PURE crap

[CopenhagenBlade]

Sorry but I don't buy half of these arguments of why we should be so poor. It is also Hartlepool's 2nd game of the season, why aren't they more focused on the league? If KB is so worried about players getting injured then he shouldn't play them full stop. I would rather he played a team full of reserves who gave 100% than a team of first teamers giving 75%. With clubs so desperate for money this is a good way to get some income in especially as none of the premiership clubs take it seriously. If we get to the quarter finals, which is realistic if we take it seriously and then draw a top club we can quite easily earn £1m from the run. A cup run also gets the place buzzing and gives the players a boost and maybe makes them fight that bit harder for their place so that they get the chance to play at Old Traff, Anfield, Emirates etc if we draw a club like that.

Not good enough and the club has taken a step backwards after the positives from Sunday.

 

[LouTheBlade]

Nice to see some have their head screwed on!

The majority have SB. I still dont get what sheffielder meant about his missus though? He thinks I'm a bird doesnt he?! Priceless

 

[Grecian2000]

Yawn, yawn, yawn.

Where's Bill Murray?

Come Xmas, we'll have forgotten about the Hartlepool game. Yes, we should have won, given the side we put out. But it was only the league cup. I don't think it's a coincidence that other big sides in our league went out Tuesday night too.

Bring on QPR, a game with some meaning

Cheers Soton, I'd forgotten the "other big sides in our league" excuse.

So that's:

Not bothered about the Cup. . yada. . younsters . . yada . . too early in the season. . . yada . . only a game . . yada . . squad bedding in . . yada . . if we get promoted . . yada . . different on saturday . . yada . . other sides in our division lost . . yada . . divine right . . yada . . can't win every game . . yada

 

[Fiery Blade]

Blackwell's a loser so its not difficult to understand why so many losers tend to think he is the man for the job!
I want winners, thats why professional sportsmen and women get paid to play sport because they are winners! the best ! the ones that can command fees for playing sport when thousands play sport for fun at weekends!
Mr Blackwell is paid handsomely to manage and coach a team of professional footballers He is clearly unable to do that with any success ie He is not a winner
If he hasn't the balls to stand up to McCabe move out Martin O'Neill, a good football manager and a winner stood up for his principles ! Take Note Blackwell

 

[Micalijo]

Haha! Whats line? At what point have I defended Blackwell in these posts. I'm afraid the so called "knockers" like yourself and Len are the ones that look silly Mic, and you have really emphasised that with your last post. You do make me laugh you guys though you make out that the majority are the ones that are daft, yet your clear minority have all the answers. If you say so!

Here's a tip - support your team and stop being so obsessed with Blackwell.

I have maintained countless times that I am unsure of whether Blackwell is right for the job and I am still not at all convinced by him..........but what will moaning achieve?! He's the manager of the team/club I love. So I am going to get behind him!

You said he hasn't been able to name the same side as he did Sunday - meaning to me that you seem to absolve him from all responsibility of organising and motivating the side he picked yesterday (which on paper was pretty strong). It's a common technique Lou this detaching Blackwell from responsibility over the team as if the manager of a club is irrelevant and you are displaying big and worrying tendencies of following that line.

 

[SotonBlade]

Does any part of you understand that I/we are talking about the inability to keep the ball and create chances rather than the defeat itself?

Entirely Micalijo, i think the fact we lost to Hartlepool with a team full of mostly first teamers is poor. However, i'm also aware that it's the Carling Cup. If I were a manager in this league with a guaranteed 46 games in a season, and two Cup competitions, I would consider the Carling Cup to be the least important of the three, as will the players more than likely. If you get a good run in both cups players could play up to 60 games, remember 'that season', two cup run's and the playoff final was where we suffered. Given that we suffered with injuries last season, i'm convinced Blackwell told them to go out and play to win, but not to get injured etc, given there's a league game on Saturday.

Premier League teams moan about the number of matches they play in a season, but the Football League teams play far more in my opinion. The Carling Cup needs to be revamped if clubs are to take it seriously again.

