Worst United Team since Warnock took over?

[8lade]

Is this the worst Blades team since Warnock took over? (or even longer?) We are progressively getting worse at the moment and that's just the first team the squad even by Blackwell's admission is paper thin. Or is it just me?
(PS 8lade is alive again- not been active since 'Bladesonline' went down)

 

[silverfox]

Is this the worst Blades team since Warnock took over? (or even longer?) We are progressively getting worse at the moment and that's just the first team the squad even by Blackwell's admission is paper thin. Or is it just me?
(PS 8lade is alive again- not been active since 'Bladesonline' went down)

So what position is this team in and where were we when Warnock took over?

So is it just us that are crap?

 

[8lade]

Tht is the curious thing(7th), except the final league position is the one that counts of course, also the team has been bolstered by numerous loanees who aren't ours. But previously i've been able to think this team will get promoted and these players will do ok in the prem; not this time. I actually fear United going up in case we have the 'derby' effect. Don't know what you call un happy Blades on this board but i'm one of them!

 

[silverfox]

Tht is the curious thing(7th), except the final league position is the one that counts of course, also the team has been bolstered by numerous loanees who aren't ours. But previously i've been able to think this team will get promoted and these players will do ok in the prem; not this time. I actually fear United going up in case we have the 'derby' effect. Don't know what you call un happy Blades on this board but i'm one of them!

But that is not what you asked/stated in your post?

So being in the position where we find ourselves is a worse team than if we were lower in the league?

 

[Sensiblade]

Good positive first post I see!
add it to the pile.

 

[silverfox]

PS....sorry for the double post....

Are we just part of the demise of good football?

The Championship, and indeed the Premiership, are now serving up very poor entertainment in terms of good watchable football.

If anyone thinks what we watch now is better (football) than the 70's please try to justify it.

 

[8lade]

Good positive first post I see!
add it to the pile.

not the sort of person to say something's good if it isn't!
I just look at what's happened to United since we left the prem and each year the team and squad look weaker.

 

[silverfox]

not the sort of person to say something's good if it isn't!
I just look at what's happened to United since we left the prem and each year the team and squad look weaker.

Is this just a random moan....if so title it that way.

It's moving away from the original point big time.

 

[happyhippy]

not the sort of person to say something's good if it isn't!
I just look at what's happened to United since we left the prem and each year the team and squad look weaker.

We weren't particularly good when we got to the top flight in 1990 for four years. We weren't very good for nearly all of the time since then, despite going up, and we only missed out on staying up by one bloody goal.

What do you expect from us?

 

[shorehamview]

....the team has been bolstered by numerous loanees who aren't ours.

Loanees who aren't ours? Isn't that why they are "on loan" - because they "aren't ours"? Next thing we know we'll be finding out that they will have to go back to their parent clubs. That's hardly a shocker, is it? What next? We can keep the players we have signed?

 

[8lade]

hmm, i was under the misapprehension that this was a discussion forum and only Happy hippy has posted anything that approaches a debate.
Shoreham- you must be a barrel of laughs, i was emphasising how few players we have and you comment on my use of the English language, but don't offer anything to the discussion, well done!
I was hoping to find somewhere i could talk about United but clearly this isn't it.

 

[SotonBlade]

How to welcome a new poster, get him to leave within 4 posts. Makes me sad

 

[shorehamview]

hmm, i was under the misapprehension that this was a discussion forum and only Happy hippy has posted anything that approaches a debate.
Shoreham- you must be a barrel of laughs, i was emphasising how few players we have and you comment on my use of the English language, but don't offer anything to the discussion, well done!
I was hoping to find somewhere i could talk about United but clearly this isn't it.

It is a discussion forum, it's just that some of us like to try to add something new instead of dragging the same tired old "We're shit" story out for it's umpteenth airing.

Is this the worst side since Warnock took over? No. Not yet.

 

[Ollessendro]

hmm, i was under the misapprehension that this was a discussion forum and only Happy hippy has posted anything that approaches a debate .....

I was hoping to find somewhere i could talk about United but clearly this isn't it.

Hold your horses!?

