Your reading a pre 2010-11 archived article
Welcome to the Sunday edition of Sniffer Nose, a punchier version of your favourite occasional column.
No lose situation.
So one year on and Leeds United face the prospect of defeat by a non league side, in a game played at a cramped ground and broadcast live on television, are we worried? Well I’m not, for some reason (and for a change) I don’t intend to let an unlikely defeat derail a cautious optimism that this season we will make enough progress to make worrying about 1st and 2nd round draws redundant from the end of the season. Having said that however it would be nice to get through to the third round for the first time since relegation through results.
Man overboard.
Yesterday’s stand out controversy has to be the decision to abandon the Plymouth/Barnsley game whilst the latter was 4-1 up. Whether or not it was justified or just another example of how football over-pampers players these days, one thing is for sure, it may have saved Paul Sturrock’s job for a week or so. Sturrock is one of those managers who gets clubs promoted but seems to never get a chance to build something substantial. Personally I hope the new owners of Plymouth give him the rest of the season but I doubt he will be in work come Xmas.
Owls of disillusion
The classic example of Sturrock not getting time was Sheffield Wednesday after he got them promoted. Over 3 years on and his replacement Brian Laws has taken the club not a smiggin further. The ownership side might be more secure but on the pitch the Owls are as stagnant as they could be, 4-0 home defeats to a WBA side testament to that lack of progress. Laws needs to take responsibility for this, when you bring the likes of Francis Jeffers back into the fold whilst binning the likes of Richard Wood you deserve to be Sturrocked!
Impinged.
Watching the Northwich Victoria/Lincoln game I was struck by a few things worthy of note at Sincil Bank; firstly that victory over Blue Square North Victoria does not a significant turn in fortunes make. Secondly that the Bermudian international Smith needs to recognise the difference between being tackled and fouled (and thus doesn’t become marked by referees as a serial cheat). Finally this; when you have your manager, assistant manager and the squad under investigation for a mass brawl already do you really need to charge in like cretins simply because a part-timer tries to connect with a loose ball? Lincoln City are too close to the relegation zone of L2 to be having suspension after suspension, especially given the size of squad!
And your point is what?
Another modern idiocy in the game is the opinions of footballers on issues nothing to do with them, Gary Neville’s comment on Liverpool’s exit from the CL being a classic example. No matter how much us fans enjoy Benetiz hitting the wall I convinced that the moronic mutterings of a serial whinger we can live without. We can only hope that some bright spark decides to fast track Neville on to the Old Trafford coaching team and he gets a senior position in the post SAF world, that should scupper any future success!
Got it wrong, an occasional series.
Time to hold my hand up, looking at Newcastle United top the CCC has really knocked my sideways a bit. Like a lot of you I could see no reason to believe a club under ownership crises, with a temporary manager and a squad full of PL relegation fodder was going to adapt well to the lower division, well they have and with spades. Some credit goes to Chris Hughton and his coaching team for this but some also goes to the motivational leader of this lot on the pitch, take a bow Alan Smith.
Putting 50p in the meter.
Another ex Leeds United player who gets venom for no dam good reason is Michael Duberry, presently captain at struggling L1 Wycombe Wanderers. Personally I think Gary Waddock has made a sound decision to make Duberry the leader as they struggle to adapt to the consequences of promotion. As Stoke City and Reading fans will testify whilst the ex Chelsea man isn’t quite up to his 1999 standards he is certainly better than the one who struggled at Elland Road. I wish him and the club well, would be nice to see them both come out of things smiling.
What took so long?
One place where smiling would be inappropriate is the Deva Stadium home of Chester City, when supporters disrupt a game they are winning in order to protest against the chaos ensuing that is a sure sign it’s time for some real action. The FA should take responsibility off the Conference and immediately ban Stephen Vaughan from all involvement in English football, period.
Less Royce more bread.
Of course it wouldn’t be English football if we didn’t have various dodgy characters hopping from one club to another and showing arrogance and contempt (can’t for the life of me think who the best example of this over the last 30 years is!) as they leave behind a big fat mess. Weymouth may have had no choice in the matter but does taking the ex Cambridge chairman Mr G Rolls on board really constitute stability. This south coast club has had enough drama already; the newest inclusion to the soap opera can only increase the tension.
Quicker by carrier pigeon.
One little piece of tension that has come to my attention recently is this; whenever I am watching the scores come in on Sky on a Saturday afternoon (and god I hate being at home on match days) the last HT or FT result to come in is usually Kingstonian when they play at home. Why is this, the distance between the Sky studios and Kingston is in single figures, the same doesn’t apply when AFC Wimbledon are at home so why when the K’s are? Maybe my small loyal following from around here can illuminate?
