COMMENT By Richard Parks

With Leeds United marooned in 14th in the Championship and closer to the relegation zone than the play-offs, it is safe to say that Andrea Radrizzani's mid-March attack on the players has failed to have the desired effect.

The owner Andrea Radrizzani went public with his frustration and anger a month ago as he pointed the finger at the underperforming players as he made it clear he was not willing to accept mid-table mediocrity.

Radrizzani told talkSPORT in an explosive interview on the Jim White Show on 13 March that he felt particularly angry with the  players who were handed lucrative new contracts last year after he took over as sole owner of the club in May.

“We have given them everything possible to just focus on the football,” said the Leeds owner. “As a club we support them in everything - we gave them long-term contracts, we supported them going to a mid-season camp in Spain.

“We did everything they wanted, but we didn’t get back their commitment, passion and the spirit."

A month later, what exactly has changed? Nothing, in terms of results, although Leeds fans can be sure that the Italian businessman at the helm will be busy behind the scenes.

Radrizzani did not name the players who were the subject of his ire, but it is safe to say that more than half the first-team squad are fighting to save their Leeds careers.

United have the worst record in the division in the second half of the season and the change of manager at the start of February has not ignited an improvement. 

With Radrizzani and director of football Victor Orta preparing for a mass overhaul ahead of the summer window, who is heading for the exit door?

Here, Football Insider analyses the 13 senior Leeds players in the current squad who are in the firing line and fighting to save their jobs.

Here is the first of the 13 players fighting for his future:

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Felix Wiedwald

Number one in our list is the German goalkeeper, who no longer wears the number one shirt after he was axed at the start of last month for the second and, possibly last, time in his Leeds career. Signed from Werder Bremen last summer for around £500,000, Wiedwald has struggled to deal with the physicality of the Championship and his inability to command his box made him a target for opponents eager to seize upon an already flimsy backline. He has failed to even make the substitute's bench for United's last five matches, with Andy Lonergan preferred as back-up to Bailey Peacock-Farrell. It is difficult to imagine Wiedwald being at Leeds next season.

Here is the second of the 13 players fighting for his future:

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Gaetano Berardi

Versatile full-back Berardi was handed a three-year deal, which was trumpeted by the official Leeds website on 8 August last year. It raised eyebrows at the time, given that he turns 30 this coming August, although the Swiss has been a nailed-on starter for the majority of this campaign, when he has not been serving suspensions. Berardi is a warrior, whose commitment and selflessness is beyond question. But, by his own admission, he is not a top-notch operator and his limitations have been made plain in recent months. He will not play again this season as he completes a five-game ban, and he might not return to Elland Road next season.

Here is the third of the 13 players fighting for his future:

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Mateusz Klich

Hailed as one of Leeds' key signings after joining from FC Twente for a fee of around £1.8million, the 10-times Poland international has been one of the biggest disappointments. Struggled for game time during pre-season and was unable to convince ex-manager Thomas Christiansen that he was worthy of a major role when the campaign got underway. Klich made just a single league start before he was put out of his misery in January and loaned back out to the Dutch Eredivisie. He will surely leave for good in the summer.

Here is the fourth of the 13 players fighting for his future:

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Andy Lonergan

Given a run of games in the autumn after Wiedwald's early season struggles, the summer signing from Wolves did little to suggest that he was any better. The veteran keeper's second spell at Leeds has not gone as he would have hoped after signing on a two-year contract last summer. He was given the green light to join Sunderland in the January window but a deal collapsed at the last minute. Lonergan has been on the bench for the last month ahead of Wiedwald, but it is surely inevitable he will leave in the summer following the emergence of Peacock-Farrell.

Here is the fifth of the 13 players fighting for his future:

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Liam Cooper

The centre-back was handed a new four-year contract, as announced by the official Leeds website on 10 August last year. It was something of a surprise at the time, as Cooper had played second fiddle to Pontus Jansson and 2016-17 loanee Kyle Bartley the previous season and his propensity for errors made him a ticking timebomb. Cooper has been Jansson's regular partner this season and has mixed very decent displays with some mediocre and horrible ones. He is also susceptible to injury and suspensions, and has been unavailable for a third of Leeds' campaign. Is he worthy of his regular starter status?