Is this the worst Blades team since Warnock took over? (or even longer?) We are progressively getting worse at the moment and that's just the first team the squad even by Blackwell's admission is paper thin. Or is it just me?
(PS 8lade is alive again- not been active since 'Bladesonline' went down)

To answer your question 8lade I think NO. However we are serving up some of the worst performances since Warnock took over. The side is not completely an utterly devoid of nay footballing ability, however Kevin Blackwell has got us playing like that. He seems intent on keeping us that way by not playing (or even selling) players who are decent at football, persisting with (or signing new) try-ers who have little or no ability and generally being tactically inept.

The squad is very small, but our first team is a very good one 9at least on paper). You have several players with Premiership expereience, such as Harper, Henderson, Naysmith, Morgan, Quinn and Kilgallon (ok I know he's probably leaving). Players such as Killa, Walker and Ward would be pushing to be in an overall Champsionship team. Also Williamson has footballing ability and Camara is very dangerous.

Every week I look at thre team sheet and think we look strong. We have a quality first team and should be beating the majority of teams in this shit divsion. However, the tripe that is served up week in week out suggest we don't have a talented bunch of players. Our performances this year would suggest that the answer to your question is yes, but I don't think it should be. The balme has to lie with Blackwell, his tactics and what he gets out of his players. I don't want to turn this into a Blackwell out thread, but am giving my honest opinion. The team is not the worst we've had since Heath (but at times we are playing like we are!?)

 

[shorehamview]

I don't want to turn this into a Blackwell out thread, but am giving my honest opinion. The team is not the worst we've had since Heath (but at times we are playing like we are!?)

We do indeed have what should be a very good side, capable of being at least the equal of Newcastle and maybe even better. However, certain factors have combined to mean that we aren't leading this very average division. Tactics, players making mistakes, injuries, suspensions, refereeing decisions and sheer bad luck (Newcastle's goal) have added up to us being where we are. It's not all Blackwell's fault, and to suggest that it is solely down to him misses the point by quite a way. This side is a mile away from being the worst side since Warnock took over.

And as far as the loanees, both those who aren't ours and also those from other clubs, it was a tongue in cheek remark. Perhaps a sense of humour might be a prerequisite before reading replies?

 

[davidpinder]

Just picking up on what silverfox said and going off the point of the post completely the championship is the best league out of the 4 by a mile for entertainment Peterborough v Cardiff was last weeks example

Back on to the post always like a good debate and i agree with Ollessendro, we have a strong 11 but play like a weak side, Why is this? because last season we played in quite a positive and unique way especially away form home but this season we have been found out and Mr Blackwell is not good enough to change things round and make us strong again.

 

[Micalijo]

Great stuff Ollie.

Listen to KB and you'd think we were verging on administration, unable to sign any players and shafted by agents when we try.

No, in reality this isn't the worse team since Warnock started but KB is trying very hard to make it so and I think he will have succeeded by next August when he has had 2 more windows to sign his tripe. This inspite of having relatively huge resources, not least a £3m striker who can't get in the side every week.

 

[davidpinder]

Great stuff Ollie.

Listen to KB and you'd think we were verging on administration, unable to sign any players and shafted by agents when we try.

No, in reality this isn't the worse team since Warnock started but KB is trying very hard to make it so and I think he will have succeeded by next August when he has had 2 more windows to sign his tripe. This inspite of having relatively huge resources, not least a £3m striker who can't get in the side every week.

Not that i want to see him go but it would be interesting what that 3m striker did in a side that plays football.

 

[Grecian2000]

Player for player this can't be the worst team since Warnock took over.

However, there were several of us debating after the Preston game when we had seen football served up week after week that was quite so uninspiring. The general feeling was that other than a few examples this was a very poor spell indeed (apologies to those who only see the result and not how the game has been played).

We have enough good players (Walker, Morgan, Killa, Williamson, Camara) to build a decent footballing side which is a luxury that Warnock didn't always have, but we choose to play a style that negates all this and play a very predictable and workmanlike form of the game (eg. wingers as suplementary defenders rather than creators). This does not mean that it is a poor team, it's just very frustrating to watch.

