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Highbury_Blade

Highbury_Blade

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I'm not normally one to start up these kind of threads, but i'm interested to know the strength of feeling amongst those that still support Blackwell.

Do you think we'll make the play-offs?

If yes, do you think that if if we end up failing to make the playoffs do you think Blackwell should remain in post?

If you don't think that we'll make the playoffs, what would you have said the minimum target was at the start of the season?

I do not think we'll make it, and as i believed that the minimum target for any current Sheffield United Manager should be the play-offs, then i think Blackwell should go now. It's mathematically possible that we could, but realistically, given that we'll probably need all but 9 points from our remaining games then i think it's beyond us. If cardiff win the game in hand then it's an incredibly tall order.

Who hasn't yet given up hope?
 



I think I was the last out, so turned the light off when I came over to the dark side....

I didn't check the loft or the cellar though so there could be more lurking
 
Highbury_Blade said:
I'm not normally one to start up these kind of threads, but i'm interested to know the strength of feeling amongst those that still support Blackwell.

Do you think we'll make the play-offs?

If yes, do you think that if if we end up failing to make the playoffs do you think Blackwell should remain in post?

If you don't think that we'll make the playoffs, what would you have said the minimum target was at the start of the season?

I do not think we'll make it, and as i believed that the minimum target for any current Sheffield United Manager should be the play-offs, then i think Blackwell should go now. It's mathematically possible that we could, but realistically, given that we'll probably need all but 9 points from our remaining games then i think it's beyond us. If cardiff win the game in hand then it's an incredibly tall order.

Who hasn't yet given up hope?
Click to expand...

I haven't given up hope. Cardiff will probably be deducted 10 points and if we beat Blackpool tonight we go above them.

If we reach the play-offs and go up of course Blackwell should keep his job. If we reach the play-offs and fail again, I don't think he could raise himself for yet another campaign so I'd let him go with our thanks.
If we fail to reach the play-offs, ditto.
 
I'm not sure which bracket I fall in to be honest. I still feel he should just see out this season now though.

I respect what he did when arrived and getting to the play-offs last season, but feel our performances have faded and his tactical choices at times are beyond bizarre, I'll also question the injuries, yes some have been a terrible case of misfortune but with the amount we have seen this can't be just the case, are we training at too high a tempo?

I would also question him not utilising the academy this season when the injuries have been so bad.

But I feel there has been more than just Blackwell’s mismanagement this season . So he isn't 100% to blame, to be honest my emotions are exactly what we seem to get in terms of answers, nothing, I just don't know and not sure they do.

But part of me still all ways has hope, hope that I'll be proven wrong in my doubts, hope because I love our club!
 
I'd forgotten about Cardiff's money troubles..... Whoops!
 
I think we have hit a real low now, and tonight's game could determine what happens in the rest of the season. A poor result tonight, and I think the POs are gone. A win and they could very easily be on.
 
Sothall_Blade said:
I haven't given up hope. Cardiff will probably be deducted 10 points and if we beat Blackpool tonight we go above them.
Click to expand...


Yes i think we'll score 13 tonight too...:D

Maybe it's time for Ched to make his mark.
 
My minimum expectation for United is always to make the playoffs. I don't think its asking a lot for a club of our size to finish in the top 6 as it allows sufficient room for error / dropped points.

I conceded that KB hasn't had it all his own way and there have been complications but he hasn't helped himself either. At this stage I feel we could have easily been 6th or 7th with a realistic shout of the playoffs.

I don't necessarily subscribe to this view of the majority that we are "doing really well under the circumstances." The circumstances have been created by the club and all those who have a major role in it. So from that point of view we are under-performing and it is of our own doing because we have made the wrong choices at the wrong times in the last 2 years.

I think KB is a decent manager when he has good players (e.g. Beattie, Naysmith, Kilgallon at United / Hulse, Healy, Kilgallon at Leeds etc.). When he doesnt have quality players he is found wanting for ideas and inspiritation. For where we are now and where we are going to be in the short term he isn't the right man to lead us.

I think for those reason alone he should be relived of his duties at the end of the season so that we can clear the decks!
 
Good post Highbury will be interesting to see if he still has many backers. I believe he should go now and a bit of new manager syndrome may get us in. I think even if cardiff do get deducted 10 points lose tonight and its an even taller order to finish above blackpool, coventry and probably Middlesborough .
 
Firstly, I'm a SUFC supporter. Blackwell happens to be manager so gets support by default.

To answer your questions....

Do you think we'll make the play-offs?
No we won't make the playoffs unless Cardiff go into admin and we get our first XI out every match.

If yes, do you think that if if we end up failing to make the playoffs do you think Blackwell should remain in post?
I'll answer anyway... Of course there's a good case for letting him go, but those inside the club know more than I do about his performance. I just see the home games - not everything else that goes on and is required of him. I also think the injury situation and thinness of squad is a genuine reason for our struggles, not just a lame excuse.

If you don't think that we'll make the playoffs, what would you have said the minimum target was at the start of the season?
The target was the playoffs. A near miss is forgiveable given my view of our position last summer.

In sum...

If Blackwell goes I won't be happy or sad. The fundamentals at the club simply aren't good. Nor will they improve until the financial siutation does.

While I hope for a maker of silk purses to come along and get us playing nice football, I also fear that the wrong man will see us relegated. The choice is not clear cut.
 
I think it's an absolute shambles that we are relying on a team to go into admin for us to scrape into the playoffs.

Even if we do get a new manager in (my preference is Speed), then i don't think we'll make it. Once again McCabe has left it too late to pull the trigger. You have to wonder whether he wants to go up at all.
 
When the play-offs are beyond us, and I don't necessarily mean mathematically, he should depart.