Here is the sixth of the 13 players fighting for his future:

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Stuart Dallas

The Northern Ireland international was handed a new three-year contract that was announced by the official Leeds website on 30 August of last year. Dallas then struggled for match time under ex-manager Thomas Christiansen, but has been a regular starter under new boss Heckingbottom. It is little wonder he is in Radrizzani's firing line. His stats for an attacking midfielder are pitiful, although Dallas has been used as a makeshift right-back in recent weeks as Leeds' senior men fail to see out the season.

Here is the seventh of the 13 players fighting for his future:

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Eunan O'Kane

Handed a new four-year contract that was announced by the official Leeds website on 11 August last year, it has been a wretched campaign for the Republic of Ireland international. O'Kane began the season well but has subsequently struggled to do even the basics with a series of horrible performances that have left supporters tearing their hair out. Given his pedigree and status as a former Premier League player, there has been no bigger disappointment for Leeds this season. O'Kane has failed to get a look-in for the last three matches, and it is difficult to see him staying beyond the summer.

Here is the eighth of the 13 players fighting for his future:

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Kalvin Phillips

Leeds announced on 4 August of last year on their official website that the academy product had been handed a four-year contract. It was regarded as vindication of the academy product's progress after graduating through the ranks of his boyhood club. Phillips began the season on fire with a glut of goals from central midfield and has remained a regular starter throughout the campaign. But his performances have been rank average for some time and he is increasingly becoming under fire from supporters, who do not believe he is of the calibre required for a promotion-hunting side.

Here is the ninth of the 13 players fighting for his future:

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Pawel Cibicki

It is telling that the 24-year-old attacker is one of the few senior players who has not even been deemed worthy of a single minute of action since Heckingbottom took the reins. Bar a brief spell in the side either side of Christmas, when Cibicki was given a few run-outs on the right flank, the Swede has been frozen out of the team amid doubts about his physicality and ability to cope with the English Championship. Clearly, Heckingbottom has no time for him. A summer return to northern Europe is on the cards.

Here is the 10th of the 13 players fighting for his future:

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Luke Ayling

The raft of new contracts continued at Leeds well into the autumn, with Ayling handed a four-year deal on 19 October last year, as trumpeted by the club's official website. The right-back was rewarded for an excellent debut campaign following his arrival from Bristol City in the summer of 2016, but, like many others, he suffered sophomore syndrome before his season ended early in January when he suffered an ankle injury that required surgery. The horrible form of the other full-backs for most of the season mean he may well get another chance, but Leeds should not forget how average he was before injury struck.

Here is the 11th of the 13 players fighting for his future:

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Vurnon Anita

What a curious season the Holland international has had. Hailed as a super smart signing after being snapped up on a free following the expiry of his contract at Newcastle United, the 28-year-old has made just 13 league starts out of a possible 43 and, when he has been used, it has mainly been as a makeshift left-back rather than in central midfield or right-back, where he played for the Premier League outfit. Expected to be rock solid and mighty useful, Anita has instead been a spare part. Even with injuries and suspensions galore, he still can't get a game. Will surely move to somewhere he is wanted in the summer.

Here is the 12th of the 13 players fighting for his future:

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Pierre-Michel Lasogga

With his season-long loan from Hamburg due to expire in a month, it is highly doubtful as to whether the German will be invited back to Leeds for a second campaign. His record of 10 goals from 21 league starts is creditable enough, but there is a sense that the 26-year-old is only a threat when the service into the box is top drawer. Otherwise, his lack of mobility and capacity to get behind defences becomes an issue. It is telling that Caleb Ekuban and Kemar Roofe have so often been preferred as the line leader. If the high-earning German was that good, surely he would be a nailed-on starter.

Here is the 13th of the 13 players fighting for his future:

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Matthew Pennington

Like Lasogga, Pennington is on a season-long loan. Much was expected of the young Everton defender, but he has been a disappointment. Not only has his fitness been iffy, but his lack of stature and confidence on the ball has meant even Cooper has been selected ahead of him when fit and not serving a suspension. Christiansen always spoke warmly of Pennington, but there are no signs his loan will be converted into a permanent transfer despite a raft of starts over the last month.

In other Leeds United news,

a 24-year-old is unlikely to play for the club ever again after recent events.