Welcome to the Sunday edition of Sniffer Nose, a punchier version of your favourite occasional column.
Keeping it tense.
A shoddy slapstick performance with no attacking intent is what Leeds United produced at Southampton, rather reminiscent of our tactics away to Leicester City and Millwall (play-offs) last season. Almost as if to continue to build up evidence that Grayson’s cautious side takes over for any game away from home tagged “big” or “vital” and transfers itself to the players. Luckily our now “massive” game with Millwall in 8 days is at Elland Road, where we can expect that other Leeds United ankle-chain to appear no doubt: expectation with stage fright!
Discounting the future.
When Phil Brown suggests he has had a rough week he probably doesn’t know the half of it. He might think an injury time winner for Arsenal was bad, that the press coverage over the Bullard/Barmby spat a bit much and that when senior players like Boateng act so idiotically what hope is there for the rest of the season. Well none to be blunt, the nightmare of relegation is real and the accompanying financial meltdown so flagged by the auditors and Pearson so inevitable. No the worst news of the week was something else, the decision to sell half the season tickets for next season to a ticket agency, there is nothing like advertising your impending insolvency like taking money early!
Laurel and Hardy.
Is what I think of when the image of Niall Quinn and Steve Bruce is thrust in our faces. This week Quinn managed to suggest that owners throwing £30m down the “re-capitalised” route was a sign of financial prudence and that after spending a similar amount on players (most of them fringe) didn’t mean manager Bruce should be sacked if Sunderland are relegated. I have started to come to the conclusion Mr Quinn is starting to lose the plot a bit and is about to join that list of non owning club chairman/CEO’s that are associated with idiocy (Bates, Storrie, Ridsdale, Pearson etc).
Recycle it.
So Spurs have an injury crises in the defence, King is struggling to make two games on the trot again and our old mate Jonathan “plank” Woodgate is presently in Australia for treatment. You don’t remember who Woodgate is? Well that is understandable, only 3 games this season, never once played more than half his clubs league games in the last decade, wanders from club to club winning the thicko of the year constantly (some achievement at his present and last club). All hail this “cultured” centre back whose career legacy will be the cultured way he kicked someone’s head in the street!
Becoming the next Barnsley.
The history of the PL is littered with clubs having one or two seasons in the top division, being respected for the style of play but ultimately relegated, the likes of Ipswich Town, Reading, Swindon Town, Bradford City and Barnsley to name but a few. Most of these clubs get in to the PL via the play-offs, sometimes having made a late dash from mid-table. It is with that in mind I note the small gap between that basket case presently occupying 6th in the CCC (about to enter Administration Cardiff City) and the small but perfectly formed club that is Doncaster Rovers. Go for it lads and if you make it, stick to your principles!
Bolting for cover.
Bad enough Leicester City fostered Gary Lineker on us, even worse that they were the original administration process abuses but to also be the part source of the new chairman of the Football League, well that’s just asking to be disliked. Greg Clarke had better be whiter than white when it comes to decisions involving his beloved foxes or the smelly stuff will hit the spinny thing. A particularly interesting decision to come will be what to do with Mandaric if he is found guilty of tax evasion, that should test the “fit and proper” rule beyond even the credibility limit exposed by Leeds United’s secret owners!
No such thing as a shoe in.
Even if you gave Southampton back the 10 points deducted season start they would still be short of stealing that last play-off place, a sluggish start not helping. Despite that reality their is a lot of meaningless talk about then “still trying” this season and that is accompanied by the chant of the “pre-season favourites” song for 2010-11. The thing is it never works out like that, as the fans of the club turned over yesterday at St Mary’s can testify. A run of games unbeaten now and Lambert’s 30 goals will be just history if Southampton don’t take L1 by the scruff of the neck next season, and given that Charlton, Millwall (and whisper it) potentially Leeds United might still be in the division, that is no gimme.
Hybrid Balance.
Sitting nicely in L1 mid-table sit Brentford, an achievement in itself for the West London club. Other than the association with Greg Dyke there is very little to dislike about that club, their young manager Scott has done a decent job on very little. What perhaps is not so widily recognised is the strange ownership arrangements at Griffin Park, basically half owned by “Bees United” (the fans) and half by a local businessman. That is called a “hybrid” in Supporters trust circles and is partly needed to support an ambitious project to develop a new ground (and a ton of housing) on a site close to the M4. Financial conditions globally have slowed that project down to a snail’s pace, let’s hope for Brentford’s sake the delay doesn’t bring tensions to this unique ownership model.
Quaking in their boots.
18 points behind, 13 games to go, Darlington might has well throw the towel in now. I’m sure if I searched long enough I would find a Darlo blog where someone has a knowledgeable understanding of what plan b for the Quakers is after they enter the conference but given how things have panned out since Staunton arrived I can’t see it. The impression is that a continuing dialogue of the deaf is underway with the club asking for the right to develop the area around its massive ground as it sees fit and a local council trying to protect that particular part of the town/countryside border. After this week’s events at Chester City and Farsley Celtic if I was the Darlington Supporters Trust I’d be planning for a similar future!
Inpending righting of an injustice.
Speaking of Farsley Celtic, the fans of that ex club still talk about the injustice that was “Spennygate” (basically by not expunging Spennymoor’s results when they couldn’t finish the season that cost Farsley automatic promotion to the conference and they went on to lose that season’s play-off). Another injustice was Stevenage Borough being denied promotion about 10 years ago on some iffy ground criteria. Thankfully no such issues exist this season and if they finish top they go up to the FL. That would mean that relegation and demotion issues might be decided off the field but promotion decided on, which is nice.
