His dogmatic attitude to tactics this season was beyond reproach until January, and when it finally came into question Wise downed tools and left Elland Road.

Gary McAllister might think of himself as a more cerebral student of football than his predecessor, but the lessons of Wise's incumbency still offer a valuable insight into how best to uncover United's potential.

The squad at Leeds was, and is, at its most effective when playing to its strengths, a statement which is not quite as obvious as it sounds.

Wise would have liked to have swept through League One with panache, and the pressure on him to attempt to do so was intense, but pushing his players beyond their natural limits would have been a debatable strategy.

McAllister has quickly come round to the idea that it is better to ensure that a team can walk before they attempt to run.

United defeated Walsall comfortably at Elland Road on Saturday with what came close to their most complete performance of the season.

It was unquestionably the best that McAllister has seen of Leeds and it did not seem entirely coincidental that their victory over a club with as strong a claim as United to a play-off position was achieved through an approach reminiscent of the more productive stages of Wise's reign.

McAllister's commitment to passing football was always likely to require a degree of pragmatism and Leeds set out against Walsall with a strategy which was sensibly realistic.

From the initial whistle blown by referee Andy D'Urso, United did what they do best. The players worried less about playing the ball out of defence and more about ensuring that their defence did its job. At no stage since Christmas has the club's backline looked better.

McAllister's players also followed a direct route to Walsall's goal, but with a sense of purpose rather than hope. Long punts served with intent were Wise's forte, at least for a while, and Leeds fed healthily on Saturday on the scraps that this style produced.

With the ball at their feet, meanwhile, the speed with which they attempted to reach Walsall's box was a clear improvement from the aimless passing that led to the recent home defeat by Cheltenham Town.

The result was a comprehensive 2-0 victory and the sight of blossoming confidence which allowed Leeds to indulge McAllister's penchant for attractive flair in the second half. It followed the traditional school of thought that says win first and swagger later.

United's triumph over a spectacularly unambitious Walsall team was, in that respect, the height of professionalism. And there was no limit to the signs of encouragement.