Leeds United CEO Angus Kinnear has fallen victim of Gary Neville's criticism amid their Premier League struggles with the threat of relegation bringing its own financial burden.

What has Angus Kinnear done?

Relegation has been a threat throughout the 2022/23 campaign for the Whites on the back of their survival on the final game of the season last term.

However, now there are just four more games in the Premier League campaign to save their top-flight status with just goal difference currently keeping them out of the drop zone.

To aid their hopes of staying in the Premier League, Leeds have made the dramatic move to change managers once again and have brought in veteran Sam Allardyce.

Relegation to the Championship would see Leeds' revenue decrease significantly as a result of the difference in payments given to the sides in each league.

Last season, Kinnear hit out at the prospect of an independent regulator being introduced to help distribute the wealth into the lower leagues:

"Forgetting that independent regulation has not proven to be a panacea for any industry (take Ofwat presiding over three billion litres of leaked water every year and thousands of hours of illegal raw sewage disposal in our nation’s waterways as a case in point), it is hard to see the value an independent regulator would have added to the perceived issues,” he said.

However, speaking on his own podcast, Gary Neville has acknowledged the irony in Leeds potentially relying on the parachute payments if they are to be relegated over the coming weeks:

(19:15) "I'll always remember Leeds when they in the [virus] season they were the ones that wanted to stop the season, weren't they? Was it to stop the season, so they went up because they needed to go up that season for financial reasons?

"They were worried about it being null and void. And I think that last year, their CEO Angus Kinnear said that bringing in their independent regulator was like Maoism. If they go down they might need some of those social principles to look after them. Particuarly the parachute payments."

What would relegation mean for Leeds?

A potential takeover from the 49ers Enterprises has been longly awaited with the American group having until January 2024 to make the deal official.

There have been suggestions that relegation may not have too great of an impact on the possible takeover, but it will not be clear until the season is completed.

Even if the takeover is to go ahead, relegation would potentially see a number of the Yorkshire club's stars vulnerable for a summer exit.

Not only may the prospect of playing second-tier football not appeal to some of their current crop, but financially, Leeds may have to make some adjustments.

One of the players who could potentially be sold is Illan Meslier with the young Frenchman believed to be a player of interest for a number of Premier League clubs.

Regardless of whether they stay up or go down, it is apparent significant change is needed at Leeds following two consecutive relegation-battling campaigns.