old Luke Murphy, was dropped after the Rochdale defeat. "I'm not sure what to think about Murphy. He looks tidy at times and no doubt can pass a ball, but the game seems to pass him by a lot of the time", "He fades from games", "He can pass but do little else."
There was no comment about the now 32-year-old former Ipswich midfielder David Norris. It is worth mentioning Alex Mowatt, the 18-year-old youth product, who was miscast against the Owls. "He could never get on the ball to pick a pass because of his lack of a physical presence."
"I cannot see any reason for picking Austin. People say he closes down players and breaks up play. Against Wednesday he jogged around and fouled opponents if they got close enough", "When he's on form, he's inspirational. When he's off form, he's an impediment."
The 28-year-old Jamaica international holding midfielder has seen his form really suffer in recent months. "He's good at tracking runners, but he rarely makes a tackle and stands off too much. We need him to get stuck in more. "
"He looks frightened in possession and lumps the ball into the corners or passes it back, rather than risking getting caught in possession or making an incisive pass." Against Leicester "he didn't go beyond the halfway line as much, which kept our shape better in the middle of the park."
Brian McDermott has just brought in some much needed width in the form of two loan signings, former Reading and Palace right-winger Jimmy Kebe and Hull left-winger Cameron Stewart, both of whom featured in the Sheffield Wednesday and Leicester games.
"Against Leicester, we had better shape. Playing with Kebe and Stewart gave us much needed width", "The new signings have had only two games", "They need to appreciate that playing for Leeds is a step up in terms of expectation from Premier League cannon-fodder like Palace and Hull."
"People need to stop hoofing the ball up to Stewart, who is probably only just taller than five feet. What chance has he got of winning the ball against Wednesday's defenders", "The best word I can find for him is anonymous."
Against Leicester, "he looked useful. He has the pace, but actually does go around players with some purpose and keeps an eye on goal or on a pass", "He was quiet in the first half, but he really gave Leicester some problems after the break."
"Almost every touch Kebe had against Leicester went wrong. He looks frail and lightweight and not very fast. Hopefully he's just a bit rusty from not playing much", "He had a back injury before the game and underwent a late fitness test. He didn't train much through the week."
"Kebe was constantly running all the way back to double up in defence on his flank", "He did well defensively. He seemed to have flippers and not football boots on, as he seemed to lose footing on the attack. I think he will come good - hopefully next time out against Ipswich."
The Mali international "had a shocker (against the Owls), but at least he didn't hide", "I can't see his spell here being very successful", "Kebe's crossing can be woeful. He doesn't look up at all. He boots the ball like it is a hand grenade about to explode."
"Part of the reason Kebe and Stewart were anonymous was because the team haven't got used to playing with wingers. We kept hitting the ball long to the strikers and making them run after it. We haven't mastered how to pass the ball wide or into the channels to bring them into the game."
"Our hard work needs to be matched with composure in front of goal", "We will have to start taking these bloody chances when they show themselves", "If you miss open goals, you will get punished." "We were just lacking that final finish, but we were very positive."
"Smith is on for Lees", "Smith sent off." Former Oldham striker Matty Smith was sent off shortly after coming on from the bench against the Owls and misses Tuesday's game. "Without Smith up front, we have no Plan B."
"McDermott put El Hadji Diouf on the bench, two days after telling him to leave the club." The 33-year-old Senegalese striker is a peripheral figure, often criticised for his lack of physique. Likewise, 31-year-old former Reading striker Noel Hunt — Town winger Stephen's brother - has been "a total failure" and "a waste of space."
"Luke Varney works hard for the team, but never looks a proper threat", "He had a physical battle with Wes Morgan which he was never going to win, but he kept going back for more. He chases down everything, but he lacks the quality to make regular goal chances for himself."
The 31-year-old ex-Portsmouth striker "wins countless headers and they seem to be more directed that Smith's ‘flick-ons'", "The only problem with playing Varney is that it puts all the goal emphasis on Ross. His style of play, unselfish runs and work rate is what Ross needs and is the best pairing we have."
"When McCormack is bad, he's as bad as anyone in the team, but on his game, he's as good as anyone in this division", "He can only play up front in a two man attack. Ignore this at your peril". "He should have taken one of the two gilt-edged chances that fell to him (against Leicester)."
The 27-year-old former Cardiff striker and Scotland international was handed the captain's armband last week. "He was the only player who showed the passion and skill we needed (against the Owls). He had no-one helping him and he simply never gave up."
"He needs more support", "He needs better service in advanced positions as he still looks like our only genuine scoring threat. He ends up having to come deep to receive the ball at his feet, and anything he gets in the box is at head height with his back to the goal."
"This is one of the better games we could have. We have had a crazy last few weeks but when it comes down to it we have a decent side who have been holding their own well in this division.
"Ipswich are a similar side and are playing well at the moment, a win here and maybe we can begin to build a bit of club solidity in consistency on the pitch. Lose and everything that has happened will be compounded and more misery will be had by all."
"Ipswich are re-finding their form. Heart says three points for the Mighty Whites, but head says, in our current form, no points for LUFC", "It's a hard one to call but seeing as how Preston managed to beat them surely we can at Elland Road. How are they in seventh place?"
Approximately 70% of Whites have forecast a home win, virtually all predicting that Leeds will score a minimum of two goals. Less than one in 10 see us winning. Several forums think that the game could become a sideshow if Leeds accept a late breaking Hammers' bid for Ross McCormack.
"The team that started against Leicester deserves another chance - assuming McCormack is still here", "If Ross has been sold or not confirmed as staying I suspect we might have a very toxic atmosphere created by the 17,500 who turn up. If we go behind it will kick off big time."
There are no shortage of busy Leeds message boards, but I found some well-informed opinion and discussion on LUFC Talk . The articles on To Elland Back are good for background and a general overview.