I'm kinda glad we're out of it, with a small squad and the amount of injuries we had last season, 1 less competition is 1 less to pick up injuries in. Our focus has to be the league this season

 

[SotonBlade]

Cheers Soton, I'd forgotten the "other big sides in our league" excuse. - No Problem

So that's:

Not bothered about the Cup Correct - couldn't give two hoots about the Carling Cup. . yada. . youngsters Not an excuse there, good to give them a run out . . yada . . too early in the season Not an excuse there either, everyone is in the same boat. . . yada . . only a game How is that even an excuse?. . yada . . squad bedding in Only of couple of newbies in there last night, so no excuse there either. . yada . . if we get promoted Big If, but we have to go for it. . yada . . different on saturday I truely believe the League is more important so yeah it is. . yada . . other sides in our division lost I don't think that is a coincidence. . yada . . divine right we have no divine right to win any game, same for any team. . yada . . can't win every game Not even Barcelona do that . . yada

I really can't believe a loss in the Carling Cup has created this much anger

 

[SotonBlade]

Blackwell's a loser so its not difficult to understand why so many losers tend to think he is the man for the job!ll

I don't think he's the man for the job either, i haven't for a while. But i'm not going to get upset about a defeat in the Carling Cup.

I might get upset if we play the same way on Saturday, but not for the Carling bloody Cup!

 

[Fiery Blade]

You're missing the point - its not the fact that its the Carling bloody Cup ! It's the fact that it's Hartlepools we've lost to and the manner we played was atrocious!

 

[LouTheBlade]

You said he hasn't been able to name the same side as he did Sunday

Which is a fact.

meaning to me that you seem to absolve him from all responsibility of organising and motivating the side he picked yesterday

As you quite rightly point out yourself, that is your assumption of the point I was making. I haven't absolved him of anything. I'm simply stating a possible reason as to why United were beaten. I haven't placed blame at anyone's feet.

It's a common technique Lou this detaching Blackwell from responsibility over the team as if the manager of a club is irrelevant and you are displaying big and worrying tendencies of following that line.

If that's your interpretation of my posts you go with it mic, whatever you think mate. So, if this detaching Blackwell from responsibility (as you call it) is a common technique..........does it mean that a common technique is also squarely blaming Blackwell for absolutely everything that goes wrong on the pitch (if not the club)?!

If my show of support for United (try to understand I'm supporting my club) displays "worrying tendencies" then the majority of Blades must be showing the same thing..........in other words a high proportion of the club's support has lost its mind and this is an epidemic!!!!

 

[Robbie]

It's also a myth to think we did well under Warnock in the cups, 02/03 and a couple of fairly good runs in the FA Cup, we were just as bad for the most part.

We never got knocked out in the first round of the league cup under Warnock though if I remember rightly

 

[SotonBlade]

You're missing the point - its not the fact that its the Carling bloody Cup ! It's the fact that it's Hartlepools we've lost to and the manner we played was atrocious!

I get the point Mic. However i think the fact the game was in the Carling Cup had a lot to do with the manner of the defeat

 

[Grecian2000]

I really can't believe a loss in the Carling Cup has created this much anger

Not caused any anger with me. I was sat at Headingley last night with a mate who I have been to over 100 away grounds with and we never even mentioned the game until we were in the car on the way home and we heard the result. We laughed.
It's only three or four seasons back we would have been there watching but times have changed.

I was quite looking forward to the plethora of "it's only the Carling Cup" that would inevitably appear today. I think Hartlepool managing to beat us for the first time ever deserves a little bit of concern though.

 

[SotonBlade]

I was quite looking forward to the plethora of "it's only the Carling Cup" that would inevitably appear today. I think Hartlepool managing to beat us for the first time ever deserves a little bit of concern though.

If it was the League i'd be worried I'll only be worried if it is the same on Saturday.

 

[LouTheBlade]

You're missing the point - its not the fact that its the Carling bloody Cup ! It's the fact that it's Hartlepools we've lost to and the manner we played was atrocious!

Try to undertsand what Soton is saying Fiery..........

I don't think he's the man for the job either, i haven't for a while. But i'm not going to get upset about a defeat in the Carling Cup.

I might get upset if we play the same way on Saturday, but not for the Carling bloody Cup!

He's saying doesnt particularly rate Blackwell - and I'm more or less of the same mind set despite suggestions by mic to the contrary. Soton is also saying that he cares more for the League than the Carling Cup, which is his opinion/preference and a fairly sensible one IMO. He is also being mature about the defeat in accepting that its the cup and these things happen so why get wound up about it?

It might thoroughly drive you to the brink of insanity that United played badly and lost to lesser opposition but it won't change the fact. Hartlepool are tough, battling side and they were never going to lie down with their best side out. It was a little upset, we're out - it's done. We were shite, we must do better next time - move on!

 

[Bergen Blade]

I think it's good that there is at least some sort of debate following us being easily beaten by Hartlepool.

 

[beightonblade]

how many more times? ..................cheap as chips is the wrong man for the job!

