Bowyer fears big sell-off

Lee Bowyer provided a pointer to a shift in football's balance of power when he described himself as 'a piece of meat'.

It was a less than subtle observation on the delay over settling his future while Leeds manager David O'Leary seeks to make a £17million profit from transfers this summer.

Bowyer said: 'I'm a piece of meat. If the chairman's saying he's got to sell people then there's nothing you can do about it.'

O'Leary evaded the issue of money but declared himself 'delighted' with fifth place and re-entry to the UEFA Cup.

His side provided what quality there was on Saturday and it was left to Alan Smith, heading for the England Under 21 tour as compensation for missing out on the senior squad, to hit the winner in the 63rd minute.