Blackwell, Loans and Money

[shreds1975]

Apologies for starting a new thread. These comments could have been partly applied on several other threads at the minute.

My biggest issue with Blackwell at the moment is his inability to acknowledge his mistakes and see what we as a majority of Blades fans are seeing week in week out. This seems to have spread to his backroom staff as well, with the laughable comment From Sam Ellis, Ipswich post match that "he quite liked watching us play"!! Suppose we should be thankful he qualified it with quite, at least that suggests he doesn't completely.

The biggest gripe at the moment is a lack of money and the impact of financial constraints alongside injury problems on the squad. What he fails to acknowledge is that at the end of the August transfer window, excluding long term injury absentees, we had a squad of 17 contracted players. Not even enough to fill a matchday starting eleven and bench. We have now added Jonathan Fortune and Henri Camara and are then into the 6 loanees to supplement the squad.

Yet in that squad of 17 we had spent £3m on Ched Evans. Granted, we may not have paid that amount, but it is an amount we have potentially "committed" to paying. Blackwell knew his playing budget at the start of the season, knew the constraints and still committed £3m of his budget on a 20 year old who, although showed much promise, had little first team football. People welcomed the signing as I did, but would we have been so keen on this significant investment in youth if we had known the hole it left in the budget?

There were plenty of other strikers available or bought in the Summer that would have cost less, but may well have done a job at this level. In terms of experienced players there was Dele Adebola, Stern John and in terms of a gamble/yuthful investment McGoldrick (£1m to Forest), Cox (£1.5m to West Brom). This would have left Blackwell the room to invest in weak areas, such as the midfield and start the season with 20/21 contracted players on the books. Whether he considered such players good enough is a fair question, but how many of the signings he has made since the Summer are really fitting in and setting the World alight? Treacy?

He can bleat about injuries all he likes, and I accept it has been extreme, but starting the season with a contracted playing squad the size we did, does his argument no favours whatsoever.

 

[Micalijo]

Shreds - apologies for not responding to or acknowledging this excellent post before now - think someone should have done by now in addition to matth.

I'm a keen reader of quotes from our management but must confess I had missed the Ipswich one you mention. It is up there with the best.

 

[cooperblade]

Yet in that squad of 17 we had spent £3m on Ched Evans. Granted, we may not have paid that amount, but it is an amount we have potentially "committed" to paying. Blackwell knew his playing budget at the start of the season, knew the constraints and still committed £3m of his budget on a 20 year old who, although showed much promise, had little first team football. People welcomed the signing as I did, but would we have been so keen on this significant investment in youth if we had known the hole it left in the budget?

There were plenty of other strikers available or bought in the Summer that would have cost less, but may well have done a job at this level. In terms of experienced players there was Dele Adebola, Stern John and in terms of a gamble/yuthful investment McGoldrick (£1m to Forest), Cox (£1.5m to West Brom).

Suppose the impact of the Evans signing on Blackwell's budget depends on how the additional £1.5m is structured. If, for example, £1m is dependant on us going up then it will only have had a small impact. As far as I'm aware the breakdown has never been revealed (which hasn't spotted his critics referring to him as a £3m signing).

The 4 players you mention have scored fewer league goals between them than Evans has this season.

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

There were plenty of other strikers available or bought in the Summer that would have cost less, but may well have done a job at this level. In terms of experienced players there was Dele Adebola, Stern John and in terms of a gamble/yuthful investment McGoldrick (£1m to Forest), Cox (£1.5m to West Brom).

I know this isn't your point and there's 101 arguments against comparisons but hey, it's Friday afternoon. Goals / game (sub) this season;

Ched 3 / 8(5)
Adebola 1 / 4(8)
McGoldrick 1 / 8(5)
Cox 1 / 4(4)
John 0 / 1(2)

 

[cooperblade]

I know this isn't your point and there's 101 arguments against comparisons but hey, it's Friday afternoon. Goals / game (sub) this season;

Ched 3 / 8(5)
Adebola 1 / 4(8)
McGoldrick 1 / 8(5)
Cox 1 / 4(4)
John 0 / 1(2)

And Cox's goal was v Rovrum.

 

[puppet]

And Cox's goal was v Rovrum.

Its not just goals/games though to be fair, the dreary tactics we're forced to watch week in week out would at least be palatable if we had the players to fit the system. Adebola would be a much better asset to the team then either Hendo or Evans, given the roles expected of them.

 

[cooperblade]

Its not just goals/games though to be fair, the dreary tactics we're forced to watch week in week out would at least be palatable if we had the players to fit the system. Adebola would be a much better asset to the team then either Hendo or Evans, given the roles expected of them.

Blackwell would've been slaughtered if he'd signed Adebola (which doesn't necessarily mean it would've been the wrong thing to do.

I don't think the strikers are the problem as much as the combinations we've played them in. Have we started with anything other than Henderson and Evans, Henderson with Evans behind him or Henderson with Quinn behind him?

I'm hopeful of seeing Camara alongside Henderson or Evans. Jamie Ward alongside Henderson or Evans would also be preferable to what we've gone with so far.

 

[shorehamview]

I'm hopeful of seeing Camara alongside Henderson or Evans. Jamie Ward alongside Henderson or Evans would also be preferable to what we've gone with so far.

Jamie Ward alongside either Basil Brush or Kermit The Frog would be preferable to what we've gone with so far.

 

[shreds1975]

Its not just goals/games though to be fair, the dreary tactics we're forced to watch week in week out would at least be palatable if we had the players to fit the system. Adebola would be a much better asset to the team then either Hendo or Evans, given the roles expected of them.

I guess you have said what I would have said in response to the fair points made by Jim and Cooper Blade. Different players perform differently in different roles at other clubs and of those mentioned, only McGoldrick has been given a decent run to the same extent as Ched.

It kind of relates to my other point. Comments on Treacy on Blackburn forums when we signed him and comments on Blades forums regarding those who had seen him play briefly for Rovers suggested our hopes should not be raised, but when fit he has been one of our better performers.

It's all about roles, tactics and where they fit in. I only listed examples of players transferred in the Summer who, at the time they moved, I remember thinking we might have been in for. There may have been others who remain with clubs now, who might have been available at the right price.