 

[Ollessendro]

We do indeed have what should be a very good side, capable of being at least the equal of Newcastle and maybe even better. However, certain factors have combined to mean that we aren't leading this very average division. Tactics, players making mistakes, injuries, suspensions, refereeing decisions and sheer bad luck (Newcastle's goal) have added up to us being where we are. It's not all Blackwell's fault, and to suggest that it is solely down to him misses the point by quite a way. This side is a mile away from being the worst side since Warnock took over.

You are right that it is not all Blackwells fault. However I believe that the majority of it is. His tactics, poor man management, lack of a plan B, his poor ability to get the best out of players, playing players out of position and negativity are most of what to blame.

Yes we have been unlucky at times. The Newcastle goal was unlucky and we dominated that game. However, at 1-0 Blackwell played a left back on the righ wing for 15 minutes whilst he had 2 atrtacking right wingers with ability (that he both signed) on the bench. Funnily enough Coterill came on and looked really dangerous. This is a prime example of Blackwell being clueless and it costing us. Against QPR (away) the other week we were dominating the game and a poor QPR team where there for the taking. Blackwell sttod there with his hands in his pockets and didn't have any subs warming up, despite Evans and Camara being on the bench. He settled for a draw and we almost lost out as QPR hit the bar in the final few minutes. There are coountless examples of his tactical 'naivety' csting us. Do you want more Shoram?

Yes the injuries were a problem. However, every week I looked at the team sheet and thought 'this team looks good' only to see us play dismally.

You have amde a good point about individual mistakes. I was jumping up and won shouting about this earlier in the season. Individual mistakes by Walker, Monty, Morgan, Taylor and Harper all cost us games. Stupid, stupid errors lead to goals. Players were not working hard for each other and this also cost us. The players have to hold their hands up and say they made a mistake. Hence the blame lies with the players (somewhat). hpwever, what the bloody heell do we do in training? Doesn't overall responsibility lie with Blackwell? Basic defending, cutting out mistakes and working hard for each other can be instilled on the training ground. Funnily enough, now that we've cut out these silly errors we're playing better.

 

[davidpinder]

You are right that it is not all Blackwells fault. However I believe that the majority of it is. His tactics, poor man management, lack of a plan B, his poor ability to get the best out of players, playing players out of position and negativity are most of what to blame.

Yes we have been unlucky at times. The Newcastle goal was unlucky and we dominated that game. However, at 1-0 Blackwell played a left back on the righ wing for 15 minutes whilst he had 2 atrtacking right wingers with ability (that he both signed) on the bench. Funnily enough Coterill came on and looked really dangerous. This is a prime example of Blackwell being clueless and it costing us. Against QPR (away) the other week we were dominating the game and a poor QPR team where there for the taking. Blackwell sttod there with his hands in his pockets and didn't have any subs warming up, despite Evans and Camara being on the bench. He settled for a draw and we almost lost out as QPR hit the bar in the final few minutes. There are coountless examples of his tactical 'naivety' csting us. Do you want more Shoram?

Yes the injuries were a problem. However, every week I looked at the team sheet and thought 'this team looks good' only to see us play dismally.

You have amde a good point about individual mistakes. I was jumping up and won shouting about this earlier in the season. Individual mistakes by Walker, Monty, Morgan, Taylor and Harper all cost us games. Stupid, stupid errors lead to goals. Players were not working hard for each other and this also cost us. The players have to hold their hands up and say they made a mistake. Hence the blame lies with the players (somewhat). hpwever, what the bloody heell do we do in training? Doesn't overall responsibility lie with Blackwell? Basic defending, cutting out mistakes and working hard for each other can be instilled on the training ground. Funnily enough, now that we've cut out these silly errors we're playing better.

All good points and i agree them, there is reason why blackwell never held a job for very long and was a number 2 for many years. He did a good job when he took over from robbo which for me back fired on us in a way because it lead to a full time contract. I know we made the playoff final but last year i think we should have got top 2, but even though we didn't when of gone up through the playoffs, but we put out a typical blackwell display and were shocking.