Preston chairman Maurice Lindsay has been moaning about Manchester United recalling all their players on loan at the club when they sacked Sir Alex Ferguson’s son Darren – but what did he expect?

The Lilywhites decided to sack Ferguson Junior in December and United immediately recalled loan players Joshua King and Ritchie de Laet to Old Trafford.

Lindsay tells BBC’s North West programme Late Kick off that his side “paid the price for terminating the contract” of Sir Alex Ferguson’s son. Talk about stating the obvious. But what on earth did Preston expect.

Preston took advantage of the Ferguson connection when they got the players on loan. And they were also helped out by United with access to their Carrington training facilities. Surely Lindsay should have considered what would happen before he opted to sack his manager.

To think there would be no consequences when he decided to sack Ferguson Junior was naive in the extreme. There is something rather poetic about a football club chairman being made to pay the price of dismissing a manager.

BY JOHN GUBBA