Dont get carried away

[DazBlade88]

I saw you in Wetherspoons at Woodseats after we'd beaten the pigs. You looked like you'd had at least a hundred quid's worth that night, you drunken monkey.

Hahaha! I do remember that, even though I was completely hammered. It's always worth it after beating them

 

[alcoblade]

Alright Fiery, Good hols then!

The Playoff final showed we needed a clear out, so we did that. We brought in players but each needed to settle and gel (cliched but its true). We lost a lot of players, some of which had been treading water, but despite their failings we haven't rebuilt the squad with the same quality and the loan system has back fired. For me the number of loans wasn't Blackies fault.

To be honest I think we're better off than I expected this season, but we've had horrendous injuries added with a poor run of form and results. You're right though, this div is poor this season so we're about where I would have imagined.

After the Jan window I expect things to settle and click, the players that we don't want and the ones that want to leave will go. All contract talks should be finished and things will no doubt start to click again.

We've done well to get back on track and although the performances aren't consistent enough we're on our way slowly towards the 6th place.

I'll give it a few weeks, but I may be looking to adjust my 6th place prediction. Theres nowhere near enough experience around 3rd to 8th place.

good post, but I disagree. We're witnessing the random results of a bang average championship side. Win some, lose some, draw some. The only thing that's not random is the complete tedium of the way we play.

Blackwell has had a very tough job to do, managing down the wage bill and coping with injuries. I don't doubt (unlike many) that he has some skill as a manager. I've just become convinced that the way he approaches the game (concentrate on avoiding defeat and pinching the odd goal in return) is not what I want to see.

It's not about long ball V purist football. It's about having a cohesive style, whatever it is, that can be bought into by players and fans alike.

UTB

 

[SwissBlade]

Swiss - if you read the report in the accounts our esteemed Chairman says that we still have a massive budget in CCC terms. OK money aint everything in football but it does follow that if McCabe is right we must have a poor manager. You must be expecting relegation next term because the standard of our signings suggests things are only going to get worse.

When you say Blackwell 'was' the right man do you mean he no longer is the right man. Why not get rid now - he'll get paid off so don't worry about him.

And I don't get your argument either which suggests that winning football means long ball shite and attractive football means losing.

The budget issue frustrates me, I wish McCabe wouldn't make such an issue of it. The problem is, our budget is big, but were competing for players with teams that have bigger budgets. We don't tend to compete with Donny, Pigs, Dingles and perhaps Watford for players. We TRY and compete against Newcastle, WBA and Boro, but lose out... I personally wished that the budget for individual players was lower and we got players on a par with each other in every dept - fees, wages, abilities, ambitions etc etc

I don't think that means that Blackie is a bad manager.

This season should have been a chance to build a team and squad, we needed to rebuild, but who ever sanctioned loans over permanent players mad a big mistake. No Doubt Blackie thought he could work with this, but I doubt that this is what he wanted to do. I also don't think he sanctioned all of the sales, but £££ signs won over the board.

If you look at the pattern theres a lot of teams that do keep sliding down the league, but I thought we'd stop the slide and rebuild.

For me, Blackie WAS the right man in the summer and if we kept him in the job then he also needed the season to do the job, so yes he still IS the right man. Depending on how this season ends up, I'd also say that if we kept him on in the summer, he needs two seasons, but we need to see how we're doing when this season is over.

There is no argument that long ball means winning and attractive means losing. What did I say again

 

[SwissBlade]

good post, but I disagree.
UTB

Cheers Alco, I don't mind that you disagree, but its just where I see things.

I keep harking back to last season and I admit I do use that in a lot of my arguments, but I saw potential and positive signs then and although I've seen less this season, I've seen splashes of the potential this season.

