A Sign of The Times

[Micalijo]

If this was a betting exchange I'd be taking you on. 8th is quite possible, albeit at the upper end of my range.

And you really don't need to post your opinion of Blackwell. Do you think people aren't aware of it by now?

No chance a bet on top 8 John with me!

Fox, Bob and Cooper keep suggesting Blackwell is getting the sack so not a chance of a bet on top 8 - a new manager will make a huge difference!

I think Sheep was saying 6th place anyway - ie '4th to 8th.' Is 6th outside your range? It is mine.

 

[TonyAgana]

Sheep - if you think we're gonna finish in top 8 with this pathetic plank of a manager in charge then the only one with unrealistic expectations is you.

Mic, I don't think we'll finish 8th either but your I think your reasoning quite clearly unjust. I'm guessing you're dangling your maggot a little bit but that one sentence has too many holes.

 

[Grecian2000]

Take some enhanced reputation for that Mr Jansky.

Just one thing though. Stoke appear to have confounded your (and indeed my) belief that dire football is a way to the poor house.

 

[Micalijo]

Mic, I don't think we'll finish 8th either but your I think your reasoning quite clearly unjust. I'm guessing you're dangling your maggot a little bit but that one sentence has too many holes.

I'm fed up with the suggestion in these long - sometimes decent posts like Sheep's - that by criticising Blackwell, and the management of the club in general (and plenty of the players!) it means I have unrealistic expectations. I haven't. I want to watch a team full of young, mobile, athletic, hopefully skillful players who are not on loan from other clubs. This does not need to cost big money. It requires strong management and good coaching. We have got the exact opposite at the moment to what I want to see at BDTBL.

No problem at all for me watching second tier football. I don't expect Spanish style passing or chance after chance. Also, a manager who treats the fans with a bit of respect wouldn't go amiss.

 

[Revolution]

Interesting post, Nick. A few comments:

Both really. Kendall & Spackman produced the only football worth watching since the 70s. And from Bassett onwards we have predominantly played a style which hasn't had much to do with my idea of football. I think a lot of fans accepted it because of the relative success that Bassett had, and continued to accept it when Warnock took us up for the one season.

I'm sure it's right that many people only tolerated rather than enjoyed that football, but I for one enjoyed that style of play because it was positive, and exciting much of the time. Compare and contrast a Porterfield era away display (or Warnock in the PL) with one from the Bassett era, for example. There is nothing aesthetically pleasing about 5 across the midfield playing for a 1-0 win or 0-0 draw.

It is also not a style that provides long lasting success, certainly in the modern game.

This is true, but nobody is playing like Bassett played these days. United certainly are not. Warnock did not play like that either.

As I have said on here before, if we appointed S O'D he would quickly get crucified because he wouldn't be allowed the time to properly grow & develop a different footballing ethos - which isn't something that can happen overnight. There is an argument that Kendall achieved it, but that was because he was allowed to make wholesale changes to the playing staff very quickly. Which cost an awful lot of money.

This is partly right, I think. Kendall did have money to spend and by and large brought in players who helped with a change in style, but he also made great use of other players - Ward and Whitehouse most prominently - who were already there at the club and who had only played the Bassett way.

I well recall Kendall's first game against Ipswich, when as far as I can remember no one new was in the side (I stand to be corrected) but the style of play had nevertheless changed completely. It was amazing.

 

[TonyAgana]

I'm fed up with the suggestion in these long - sometimes decent posts like Sheep's - that by criticising Blackwell, and the management of the club in general (and plenty of the players!) it means I have unrealistic expectations. I haven't. I want to watch a team full of young, mobile, athletic, hopefully skillful players who are not on loan from other clubs. This does not need to cost big money. It requires strong management and good coaching. We have got the exact opposite at the moment to what I want to see at BDTBL.

No problem at all for me watching second tier football. I don't expect Spanish style passing or chance after chance. Also, a manager who treats the fans with a bit of respect wouldn't go amiss.

I'm not disagreeing! I was just bringing into question your statement that Blackwell (this pathetic plank of a manager) is incapable of steering us to top 8 finish simply because he's Blackwell.

 

[Nick Jansky]

Take some enhanced reputation for that Mr Jansky.

Just one thing though. Stoke appear to have confounded your (and indeed my) belief that dire football is a way to the poor house.

True, as indeed have Bolton. But Stoke, having used a certain style to get up there, have been incrementally improving ever since, and are capable of playing some decent football. Give them another year or two, and I think they will be much more of a footballing side than the one that got promoted.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

No chance a bet on top 8 John with me!

Fox, Bob and Cooper keep suggesting Blackwell is getting the sack so not a chance of a bet on top 8 - a new manager will make a huge difference!

I think Sheep was saying 6th place anyway - ie '4th to 8th.' Is 6th outside your range? It is mine.

Don't think I've ever said Blackwell will be getting the sack. I think you are reading into what I am posting and picking out what you want to be the case.

 

[cooperblade]

I'm sure it's right that many people only tolerated rather than enjoyed that football, but I for one enjoyed that style of play because it was positive, and exciting much of the time. Compare and contrast a Porterfield era away display (or Warnock in the PL) with one from the Bassett era, for example. There is nothing aesthetically pleasing about 5 across the midfield playing for a 1-0 win or 0-0 draw.

Bassett wasn't averse to playing for 0-0s away from home. Remember the Monday night Sky game at Ewood Park with Hoyland at sweeper? You'd struggle to get much more negative than that.

 

[JohnDenver]

No chance a bet on top 8 John with me!

Fox, Bob and Cooper keep suggesting Blackwell is getting the sack so not a chance of a bet on top 8 - a new manager will make a huge difference!

I think Sheep was saying 6th place anyway - ie '4th to 8th.' Is 6th outside your range? It is mine.

Well your managerial hopes/predictions will just have to inform your gambling choice.

I'd say 8th is currently top of my range. If we make three decent signings shortly then I'll give you 6th.

 

[Worksop II]

Well your managerial hopes/predictions will just have to inform your gambling choice.

I'd say 8th is currently top of my range. If we make three decent signings shortly then I'll give you 6th.

Does that mean to get to 2nd we need six more decent signings on top of those 3 ?

 

[Fiery Blade]

Three Decent Signings - Blackwells managed only one decent signing all summer - Simonsen Jury out on Britton & Ertl As for Kozluk I can only hope he turns out like Cresswell - far better than expected but unfortunately since getting shut 3 years ago he has not improved and he wasn't very good first time round!

 

[JohnDenver]

Does that mean to get to 2nd we need six more decent signings on top of those 3 ?

Sounds like good maths to me. Do you want to phone MacCabe or shall I?

Three Decent Signings - Blackwells managed only one decent signing all summer - Simonsen Jury out on Britton & Ertl As for Kozluk I can only hope he turns out like Cresswell - far better than expected but unfortunately since getting shut 3 years ago he has not improved and he wasn't very good first time round!

Harsh. I can't fault the signings so far*. If we matched that quality with three more signings I'd give us a genuine play-off chance.



*I'm assuming Kozzy has been signed as the new mascot.