Kevin Blackwell

[8lade]

Genuine attempt to commit suicide- people don't think about any outcome (to themselves or others).
Cry for help? Selfish to involve others.

 

[unitedbhoy]

Read Keith Gillespie's Autobiography, i always thought it might have been pampered footballers moaning, Gillespie tells of bullying of younger players and fights with experienced players (plus players taking the piss out of him to his face and a total lack of team spirit).

To make matters worse Gillespie was on £3k a week in the promotion season and £5k a week in the PL, when Robson arrived he gave him a new contract on £9k a week (AFTER relegation).

I've read keef's book too. What a bloody good autobiography. Was pissing myself at the stories of him texting Blackwell every time he got pissed up! Made Blackwell sound like a nasty piece of work and a bully, seems a lot say the same

 

[Danny_Boy]

It must be awful to be in a position where you genuinely feel that ending your life is the only way out. It's so difficult a subject to discuss, I've had someone in my life previously that used to threaten to commit suicide to get their own way, some say they'll do it for attention and some are genuinely trying to end it all it's almost impossible to tell the difference. I know they are not thinking straight but surely they're are easier ways to end it all without impacting too many other people.

 

[Scooter_mcgavin]

Knowing someone who made a very serious attempt on his own life he said that when he made the decision he knew exactly what he was doing. He'd reached the bottom before and was so desperate not to go through that experience again suicide was the way out. He says that it's believed that's the thinking behind many attempts, having seen the worst, even death is a better option.

My point about the uneducated comment, well read the post. SBT's point was about the driver. Totally bypassed the poster, the cancer comment, well pretty much everything about it. Had it not beens serious issue under discussion I'd have thought it was from Viz Letterbox or Private Eyes "from the messageboards"taking the piss out of students .

Sorry mate, it wasn't your uneducated comment I was referring to. It was Mr Notts, who bizarrely compared depression with cancer.

My experiences are exactly the same, they knew exactly what they were doing and why. All for different reasons, but all very rational thoughts.

 

[1889]

You still don't understand it - sorry. Suicide isn't selfish and it doesn't take courage either. To act selfishly requires the person to consider the effects of their actions on others and make a conscious decision to go ahead with an action regardless. Acting courageously requires the person to be capable of weighing up various elements of risk and taking a course of action that requires bravery to see it through. A suicidal person is in no fit state to make such calculated decisions. They aren't thinking rationally. A bit like you mate, only without the suicidal thoughts hopefully.

It's obviously a very emotive subject, but in seanbeenstattoo defence, what he said was that there are plenty of ways of committing suicide without involving an innocent third party, such as a train driver, bus or lorry driver and devastating their life too.

Seems like a fairly reasonable and rational statement to me

 

[Hodgesleftpeg]

It's obviously a very emotive subject, but in seanbeenstattoo defence, what he said was that there are plenty of ways of committing suicide without involving an innocent third party, such as a train driver, bus or lorry driver and devastating their life too.

Seems like a fairly reasonable and rational statement to me

But a lot of people with mental illness contemplating suicide don't think rationally.... it's an illness, not something they can snap out of, they need help

 

[Scooter_mcgavin]

People with depression, despite being classed as mentally ill (which it certainly is), in my opinion are thinking rationally.

It's why they're depressed that needs tackling. Bullying, work pressures, low self esteem, quality of life etc.

 

[VLYDONIMIR]

There are NO ways of committing suicide without involving a third party.

 

[northsomersetblade]

IMO Blackwell was KM's biggest single mistake, even worse than Robson. We had money then and we put Blackwell in charge of it all.

At least Robson made some good signings and could attract players. Blackwell the opposite I'm afraid. By appointing him caretaker KM was under real pressure to appoint him permanently after he had done well initially.

Still, we are here and he isn't, as is always the case with all managers until we drop dead and we have survived up to now !!

Wilder is the first glimmer of hope since those dark days in 2010 which set us back all these years. I hope he is still with us for the rest of my days, by then we will be in Europe, now that would be nice.

And anything that went wrong was never Hoofwell's fault. I can still see his sweaty little lower lip quivering after another setback now. Very poor management imho

 

[HuddersfieldBlade]

I've gone through depression myself, at the time my thoughts are rational. One I sought help from my gp and family I could see they weren't.

Depression is a horrible illness and I can see why it's a huge killer, especially in young men

 

[Scooter_mcgavin]

View attachment 28675

I'm suprised PaddysMad hasn't made an appearance.

 

[Scooter_mcgavin]

I've gone through depression myself, at the time my thoughts are rational. One I sought help from my gp and family I could see they weren't.

Depression is a horrible illness and I can see why it's a huge killer, especially in young men

That's exactly the point I was making. At the time, you're thinking totally straight, you know what you're doing and the reasons why.

After the event you question why you were thinking like that, as would any outsider.

 

[COME BACK CHED]

Other than a smart Hat-trick against QPR , Billy could not score for Blackwell and looked a bit re-stricted , in his play , Blackwell sent him to Donny , where he could not stop scoring and made O`driscoll a sort after manager .