I'm not happy with midtable, I don't believe that Blackie makes the right decision every time and when you analyse a lot of his individual selections you can get arguments for and against almost every one. But I do believe we stopped the rot, I do believe the board were right not to be hasty and stick to the plan (whatever that is) and also believe that whilst things aren't always pretty to watch, we're getting results by long, short ugly or pretty (at times). For now thats the important thing and once the team (finally) starts to settle and (finally) starts to click then we'll be in and around the play offs

 

[alcoblade]

Cheers Alco, I don't mind that you disagree, but its just where I see things.

I keep harking back to last season and I admit I do use that in a lot of my arguments, but I saw potential and positive signs then and although I've seen less this season, I've seen splashes of the potential this season.

I'm not happy with midtable, I don't believe that Blackie makes the right decision every time and when you analyse a lot of his individual selections you can get arguments for and against almost every one. But I do believe we stopped the rot, I do believe the board were right not to be hasty and stick to the plan (whatever that is) and also believe that whilst things aren't always pretty to watch, we're getting results by long, short ugly or pretty (at times). For now thats the important thing and once the team (finally) starts to settle and (finally) starts to click then we'll be in and around the play offs

Well stick with your beliefs. Although I've moved to the dark side, I remain impressed by those that argue against the herd. And the herd is often wrong. I hope we are.

UTB

 

[Bladesway]

Ooooh Ooohhh a thread about sacking Blackwell. I'm in here because its such a rare event.

If we FINISH 7th or lower then he has failed and has to go. I think most agree, so why not give him the season to prove people right or wrong? If he is sacked now it proves nothing and we have to pay him out a fat cheque. If he stays till the season is out then if we fail fiery and co can have their party knowing its more important to be right than for the team to succeed. After all, if you don't want Blackwell out your obviously happy with being crap. And with logic like that how can you argue?

 

[Micalijo]

The budget issue frustrates me, I wish McCabe wouldn't make such an issue of it. The problem is, our budget is big, but were competing for players with teams that have bigger budgets. We don't tend to compete with Donny, Pigs, Dingles and perhaps Watford for players. We TRY and compete against Newcastle, WBA and Boro, but lose out... I personally wished that the budget for individual players was lower and we got players on a par with each other in every dept - fees, wages, abilities, ambitions etc etc

I don't think that means that Blackie is a bad manager.

This season should have been a chance to build a team and squad, we needed to rebuild, but who ever sanctioned loans over permanent players mad a big mistake. No Doubt Blackie thought he could work with this, but I doubt that this is what he wanted to do. I also don't think he sanctioned all of the sales, but £££ signs won over the board.

If you look at the pattern theres a lot of teams that do keep sliding down the league, but I thought we'd stop the slide and rebuild.

For me, Blackie WAS the right man in the summer and if we kept him in the job then he also needed the season to do the job, so yes he still IS the right man. Depending on how this season ends up, I'd also say that if we kept him on in the summer, he needs two seasons, but we need to see how we're doing when this season is over.

There is no argument that long ball means winning and attractive means losing. What did I say again

All perfectly sensible stuff Swiss but I think the very simple point I'm making is that approximately 18-20 managers in the division would love the wedge he was given this summer and he's blown it as far as I'm concerned. Not only that, he is boring far more patient fans than me to the point of sheer misery.

I don't think the clubs you mention were competing for the lieks of France, Bunn and Reid but I take your point a bit, I suppose that Pancrate is an example?

 

[SwissBlade]

All perfectly sensible stuff Swiss but I think the very simple point I'm making is that approximately 18-20 managers in the division would love the wedge he was given this summer and he's blown it as far as I'm concerned. Not only that, he is boring far more patient fans than me to the point of sheer misery.

I don't think the clubs you mention were competing for the lieks of France, Bunn and Reid but I take your point a bit, I suppose that Pancrate is an example?

I'm sure they'd love the cash to spend, unfortunately with the 18-20 managers I don't think they'd do any better


Yeah Pancrate, Lita, Killa(rumours), Ward (rumours), probably others as well...


Plus I think the Newcastle threat was used to bump up Ched's price.... Speculation of course, so can't really use it in my argument.

Anyway, I think you saw my point, even if you don't agree