Half term report

[Micalijo]

23 games - 32 points.

A total and utter disgrace for long periods. Laughably bad at times. Looked fairly good against a stricken Palace side and a ridiculously bad Watford side. Odd moments away from home and at last a bit of luck against Wednesday. Bad luck with Ward and now Daz injured but other than that nowt out of the ordinary. Pathetic squad building and planning from the manager.

A time when watching United has become pretty painful and where the future under Blackwell is even worse to contemplate.

Half truths and spin from the club about the number of injuries and about the funds available. Realisation that our fortunes are in part linked to the property markets. Huge detachment for me between supporters, management, players and top brass.

Huge frustration and now the stark realisation that we have blown the chance to become an established top flight club or failing that the next WBA.

I accept that managing the situation post relegation from Prem is difficult for any club but McCabe got toally carried away blaming Warnock and thinking the club needed a total change of direction. It didn't. He blew it with Robson and that was that - even though he did (belatedly by 6 months) open the purse strings that summer. Even then, post Robson, Blackwell has had relative riches compared with most CCC clubs but it's hard to believe how badly wrong he has got it with virtually all his signings.

 

[raul]

As a football club, we seem pretty much back where we were at the start of the decade. A load of 100%ers playing by and large a physical, energy-based route one game who will bimble about mid-table and entertain on just enough occasions to keep you interested.

Thing is, I didn't mind it then, it seemed to me to be the best we could hope for with 15000 being a good crowd and it only costing £12 a game on John St.

But now, with double that paying double that, all the off-field faffing, the failure of the club to grasp the opportunity it worked so hard for is just so emotion-draining.

I used to howl at the moon with the best of them, but I just dont care enough to do so anymore - that's the legacy left to me on a personal level. I go, I watch, but I don't FEEL it now.

 

[marshy]

I've only been going to the Lane for around 8 years, but this season I never had less passion and desire to attend.

Is there a game tomorrow?

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

There's no doubt we're re-building and you can't blame Blackwell for the situation he's found himself in this season but as Raul says above, on the pitch, we're pretty much where we were when McCabe took over and brought our Neil in. Yes, we're much much better off off the pitch but there's only so long the fans will accept that.

I'm amazed we've kept the average crowd over 25,000 but if we don't have a 2nd half of the season like the last 2 seasons I can see this only going one way. Given the impending sale of Killa, Cresswell and no doubt a few Andy Taylor type signings and I fear it'll get worse before it gets better. We do seem to be starting from scratch again so for me, we may as well bring in a different manager with a different mind set, someone who can build a team playing a different style to what we've been used to for far too long. Despite Warnock's promotion, the recent poll showed that we haven't seen decent football for more than 10 years and given the relative rude health the club's in off the pitch, we should have much more hope on it than we all do.

 

[Micalijo]

Hard to describe how much I disagree with 'you can't blame Blackwell for the situation he's found himself in this situation.'

I assume by this you think he has spent well (Evans and Taylor), used the loan market well and recruited good free signings?

I'm just gobsmacked you think that Jim.

Look where Palace are in the table and that basically takes out any excuses Blackwell has.

 

[happyhippy]

McCabe got toally carried away blaming Warnock

I think there are some valid and dodgy points you make in your post fella, but since when did McCabe blame Warnock for owt? I honestly don't remember that.

 

[happyhippy]

As a football club, we seem pretty much back where we were at the start of the decade. A load of 100%ers playing by and large a physical, energy-based route one game who will bimble about mid-table and entertain on just enough occasions to keep you interested.

Thing is, I didn't mind it then, it seemed to me to be the best we could hope for with 15000 being a good crowd and it only costing £12 a game on John St.

But now, with double that paying double that, all the off-field faffing, the failure of the club to grasp the opportunity it worked so hard for is just so emotion-draining.

I used to howl at the moon with the best of them, but I just dont care enough to do so anymore - that's the legacy left to me on a personal level. I go, I watch, but I don't FEEL it now.

Is that not more to do with being ten years older? I know a lot of it is with me ....

 

[happyhippy]

There's no doubt we're re-building and you can't blame Blackwell for the situation he's found himself in this season but as Raul says above, on the pitch, we're pretty much where we were when McCabe took over and brought our Neil in. Yes, we're much much better off off the pitch but there's only so long the fans will accept that.

So basically we're where we always have been in every single one of our's lifetime, if not better. The only time it has been better since the War was under Harris waaaaaay before my time, and Bassett, when life was nothing but a struggle.

I'm amazed we've kept the average crowd over 25,000

I'm not. Most are season ticket holders lured back by the offers. I'm not saying that's a bad thing. Far from it, but our attendances don't surprise me at all.

but if we don't have a 2nd half of the season like the last 2 seasons I can see this only going one way. Given the impending sale of Killa, Cresswell and no doubt a few Andy Taylor type signings and I fear it'll get worse before it gets better. We do seem to be starting from scratch again so for me, we may as well bring in a different manager with a different mind set, someone who can build a team playing a different style to what we've been used to for far too long.

I'm not sure you're too wrong, but the crunch will come when the new prices are announced. Then we might find a few who just can't afford to renew, if prices increase.

Despite Warnock's promotion, the recent poll showed that we haven't seen decent football for more than 10 years and given the relative rude health the club's in off the pitch, we should have much more hope on it than we all do.