 

[1889]

But a lot of people with mental illness contemplating suicide don't think rationally.... it's an illness, not something they can snap out of, they need help

Maybe so, but the point still stands.

 

[1889]

There are NO ways of committing suicide without involving a third party.

I meant the act itself, not the consequences of it.

But, Im sure you knew that.

 

[Sean Thornton]

K

Not so sure about that Woody. I think KM's biggest mistake was not seeking and investing more funding to ensure the club would remain in the Premiership beyond just one season. (I also think Warnock was guilty of spending stupid money, not big money, just stupid money, on players that weren't good enough to compete in the Premiership and spent most of their time watching from the stands. I question whether Warnock had really got what it takes to manage in the Prem?). Whether you agree with the assessment of Warnock or not, the facts are if we'd put more behind improving the quality of the team we wouldn't have been in the relegation scrap in the first place and all that West Ham nonsense wouldn't have concerned us.

Robson had proven beyond any reasonable doubt that he wasn't a successful manager when he came here. But McCabe wanted him for "global ambassadorial reasons" - he should have hired him as a Director of Football then and let him do that international hand-shaking job - but let a proper manager run the team. Another KMcBlunder!

Don't forget that in his second coming, Blackwell was appointed for the same reason that so many other managers have been appointed at our club...he was cheap - first and foremost. Sacked by Luton and out of work. Perfect! He knew the club, he had that going for him at least. Blackwell was working with hands tied but he made us competitive - more so than many give him credit for. But he wasn't a particularly likeable bloke - at least that's the impression I get from his public persona.

His tenure at Leeds was much the same as with us. Short sharp fix with "experienced" players. Same at Luton actually.

Couldn't bully Pemberton so went crying to Birch, too dumb to realise at the time Pembo was the blue eyed boy.

 

[BushBlade]

K


His tenure at Leeds was much the same as with us. Short sharp fix with "experienced" players. Same at Luton actually.

Couldn't bully Pemberton so went crying to Birch, too dumb to realise at the time Pembo was the blue eyed boy.

Same at Bury. And every club he's managed has been relegated after he left. He's a seagull; flies in, shits all over the place and then fucks off.

 

[DronnieBlade]

IMO Blackwell was KM's biggest single mistake, even worse than Robson. We had money then and we put Blackwell in charge of it all.

At least Robson made some good signings and could attract players. Blackwell the opposite I'm afraid. By appointing him caretaker KM was under real pressure to appoint him permanently after he had done well initially.

Still, we are here and he isn't, as is always the case with all managers until we drop dead and we have survived up to now !!

Wilder is the first glimmer of hope since those dark days in 2010 which set us back all these years. I hope he is still with us for the rest of my days, by then we will be in Europe, now that would be nice.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^

UTB

 

[GreasyChipBeattie]

I knew Blackers had lost the dressing room when he called to someone after they'd had a shot from way out telling them to calm down.
Said player looked straight at him and said 'I had a shot you f******g p***k'
If I'd have been in charge he would have been subbed straight away but wasn't.
Actually, if I'd have been in charge I'd like to think I wouldn't have got myself into that mess in the first place.

 

[CrookesBlade]

Blackwell was the right man at the right time when he was appointed. As said previously he was cheap and glad of a way back into management, he knew the club and his managerial style was probably just what that group of over paid but underperforming players need (Beattie aside). No doubt that side would have gone down and he took them to within a few points of the play offs and the end of the season. The following year he took us to within 3 points of promotion and the play off final so it would have been hard to argue against giving him another year.

Having said that given the quality of the side that year (which he largely inherited) it would have been hard to finish much lower, the football was dull and in the big games (both Derbies, Palace away on the last day and the play off final) we bottled it. Added to that his big signings were Henderson who the fans never took too (although I think gets an unfair press) and Brian Howard who was probably just behind John Ebbrell as the pound for pound most disappointing signing we've ever made.

He offered his resignation after the play off final and with the benefit of hindsight McCabe should have snapped his hand off. The wage bill needed to be cut and our best players were all to depart (Beattie, Killgallon, Walker, Naughton etc). Would have been much better to rebuild with a new manager. It was very obvious that following season that his primitive style was wearing thin with the players and was the start of the malaise that led us into league one.

 

[BushBlade]

I don't understand why Blackwell is lauded as some kind of modern day bogeyman.

I can accept that he wasn't the nicest of blokes, and I can see how his relationship with Warnock worked. Warnock good cop, Blackwell bad cop. When it was Blackwell alone the bad cop became more apparent.

I still think we would have gone down in 07/08 if Blackwell hadn't come in and sorted the mess that Robson had left.

In 08/09 we was still fighting for a chance of automatic promotion on the last day at Palace, and reached a play off final, against a back drop of injuries and the sales of the best players.

