Your reading a pre 2010-11 archived article
Welcome to the Sunday version of Sniffer Nose, a punchier version of your favourite occasional column.
It’s all gone horribly right. Occasionally even I have to acknowledge progress and being 7 points clear of 3rd place and 14 points of 7th after less than a third of the season gone is clearly progress for Leeds United. What impresses me the most is we have done it without playing well in half those games and with injuries to vital players. May it continue for another 15 games.
Money can’t buy you success part 3458. Loved this little beauty from midweek,
“Manuel Pellegrini’s role as Real Madrid coach is already under threat after the Spanish giants were beaten 4-0 in the Copa del Rey by Alcorcón from the regional Second Division B, Group II. Pellegrini said: “There are no explanations. Alcorcón played very well. We hope our fans can forgive us after this defeat.” £300m worth of talent humiliated in one 90 minutes. Superb stuff, you just keep the seat warm for Benitez Mr Pellegrini.
The importance of being Rafa. Speaking of Rafa, I do hope he stays long enough in the Liverpool job to take Torres, Gerard and Reina off against Arsenal or Chelsea, whilst the game is still all to play for, so he can rest players for a forthcoming CL tie against the mighty Debrecen. Don’t you just love his sense of priority on behalf of a club that hasn’t won the PL ever!
Lose-lose. Wood or Laws – big question for Wednesday fans, the former is the longest serving player on the books but wants a pay rise to match the highest earner, the latter is an average CCC manager who has decided he isn’t worth it and has transfer listed him. Far be it for me to influence this but when you register that the highest paid player is Francis Jeffers it’s a bit difficult to see what Laws is trying to achieve.
Club comedian. Not very often I do corny jokes but having seen this on a Kingstonian site I had to use it: The latest news in the Mike Ashley/Newcastle saga has Ashley raising funds by selling off the name of the stadium, like Bolton’s Reebok Stadium……..The favourite is for Pinewood Studios to sponsor it and call it ‘Sid James Park’ as the events are a right old ‘carry on’. I thank you.
The price of fame. Speaking of funny I nearly went into spasms when I heard about the pictures that the Metropolitan Police and West Ham United released last week included head shots of the actors from the film “The Firm”. Classic, a real masterclass in what happens when you over cook something. Shame about the blatant disregard of people’s rights with that mistake!
Keep your enemies closer. Notts County executive chairman Peter Trembling says the club backed away from appointing former Inter coach Roberto Mancini as boss at Meadow Lane because of the media interest it would generate. Really, you let the irritating buggers that have made your life a misery over the last 3 months dictate who you employ? That will show em!!
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Cash-strapped. What do we make of the Glasgow Rangers situation? Well not a lot really except to point out that if the Scottish Banks have taken the blinkers off when it comes to football clubs and stopped the endless funds you can be sure that the banks cash-flowing the PL clubs won’t be far behind. Please make the “next Leeds United” a “big club” (or Hull City).
Mistakes come in all sizes. I suspect Gordon Strachan will be missing the reception he used to get at Ibrox as the progress of his new club stalls and failure to get promotion with Southgates squad plungers Boro into meltdown. I have a lot of time for the “wee man” and I can’t help but feeling he should have held out for Liverpool rather than slum it with Middlebrough.
Death or Glory. Just down the road from smoggie-land lives a really nice 25k seater stadium that has never been full. Darlington have gone from promotion contenders to relegation stick-on in 6 months, well done Quakers. Employing an ex International manager (and recent Leeds United Assistant Manager) is an interesting test of both club and man. If Staunton fails to drag the club to 22nd come season finish it is probably the end of both of them in professional football.
