Sour Grapes From Preston

It was a bruising play-off semi-final against Preston, six Leeds players booked and two sent off, and it was no surprise Preston players were crying in their beer today.

Preston defender Brian O’Neil was the first to spit out the dummy. He has urged Leeds boss Kevin Blackwell to stop pleading poverty if he is to earn any respect.

O’Neil: ‘We’ve seen what can happen.

‘West Ham made a huge investment last season and it paid off for them, while Leeds made a massive investment this season.

‘I know Kevin Blackwell has been pleading poverty, but I wish I was as poverty-stricken as him and Leeds because when it comes to the salaries their players are earning, it’s a bit of joke that.

‘If ever someone was protecting his back, then it’s him because they have made a huge investment, in particular they took a couple of players from us [Cresswell and Eddie Lewis].

‘There’s no way Preston could match the packages they were getting.

‘That must be hard for the manager to deal with when players at the club at the end of one season are not there at the start of the next. Hopefully that won’t be the case this summer.’