Have you changed your mind??

[Darren]

Really upset me the stick Warnock is getting on this string. OK he blew it on the big day but I'd have snapped anyone's hand off at start of term to be going into that last game with 38 points on the board. I'd have taken a chance to get to 41 and almost certain safety given past required totals. 38 is usually enough. I still argue at work with a Blade who says his away tactics cost us. 10 points is a reasonable total in my opinion for a promoted side. It gives you a chance anyway. I know we were woeful in parts but it wasn't a total disaster.

Hull were incredibly lucky to stay up with 34 I think and everyone raves about them as being such a breath of fresh air, signed attacking players etc. We got more points and overall were just incredibly unlucky in my opinion.

Of the 11 premier league seasons since 1999-00, only in 2002-03 and 2006-07 was 38 points not enough to stay up.

 

[Darren]

Is Hulse in the Prem? Is Kazim? Will Brown be for long? Nade was indeed shit! What's he doing now? How many premiership goals has he scored? Why is Kabba at Brentford and Burton Albion? Warnock did not sign the hugely overrated Marcus Bent - that was Heath. He did sign Luton Shelton though - where's he now?

As to bad luck; all teams have it. Webber hitting the post was bad finishing not bad luck. Why was Jags playing basketball?

West Ham cheated the whole league, not just us. Why did we not have it in us to finish one place higher? Because we were not good enough. We failed to bring in players of Premiership quality. Every one of the players you name makes my point stronger.

The point is that, if the competition had been played by all 20 teams according to the rules, we were the 4th worse team in the PL and should have stayed up. West Ham were the 3rd worse team in the PL and should have gone down. Thats all there is to it.

 

[Ollessendro]

Really upset me the stick Warnock is getting on this string. OK he blew it on the big day but I'd have snapped anyone's hand off at start of term to be going into that last game with 38 points on the board. I'd have taken a chance to get to 41 and almost certain safety given past required totals. 38 is usually enough. I still argue at work with a Blade who says his away tactics cost us. 10 points is a reasonable total in my opinion for a promoted side. It gives you a chance anyway. I know we were woeful in parts but it wasn't a total disaster.

Hull were incredibly lucky to stay up with 34 I think and everyone raves about them as being such a breath of fresh air, signed attacking players etc. We got more points and overall were just incredibly unlucky in my opinion.

amen brother!

Don't always agree with what you say Micalijo, but a lot of the time you hot the nail on the head. This is one of them.

That clown Blackwell is not fir to lick sir Neils ...... erm, tracksuit!?

 

[Grecian2000]

"I still argue at work with a Blade who says his away tactics cost us"

Shame you don't work here, we could have the same argument!

I said at the start of that season that we may not be good enough to stay up but if we went out and gave it a go then so be it. Far too many times we didn't "give it a go" away from home and that is what cost us in the end.
However, that was the Prem and now we are in the Championship and we are saddled with a negative twat who doesn't even give it a go at this level. That, to me, is completely unforgivable.

 

[Revolution]

Really upset me the stick Warnock is getting on this string. OK he blew it on the big day but I'd have snapped anyone's hand off at start of term to be going into that last game with 38 points on the board. I'd have taken a chance to get to 41 and almost certain safety given past required totals.

So would I. But given the position we were in in January, we had a chance to do better than that. Unfortunately, with the exception of the signing of Stead, all of the considerable funds we spent in the window were completely wasted so far as that season was concerned (kilgallon has worked out well but was crocked when signed and poor when he was fit).

It was the club's big chance to consolidate in the PL and we chucked money at people we didn't need, or didn't play, or both. this is not McCabe's fault. The money was there. Just wasted.

As for the away form, 8 goals in 19 games is, by any measure, pathetic. we never scored twice away from home. 4-5-1 yielded one point (Man City) and yet was used again and again to no effect whatsoever. They had some bad luck (Old Trafford, Blackburn) but the lack of ambition in some of the fixtures (eg Arsenal) was pathetic to see.

the longer we are pootering along in this league - I am fully braced for 12 to 14 years again, the rate we are going - the worse those 2 errors, wasting cash and not showing more ambition away - will look.

 

[Elsecar_Blade]

I haven't changed my opinion of Blackwell to be honest since the Reds game.

I don't think he is the man for the job BUT I don't think it is right to forget everything done previously when a team is struggling with injuries. Yes, the injury excuse was wearing thin - there were never as many as he said - but key players were missing when we couldn't win a game.