Far too much was wasted on Sornob and his disastrous tenure. I will still say this. The football under St Harry was absolutely appalling at times, but it got us promoted twice, and bar Brealey selling Deane may have kept us up there for a period of time.

He would always have gone at some point, but I bring him up purely for a quote.

"Do you want to win 1-0, or lose 5-4 every week?"

Take your pick.

 

[Deleted member 1486]

I'm not. Most are season ticket holders lured back by the offers. I'm not saying that's a bad thing. Far from it, but our attendances don't surprise me at all.

As well as the offers the renewals went on sale in March, many will have renewed as our results picked up, especially before we played Palace and Burnley, as many may have expected Premier League football.

I would expect a considerable drop in season ticket renewals this year unless a miracle happens (prices drop even more/we make the play offs). I wouldn't even be surprised if the drop is 5k!

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

Hard to describe how much I disagree with 'you can't blame Blackwell for the situation he's found himself in this situation.'

I assume by this you think he has spent well (Evans and Taylor), used the loan market well and recruited good free signings?

I'm just gobsmacked you think that Jim.

Look where Palace are in the table and that basically takes out any excuses Blackwell has.

Blackwell had last year's squad dismantled by McCabe's 're-profiling' and has had a terrible run of injuries. Whatever you think about him and his tactics, he has had many things to contend with this season, that's all I'm saying. What is it, 16 players making their debuts for us for example.

 

[cahill]

A bit of ageism there from HappyHippy, "In every single one of us lifetimes" not so. There are several on here who well remember Currie, Woodward, Badger , Reece, Salmons etc. Not very pc for a "hippy":thumbup:

 

[raul]

Both of your positions are correct imo, but need bringing together. For me, the interpretation is that McCabe has reigned in the spending without reigining in the expectation ( he still talks of top 10 in the Prem) which, like it or not, is inevitable. This has undoubtedly made Blackwell's job much more difficult given he's expected to get us up whilst reducing the wage bill and making surpluses in the transfer market.

But Blackwell must have known this when he took the job on, he had basically half a season to stabilise the mess, which he did, and the a season with some money to get promoted, which he only nearly did. He now finds himself relying on his wits more and competing against other clubs looking up at them rather than down and whilst I'm sure he wouldn't have signed Taylor Reid Little etc if he'd had more money to spend I cant believe these are the best we could get for the money either.He comlains about our injury list but then goes into the loan market rather than pick players he's bought. This is where the sympathy starts to drain away for me.

I'm not Blackwell out, but I'm increasingly having to fall back on who-could-we-get-any-better-given-our-traduced-status as the reason for being so.

 

[happyhippy]

A bit of ageism there from HappyHippy, "In every single one of us lifetimes" not so. There are several on here who well remember Currie, Woodward, Badger , Reece, Salmons etc. Not very pc for a "hippy":thumbup:

<fx: sniggers>

Aye, fair enough

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

Both of your positions are correct imo, but need bringing together. For me, the interpretation is that McCabe has reigned in the spending without reigining in the expectation ( he still talks of top 10 in the Prem) which, like it or not, is inevitable. This has undoubtedly made Blackwell's job much more difficult given he's expected to get us up whilst reducing the wage bill and making surpluses in the transfer market.

But Blackwell must have known this when he took the job on, he had basically half a season to stabilise the mess, which he did, and the a season with some money to get promoted, which he only nearly did. He now finds himself relying on his wits more and competing against other clubs looking up at them rather than down and whilst I'm sure he wouldn't have signed Taylor Reid Little etc if he'd had more money to spend I cant believe these are the best we could get for the money either.He comlains about our injury list but then goes into the loan market rather than pick players he's bought. This is where the sympathy starts to drain away for me.

I'm not Blackwell out, but I'm increasingly having to fall back on who-could-we-get-any-better-given-our-traduced-status as the reason for being so.

I'm not saying Micalijo is totally wrong, I agree with a lot of what he's saying
but what he always fails to acknowledge in his anti Blackwell posts is what he's had to put up with in terms of re-profiling and injuries this season.

Some signings work, some don't, not many complained when he brought Ched in, Harper was hailed on here as one of the greatest signings in the last 10 years, Williamson, who knows but looks OK, Ward was a great bit of business but for every one of those there's another which hasn't worked for whatever reason.

I think Blackwell was a stop gap, as you say, to steady the ship after Robson. Given the way we finished the season, it was no surprise he was given the job. He was prepared to go in the Summer and who knows, a new man then may have completely re-built with a different type of player, we'll never know. It will be interesting to see what he does next month, how much money he's actually given etc because this may also give clues as to where he stands with McCabe and the board.

 

[Micalijo]

I'll try and be a bit more diplomatic etc and say that I truly believe there are plenty of managers who would have loved to have had the resources KB has had and who would have eked out a few more points, very probably in a more entertaining way - without all the bull we get as well (which I admit keeps me entertained). Yes, Ward and Daz is unlucky but other than that I think he could have dealt with things alot better. He knew about Paddy and Naysmith for example and I don't think we miss Monty. Willo is a crock by the looks of it so can't be classed a good signing for me.

Our budget was far too high for CCC terms, hence the 're-profiling'. Even so, it's not as though we are operating on a shoestring, far from it.