Troy Deeney tears into Leeds’ players for not taking ‘responsibility’ in play-off final defeat by Southampton… as Neil Warnock suggests Daniel Farke’s side ‘believed in their own publicity’

Troy Deeney has claimed that Leeds‘ players couldn’t take the ‘pressure’ during the final moments of their play-off final defeat.

On Sunday afternoon, Daniel Farke‘s side were beaten 1-0 by Southampton in the Championship’s showpiece event at Wembley, after a first-half strike by Adam Armstrong. 

It was heartbreak for Leeds who became the first team since 1997-98 to accumulate 90+ points in a Championship season and not be promoted.

Many had expected Farke’s side to claim victory on the day but they failed to do so and, afterwards, Deeney questioned the desire from a number of their players.

Speaking on Sky Sports after the match, Deeney said: ‘There was a moment in the game today where one of their players, who should have been in the box, was the second furthest man back. 

Troy Deeney ripped into Leeds’ performance in the latter stages of their play-off final defeat

Daniel Farke’s side will play another year in the Championship after losing 1-0 to Southampton

‘In the 97th minute, when you’re trying to win. Now that says to me that you don’t want the pressure of ‘this chance could fall to me’. 

‘The responsibility. Because, if you miss, then people are going to question you. But if you don’t do anything then people in the game, like us, we question you. And I just question where some of these were at. 

‘It felt like, for three or four of those players, this game was for them. And it was like, ‘I’m probably not going to be here next year so let me show how good I am’.

Neil Warnock, one of Deeney’s co-pundits for the fixture on Sky Sports, chimed in to agree and claim that Leeds had ‘believed in their own publicity’. 

With Farke’s side consisting of star players such as Crysencio Summerville and Wilfried Gnonto, many thought they would achieve promotion. 

However, instead, they join MK Dons as the only club to have participated in six play-off campaigns and been successful in none of them. 

Armstrong’s first-half strike secured a tense 1-0 victory for the Saints at Wembley and crucially earned them an unparalleled £180million payday.

The striker timed his run to perfection to meet Will Smallbone’s threaded pass and tucked his 24th – and most important – goal of the season into the far corner.

Leeds pushed for an equaliser after the interval but Summerville and Gnonto squandered golden opportunities to salvage their top-flight dream.

Fellow pundit Neil Warnock also lamented the approach of the Leeds players towards the game

Saints skipper Jack Stephens lifts the play-off title in the air after their victory at Wembley

Substitute Daniel James then clattered a powerful effort off the crossbar seven minutes from time and saw a later effort saved as the Whites piled on the pressure. 

Only 12 months ago, Southampton, owned by Serbian media mogul Dragan Solak, had finished bottom of the Premier League, 11 points adrift of safety. 

Leeds had also tumbled into the Championship after finishing 19th. 

Both clubs were forced to settle for the play-offs this season, however, despite them striving for the automatic spots. Leeds finished third ahead of fourth-placed Saints.