In his first few months in charge, he took us from near-catastrophe that Robson was inflicting and we almost sneaked the Play Off spot. Last season, we were challenging for automatic promotion on the final day, made the Play Off Final and the season was generally - two games apart - a successful one.

We actually started well again this season until the injuries hit. It would have been very unfair to sack him considering the achievements of the previous eighteen months. Sadly, football fans now are very blinkered and only see the form table (last six games) and the big games from before that. I think there are a few people holding Play Off Finals and Wednesday's double against him too much.

He deserves till the end of the season. If we make the Play Offs, I think he deserves another season whatever my opinion of his tactics or potential is.

Re: Warnock

Legend for the promotion campaign and the 02/03 season.
Legend for the Premier Legaue home form, i.e. wins over Spurs, Arsenal etc ...
Poor tactic away from home and poor signings.

But don't forget the number of cock-up's that certain players made that cost us that season - Paddy against Everton; Paddy and Davis against Pompey. I guess people blame different people and everyone needs someone to blame for our shortcomings that season (Teve apart). Some will blame Warnock, I personally blame Paddy (which might be why I want to support Bunn so much), some will blame the board, some will blame the referees.

What I will say about Warnock is that usually, the points we got would have been enough. Had West Ham not cheated, it would probably have been enough. Had we got the rub of the green from referees, it would have been enough. Had his goalkeeper engaged his brain more against Everton, it would have been enough. There were more things went against us that season than went for us. He was very unlucky. But I do take your points about away tactics and signings on board because they were poor.

 

[Fiery Blade]

I haven't changed my opinion of Blackwell to be honest since the Reds game.

I don't think he is the man for the job BUT I don't think it is right to forget everything done previously when a team is struggling with injuries. Yes, the injury excuse was wearing thin - there were never as many as he said - but key players were missing when we couldn't win a game.

In his first few months in charge, he took us from near-catastrophe that Robson was inflicting and we almost sneaked the Play Off spot. Last season, we were challenging for automatic promotion on the final day, made the Play Off Final and the season was generally - two games apart - a successful one.

We actually started well again this season until the injuries hit. It would have been very unfair to sack him considering the achievements of the previous eighteen months. Sadly, football fans now are very blinkered and only see the form table (last six games) and the big games from before that. I think there are a few people holding Play Off Finals and Wednesday's double against him too much.

He deserves till the end of the season. If we make the Play Offs, I think he deserves another season whatever my opinion of his tactics or potential is.

Re: Warnock

Legend for the promotion campaign and the 02/03 season.
Legend for the Premier Legaue home form, i.e. wins over Spurs, Arsenal etc ...
Poor tactic away from home and poor signings.

But don't forget the number of cock-up's that certain players made that cost us that season - Paddy against Everton; Paddy and Davis against Pompey. I guess people blame different people and everyone needs someone to blame for our shortcomings that season (Teve apart). Some will blame Warnock, I personally blame Paddy (which might be why I want to support Bunn so much), some will blame the board, some will blame the referees.

What I will say about Warnock is that usually, the points we got would have been enough. Had West Ham not cheated, it would probably have been enough. Had we got the rub of the green from referees, it would have been enough. Had his goalkeeper engaged his brain more against Everton, it would have been enough. There were more things went against us that season than went for us. He was very unlucky. But I do take your points about away tactics and signings on board because they were poor.

It was Gerrard and Davis cockup V Pompey
Poor signings
poor away tactics even against the likes of Bolton,Blackkburn, Fulham
Very poor away tactics v Villa
Shit performance v Wigan!

 

[Fiery Blade]

PS Blackwell Out!

Frightened stiif of losing away games Bottled it at QPR
Nearly bottled it at Plymouth

Why waste another season Get him out ASAP

 

[tomtheblade]

If we're honest i would say Blackwell is similar in many ways to Warnock. We were a lot more patient with Warnock because we really were in the shit when he arrived, on and off the pitch.

Footballing wise i don't think they're that different. Bear in mind Blackwell has a very good win ratio with us.

I'm not saying Blackwell is god or anything, just that people can look at the past with rose tinted spectacles.

 

[alcoblade]

PS Blackwell Out!

