Managerless Bluebirds battered by Leeds United in embarrassing ...

Managerless Cardiff City put in a shambolic and embarrassing performance befitting a club in such a sorry state as they were hammered 5-2 by Leeds United and dumped out of the FA Cup for good measure.

A double from Wilfried Gnonto in the first half and two more from Patrick Bamford in the second, as well as a well-taken Rodrigo strike, saw Dean Whitehead's first game as interim boss end in utter disaster.

Credit to the 700 or so fans for travelling all this way, in midweek, to witness this horror show. They were at least treated to two late Callum Robinson consolations, but that will do nothing to paper over the gaping cracks.

Never has a performance summed up a club's situation than this one from Cardiff City. Disjointed, disorganised, a complete lack of leadership and a totally devoid of ideas.

Bluebirds could have done without this game, in all honesty, the focus is solely on survival in the Championship and getting torn to shreds by Leeds was the last thing on their agenda.

For a club that hasn't won since before the World Cup, it would have taken something of a miracle for this team, completely shorn of confidence, to come away from Elland Road with anything.

And it was a steep uphill task from minute one, literally. In their first attack, with just 30 seconds on the clock, Rodrigo hit a mini-diagonal ball over the top of Tom Sang only for Gnonto to bang in a stunning volley; his first of the night.

It was shocking that Cardiff managed to keep it at that score for half an hour, because Gnonto, among others, had chance after chance to add to the hosts' tally in the ensuing period.

However, it was Rodrigo who put the second on the board, but a mention has to go to Jack Harrison, who slotted an inch-perfect pass in behind Jack Simpson for the Spaniard. Rodrigo rounded Jak Alnwick and coolly slotted home to double the lead.

Just three minutes later, Gnonto's second came. Leeds embarked on a devastating breakaway and Gnonto cut inside, again tormenting Sang, before drilling low into the corner by the near post.

Cardiff, by some miracle, managed to get a corner just before the half-time whistle blew. Kion Etete flicked it up at the near post and Curtis Nelson, to his credit, did well to bury the header. But it was that sort of night. The goal was chalked off by VAR because Andy Rinomhota was obstructing the keeper in an offside position.

Despite changes at half-time, it was more of the same for Cardiff. It was attack versus defence. City, and Tom Sang, were happy to see the back of Gnonto just after the hour mark, but they didn't need him, especially with such charitable defending on show.

A looped ball over the top of the defence was their next undoing. Cedric Kipre stepped up to play Patrick Bamford offside, but Sang was lax and played him on by two yards.

The striker waltzed through on goal and dispatched it beyond Alnwick for the fourth.

The fifth was as simple as they come, too. Callum Robinson was dispossessed, before Bamford was played in and he poked home beyond Alnwick. Easy as you like.

Robinson atoned for his error, though, after a shocker from Luke Ayling saw Sheyi Ojo's cross go through his legs and on to the Irishman's head. He nodded home, but there was not so much as a cheer from Cardiff fans after it.

And then, just as the clock ticked over to 90 minutes, VAR awarded a penalty to Cardiff for handball in the box. Robinson stroked it down the middle to hand City a rather flattering scoreline in the end.

A club in crisis, are Cardiff, and a resolution is so desperately needed. Because that really was painful.

Leeds United XI: Meslier; Kristensen, Roca, Wober (Ayling 57), Firpo; Llorente, Adams (Aaronson 45); Harrison (Sinisterra 79); Greenwood, Gnonto; Rodrigo (Bamford 45).

Subs: Robles, Perkins, Gyabi, Struijk, Lucumi, Gelhardt.

Cardiff City XI: Alnwick; Sang, Nelson, Simpson, Bagan; Sawyers, Rinomhota (Davies 64); Harris (Kipre 45), Colwill (Wintle 45), Ojo (Whyte 88); Etete (Robinson 64).

Subs: Allsop, O'Dowda, Philogene, Ng.

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