He more or less succeeded by keeping us up in the face of cutbacks, the wage bill being slashed and having to rely on selling to survive,

I don't. We had a good squad who were more than equipped to compete for promotion but Robson was a car crash. Any half decent manager would have kept us up and done a better job over the next two seasons than he did. You could have sacked Robson, told the players to sort it out themselves and it would have been an improvement. That chubby prick wasted the Kyle money, the second tranche of parachute payments, the Tevez money and the money KM had to loan us and write off and left us with a bunch of overpaid hoofers without an ounce of creativity. He was a fucking idiot.

 

[Pinchy]

I question whether Warnock had really got what it takes to manage in the Prem?

I don't know why you question it. The answer is conclusively No! He's demonstrated that beyond question by his repeated failures at that level. Just like Alan Partridge, he never got a second season.

That's why he likes the Championship, him.

 

[The Crab]

Same at Bury. And every club he's managed has been relegated after he left. He's a seagull; flies in, shits all over the place and then fucks off.

Nicks your chips too.

 

[BushBlade]

Blackwell was the right man at the right time when he was appointed. As said previously he was cheap and glad of a way back into management, he knew the club and his managerial style was probably just what that group of over paid but underperforming players need (Beattie aside). No doubt that side would have gone down and he took them to within a few points of the play offs and the end of the season. The following year he took us to within 3 points of promotion and the play off final so it would have been hard to argue against giving him another year.

Having said that given the quality of the side that year (which he largely inherited) it would have been hard to finish much lower, the football was dull and in the big games (both Derbies, Palace away on the last day and the play off final) we bottled it. Added to that his big signings were Henderson who the fans never took too (although I think gets an unfair press) and Brian Howard who was probably just behind John Ebbrell as the pound for pound most disappointing signing we've ever made.

He offered his resignation after the play off final and with the benefit of hindsight McCabe should have snapped his hand off. The wage bill needed to be cut and our best players were all to depart (Beattie, Killgallon, Walker, Naughton etc). Would have been much better to rebuild with a new manager. It was very obvious that following season that his primitive style was wearing thin with the players and was the start of the malaise that led us into league one.

Sorry, I disagree. He was the wrong man. There was never a right time to put someone like him in charge of our budget.

Robson was dire, he really was, I had a little bit of ITK at the time. Anyone could have sorted us out. The players would have responded to anyone who wasn't Robson. By getting Blackwell on a 'trial', it was inevitable that he'd do OK to start with and thus he'd get the job full time. The first half season was a simple coaching job, beyond that the job needed a proper manager.

KM wouldn't promote his best steel fixer to Head of Construction so why is it acceptable to assume a coach can do a manager's job, particularly when the available evidence suggested he wasn't capable?

 

[Hodgesleftpeg]

Maybe so, but the point still stands.

Which point are you referring to as "maybe so"?

 

[Grizzly blade]

Not this again.

He was shit then.
He's shit now.

Was never a good appointment, and it's a crime he kept the job of my club like he did.

Having seen with my own eyes how he played the game, spoken to players at his time and heard first hand how he spoke to people he seemed beneath him there is no person who will ever convince me otherwise.

It's actual criminal that twat has made a living from the game

 

[eric_oulthwaite]

Blackwell was widely known as a bully, a couple of ex-Blades youngsters now in their late 20's and plying their trade in L1 and L2 respectively have told me the same. The family of one of these players were considering legal action against Blackwell for bullying but were told it wasn't worth the hassle as the chances of winning were slim.

He seems like a little bitch Blackwell. Surely someone could have banged him out easy!

 

[CarlingBlade]

I've read keef's book too. What a bloody good autobiography. Was pissing myself at the stories of him texting Blackwell every time he got pissed up! Made Blackwell sound like a nasty piece of work and a bully, seems a lot say the same

It was something like a 3yr campaign of texting Blackwell at all hours of the day to take the piss out of him, that's a lad with a grudge, but when experienced players like Speed were having to set in to stop Blackwell getting his head knocked off it says a lot. Also his treatment of Cotterill was nothing short of making a young pro's life hell (which in itself can lead to depression).

 

[oldblade]

I don't understand why Blackwell is lauded as some kind of modern day bogeyman.

Really?

He is the only manager (as opposed to committee) of Sheffield United to have ever presided over the debacle of a Wednesday league double over us, and the first league double they had achieved over us in nearly 100 years. No other manager in our history has ever done this.

Furthermore, he accomplished this when we had vastly superior playing (and financial) resources at our disposal as compared to them. And the tactics he used at Bramall Lane in the 1-2 defeat were at best quite mind boggling.

 

[JJBlade]

My least favourite United manager due to his anti football stance

We've had some horror managers, but those managers had done ok elsewhere meaning that the situation at the club must have been partly to blame for their failure.

Blackwell just revelled in producing shit, I actually think he enjoyed making a game as ugly as possible.

I used to sit despairing at our players swinging a leg wildly at a ball that was shoulder height rather than waiting a millisecond for it to come down and control it.

And these were decent players we are talking about, decent players who were so scared of trying to do something clever, skilful or entertaining

It was embarrassing watching poor Leon Britton with a sprained neck and it was even more embarrassing to watch him after he returned to Swansea dictating Premier League games