Welcome to the Sunday edition of Sniffer Nose, a punchier version of your favourite occasional column.

Cause and effect.

So to clarify, in both the games since Beckford’s transfer request became public knowledge Leeds United have put in inept performances, that’s despite the so called goal machine playing. The apologists for Beckford point out that he scored at Old Trafford and suggest that shows it makes no difference to his contribution and they are partly right, Beckford used to go missing when the rest of the team went downhill previously, it’s just on this occasion we at least understand what his motivation is! How many league games more before Bates and Grayson realise their tactics around Beckford’s greed hasn’t helped and when will those who worried that without him we might miss out on promotion realise we could miss out with him still with us?

Manager of the Month

And the winner of QPR’s manager of the month award for January goes to….? Who knows, could be anyone at the rate the Loftus Road club go through them. Now this site has suggested previously that Paul Hart was a strange choice given his poor managerial record but even we didn’t expect such a short reign. QPR have become a laughing stock, all while supposedly owned by some of the world’s most successful businessmen! If there is any truth that a sulking 20 year old got Hart the sack I hope the next manager in stamps his authority, literally, on that lad and every other moaning player from day one, if not the February winner of the manager of the month in White City could well be someone off the terraces!

Getting dyer.

Less than a couple of months after Dean Ashton was forced to retire from the game comes the news that WHU’s Kerion Dyer might have to face the same reality (although it surprises some this lad wasn’t retired about 4 years ago he has played that little football). In some senses this might be a blessing in disguise, especially for any new owners of WHU, being able to get rid of the expensive deadwood whilst promoting the products of the legendary youth academy seems to be the way forward. One thing’s for sure, the club is unlikely to see the point of retaining a Italian Director of Football who doesn’t seem to contribute anything.

Rochdale rising.

Despite the irritation of having the game against Port Vale postponed it has been a good week for Rochdale. They stand 11 points clear of 3rd place (likely to be 4th place once Rotherham United play their 10 games or something in hand) and actually bought rather than sold a player. It is starting to look like the Dale are finally going to get out of L2 which will be a major achievement for Spotland. Those strange people that were heckling Keith Hill earlier in the season will hopefully have crawled back under the stone they came from.

Ying and yang.

Speaking of heckling it seems that Paul Lambert enjoyed sticking it back to the booing Colchester United fans when he visited the Community Stadium with his Norwich City side yesterday. As previously expressed on this site it does seem that despite Aidy Boothroyd’s best efforts to get them to focus on the outside prospect of promotion the fans and owners at this Essex backwater seemed intent on a hate-fest towards there ex manager. Well if Lambert needed to prove he made the right decision then a resounding 5-0 win, which makes the L1 promotion race a 3 way fight and consigns the rest including Colchester to the play-offs at best, does that for him.

Howe to do loyalty.

Sometimes it is not when the results are going well that appreciation of a manger is needed but when it is not. In the case of Ernie Howe at Bournemouth, things have started to go against him and his very small squad, the transfer ban remains and the speculation as to whether the top scorer (Brett Pitman) will still be around at the end of the month abounds. Now I don’t think anyone is thinking about sacking Howe but on the off-chance maybe they should remember his loyalty recently when speculation suggested he could walk into any spare CCC job going.

Calling Gerard.

Hidden within the headline figure that Manchester United lost £45m (sorry made £35m after Real Madrid went mad with their money) are some interesting developments around re-financing, consultancy fees and possible asset sales. Now far be it for me to assist the Old Trafford yanks in their quest to de-burden themselves of self-imposed debt but if they want the telephone number of an expert on selling grounds and training complexes I’m sure Mr Krasner would take their call. Equally should the whole thing go fully tits up I understand KPMG have a large Manchester office.

Over-inflated sense of worth.

Whilst yesterdays win in the relegation six-pointer at Wolves will have come as a relief to Wigan Athletic there is still a sense this week wasn’t the club’s finest. Listening to Gary Caldwell’s blatant comments on why he backed out of joining Middlesbrough and why he didn’t sign a new contract at Celtic was a master-class in egotistic greed (were you watching Jermaine?). I quote “I had a clear sense of my worth” or put another way he joined Wigan because they were stupid enough to pay him well over his ability.

Feeder fodder.

As if to underline how over-rated anyone who comes out of the SPL is the manager of St Mirren made comments this week to the effect that the 12 clubs in that competition are just feeder clubs to the lower English leagues. His mood was not helped by the sale of Stephen McGinn to Watford. The point he makes is not only an accurate reflection of the financial realities north of the border but also perhaps a eye-opener to those talking about a British league. Whilst I have no problem with the concept the fact is some of the lower parts of the SPL would be lucky to be in L1 should that ever happen.

You cannot be serious!

Except they were, Monday’s Ryman’s league game for Kingstonian verses Wealdstone has been postponed, not due to the state of the pitch or even the area around the ground, no its because the powers that be have decided the away clubs Middlesex Senior Cup commitments take precedent over the league programme. Sorry run that by me again, and they wonder why the end of the season gets littered with catch up matches. It’s a wonder that such an important competition like the Middlesex Senior Cup isn’t live on Sky Sports these days!