Frightened stiif of losing away games Bottled it at QPR
Nearly bottled it at Plymouth

Why waste another season Get him out ASAP

To be fair (and speaking as a non fan) his away tactics gave us the most succseful away run in the clubs history. I can handle that, and I don't care about entertaining away.

The problem, for me, is that we play similar tactics at home. Coupled with being really rubbish to watch, it's not so successful as it doesn't work as well against sides if they don't come at you.

It was our home form that let us down, and bored us shitless, last season.

UTB

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

One thing I would say though about negative tactics is that it seems to instil in the players the belief that maybe we aren't good enough. It is this that I put down to why we seem to panic when we have our big games. We don't actually think we are the best side, just like last years playoff final we didn't think we were the 3rd best team in the division and that we had to pack midfield in order to stop Burnley playing.
I just think setting up every away game to stop the opposition playing gives you the mindset that they are better than you, and that you have to force your game on them.
I'd much prefer us to get a settled team and system to setup home and say now you worry about us.
I suppose the problem is we can't say that doing that will get us into the top 6 but I honestly think that on paper we have an eleven that is stronger than at least 18 teams in our league.

 

[alcoblade]

One thing I would say though about negative tactics is that it seems to instil in the players the belief that maybe we aren't good enough. It is this that I put down to why we seem to panic when we have our big games. We don't actually think we are the best side, just like last years playoff final we didn't think we were the 3rd best team in the division and that we had to pack midfield in order to stop Burnley playing.
I just think setting up every away game to stop the opposition playing gives you the mindset that they are better than you, and that you have to force your game on them.
I'd much prefer us to get a settled team and system to setup home and say now you worry about us.
I suppose the problem is we can't say that doing that will get us into the top 6 but I honestly think that on paper we have an eleven that is stronger than at least 18 teams in our league.

yes, I think you're spot on with this. Blackwell out...

UTB

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

yes, I think you're spot on with this. Blackwell out...

UTB

Well it makes a nice change.


P.S. that settled 11 would include Ched right?

 

[tomtheblade]

To be fair (and speaking as a non fan) his away tactics gave us the most succseful away run in the clubs history. I can handle that, and I don't care about entertaining away.

The problem, for me, is that we play similar tactics at home. Coupled with being really rubbish to watch, it's not so successful as it doesn't work as well against sides if they don't come at you.

It was our home form that let us down, and bored us shitless, last season.

UTB

That's a good point about home form. In our first few years under Warnock, our home form was as great as our away form was dire. This does have a significant impact on fans views as obviously the majority of fans are the ones who go to home matches, so these are the performances that they remember, and their impressions of form are shaped more by games and results they do see than ones they don't.

Therefore doing well at home is likely to increase the overall satisfaction of the fans with the team than if that form was at away games instead. Sounds obvious i know, but really, if Blackwell kept our form as it is with the shift onto home games instead, i'd be willing to bet he'd get a lot more backing from the supporters.

 

[alcoblade]

Well it makes a nice change.


P.S. that settled 11 would include Ched right?

I take it your tongue was firmly in cheek, but as you know, it wouldn't. I'd have him on the list before any more appearance fees add insult to injury.

UTB

 

[alcoblade]

That's a good point about home form. In our first few years under Warnock, our home form was as great as our away form was dire. This does have a significant impact on fans views as obviously the majority of fans are the ones who go to home matches, so these are the performances that they remember, and their impressions of form are shaped more by games and results they do see than ones they don't.

Therefore doing well at home is likely to increase the overall satisfaction of the fans with the team than if that form was at away games instead. Sounds obvious i know, but really, if Blackwell kept our form as it is with the shift onto home games instead, i'd be willing to bet he'd get a lot more backing from the supporters.

I think you're right, but I think on top or results (still 75% of it), fans expect to be entertained a little more on the field at home than away. I certainly do.

UTB

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

I take it your tongue was firmly in cheek, but as you know, it wouldn't. I'd have him on the list before any more appearance fees add insult to injury.

UTB

No it was tongue in cheek, I know he wouldn't be in your team.

 

[alcoblade]

No it was tongue in cheek, I know he wouldn't be in your team.

well we both hope I'm wrong on this one. We'll see.

UTB

 

[tomtheblade]

I think you're right, but I think on top or results (still 75% of it), fans expect to be entertained a little more on the field at home than away. I certainly do.

UTB

Oh yes most definitely, i was talking about both performances and results. Blackwell is undoubtedly, fustratingly, too negative.