Say when we need 15 points from 5 games or something like that
 
I can't believe the number of people who are still banging on about 'getting in the play-offs.

Yes, a glance at the table shows that, in this piss-poor division, an incredible number of clubs could make it if they pulled their fingers out. Some people say 'the table doesn't lie'.

Unfortunately, as anyone who has been watching United knows, we're not one of them. We're playing shocking, relegation stuff and only points won earlier in the season will keep us safe. Plus, we're getting endless injuries and suspensions (the reasons have been debated here before) which means that we never have the settled side that is necessary to make it to the play offs.

This season is over. Unfortunately the near-inevitable defeat tonight won't hasten Blackwell or Ellis's departure.

I say get rid now, slash the 'squad' by at least 50% and start again. It can't be any worse than what's currently on offer.
 



The squad will be slashed by 50% by the end of the season, just with the amount of out of contracts we have.
 
Highbury_Blade said:
I think it's an absolute shambles that we are relying on a team to go into admin for us to scrape into the playoffs.

Even if we do get a new manager in (my preference is Speed), then i don't think we'll make it. Once again McCabe has left it too late to pull the trigger. You have to wonder whether he wants to go up at all.
Click to expand...

1st prize to the man who hit the nail firmly on the head!

Why would a man no longer willing to fund the team and unable to find an investor, want to achieve promotion to the PL??? We would need the prize money and TV money just to pay off our debts to McCabe. With this team and a very meagre budget to sign new players we would be a laughing stock and would probably break Derby's record for lowest points haul.

We would go up, be humiliated and probably come down with new debts. We need a sugar daddy I'm afraid. That's the only quick solution if you want them to go up and stay up in the next 5 years!
 
Highbury_Blade said:
I think it's an absolute shambles that we are relying on a team to go into admin for us to scrape into the playoffs.

Even if we do get a new manager in (my preference is Speed), then i don't think we'll make it. Once again McCabe has left it too late to pull the trigger. You have to wonder whether he wants to go up at all.
Click to expand...
"You have to wonder whether he wants to go up at all" I got my arse whipped last week for even suggesting that. Hold on tight the pain doesn't last long.
 
Highbury_Blade said:
I think it's an absolute shambles that we are relying on a team to go into admin for us to scrape into the playoffs.
Click to expand...

I think it's an absolute shambles that Cardiff were allowed to spend £5M of the Vat-man's money on Chopra while we were selling Naughton and Walker to raise funds.
 
In my humble opinion, it wont make a jot of difference should Cardiff be deducted the 10 points because we are not good enough to make the play-offs anyway!

All Cardiffs plight will do will open the door for Boro, Cov or Donny and ond one or two more.

For me, I've already wrote this season off.

Waiting to see who goes and which bargain bucket buys enter the fray!

On the optimistic side, I also pray for some devine intervention during next season regards investment. I hang to the belief that perhaps miracles do sometimes happen!
 
It's more likely that Donny and a certain striker will be in the play-offs than us - and highly likely they'll be above us come 5pm on Saturday.
The bigger picture for United is the commercial one. Carry on like we are and keep Blackwell to the end of the season with a season ticket deadline in April equals commercial suicide.
 
'If we reach the play-offs and go up of course Blackwell should keep his job'.

That would worry me. Not sacking Warnock when we were promoted was one of McC's biggest mistakes. Don't do it again, use the prem money to get a top managar in please and no duffers like Robbo or Dowey.


Or Speed!!
 
Sothall_Blade said:
Very true Lou. How's the vow of silence going? ;) :thumbup:
Click to expand...

:lol: I gave it a go, didn't achieve anything. I just sat here stewing over all our inadequacies as a club. Yourself and Ollesendro posted two good thought provoking posts and that was it! Couldn't help myself.

I think some people interpreted my vow of silence as 'toys out of the pram' and a bit childish. It didnt feel like that to me. It was more that I was sick of repeating myself like a broken record about the same problems over and over. I thought it would do others a favour by not having me bleeting constantly due to my lack of having anything positive to say. Certain posters didn't take kindly to it. They must like me so much they wanted me to stay :thumbup: :rolleyes:
 
I know its old ground but Blackie is delivering what McC wants. I think Blackie will walk at the end of the season because I think the play-offs are a step too far.

We can then remember in the future with red tinted specs like we do now with Warnock. How many remember how many times we nearly failed at home under Warnock?

I hope we give Blackie that place in our hearts that old managers deserve.

We need to bring football back to The Lane. Play it on the ground lads.
 
GRUMPY BLADE said:
I know its old ground but Blackie is delivering what McC wants. I think Blackie will walk at the end of the season because I think the play-offs are a step too far.

We can then remember in the future with red tinted specs like we do now with Warnock. How many remember how many times we nearly failed at home under Warnock?

I hope we give Blackie that place in our hearts that old managers deserve.

We need to bring football back to The Lane. Play it on the ground lads.
Click to expand...

I often bang on about this and agree totally. A lot of people laud Warnock as a golden boy but they have short memories. We had several very mediocre seasons under him and 2 (3 at a push) good ones. Having said that United under Warnock was a little more fun for some reason. Probably more passion.

KB won't be held close in the same way as reveared managers. Purely because he has managed us in a period of decline and played fairly unattractive football. If he turned his legacy around now he would have done very well, cant see it though.
 
2003-04 and 04-05 were pretty dull seasons as i recall.
 



Highbury_Blade said:
2003-04 and 04-05 were pretty dull seasons as i recall.
Click to expand...

They were the ones we missed out on the playoffs weren't they? Finished about 8th but were tormented until almost the bitter end!

This season looks like its going to be the same. I'm off to the lane in 20 mins and I can only imagine a similarly frustrating game to the ones we saw that season. Blackwell and Warnock are from the same school.
 
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