 

[davidpinder]

The cup run isn't what bothers me its the fact yet again our first shot on target came in the 90th minute. How many times did we hear that last season? Ignore the side we put out, we were back to the same old tactics. A side made up of Yeates, Cresswell, Ward (for some part) and britton are not capable of creating a shot on target for 90 mins? I just hope we are not going to see the same old bad performances all season long with no change in tactics. I suppose the question is, is our tactically inept manager going to give us the same crap all season??

Wigan at home would have been OK though

 

[raul]

I'm with Grumpy on not being bothered aout last night's defeat whereas I would have in been in the past, but can you clarify something for me Lou? You're not bothered we lost last night because we won't win it anyway and it's more important to concentrate on the league - which on another thread you don't want us to do well in so as to avoid propmotion to a league above.

Shall we just play friendlies?

 

[LouTheBlade]

I'm with Grumpy on not being bothered aout last night's defeat whereas I would have in been in the past, but can you clarify something for me Lou? You're not bothered we lost last night because we won't win it anyway and it's more important to concentrate on the league - which on another thread you don't want us to do well in so as to avoid propmotion to a league above.

Shall we just play friendlies?

That's not exactly what I said raul. Your question is a valid one though and I expected come back like this off the back of that thread. What I tried to emphasise in the thread was that yes I want to see United chasing promotion and if it was offered on a plate tomorrow I would snatch your hand off, however.....and this is where the point of my thread comes in..........

I feel that the Premier League, because of its various unsavoury elements - is not as attractive a prize (to me personally) as it once was. For all of the reasons I outlined in that thread, such as it being a little clique and the fact that United have always been treated so poorly by the exclusive club. As well as all the other things I mentioned that make me disgusted in our top flight and the people that are involved in it.

Essentially what I was getting at (and it seemed to relate to a few people) is that I associate our club with grit, determination and for the most part honesty. As another poster correctly touched on, we are a club with traditional working class values and character. I feel that if we were to ever even break into the elite little club as an accepted member (unlikely) we would be forfeiting the soul of the club and become the same as the rest of these over-paid, self-absorbed prima-donnas that no in the real world can relate to..........

In other words, football at the top level has lost its magical appeal for me

It doesnt mean I dont want United to achieve its ultimate goal. It just mean that my excitement at achieving it would be severely tempered because of my dim view of top level football in this country.

 

[Revolution]

Lou is only bothered about the FA Cup, raul.

 

[raul]

That's not exactly what I said raul. Your question is a valid one though and I expected come back like this off the back of that thread. What I tried to emphasise in the thread was that yes I want to see United chasing promotion and if it was offered on a plate tomorrow I would snatch your hand off, however.....and this is where the point of my thread comes in..........

I feel that the Premier League, because of its various unsavoury elements - is not as attractive a prize (to me personally) as it once was. For all of the reasons I outlined in that thread, such as it being a little clique and the fact that United have always been treated so poorly by the exclusive club. As well as all the other things I mentioned that make me disgusted in our top flight and the people that are involved in it.

Essentially what I was getting at (and it seemed to relate to a few people) is that I associate our club with grit, determination and for the most part honesty. As another poster correctly touched on, we are a club with traditional working class values and character. I feel that if we were to ever even break into the elite little club as an accepted member (unlikely) we would be forfeiting the soul of the club and become the same as the rest of these over-paid, self-absorbed prima-donnas that no in the real world can relate to..........

In other words, football at the top level has lost its magical appeal for me

It doesnt mean I dont want United to achieve its ultimate goal. It just mean that my excitement at achieving it would be severely tempered because of my dim view of top level football in this country.

If that's how you feel then fair enough, but what values would you ascribe to, say, Stoke, or Bolton, or Blackburn, or Birmingham?



If football is to retain any values whatsoever, football needs to be competitive. You go to a game because you want to see your side beat the other, to progress to the next round, to climb the table, to pit themselves against other teams with similar aims. To not enter the fray wanting to be the best you can be is somthing I just can't comprehend. Everything about the club save the playing element of it screams Premiership, but what was the point of it all if we go down the inverted snobbery route becase we think "they won't like us"?

 

[Robbie]

In other words, football at the top level has lost its magical appeal for me

Probably because the realisation that all we will ever be is a lower table team when we get there, has hit home.

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

We never got knocked out in the first round of the league cup under Warnock though if I remember rightly

Maybe not the 1st round of the Carling but we had some inept performances in the cups as we had this very same debate year in year out on BU. We also scraped through a few early rounds despite being awful.

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

If that's how you feel then fair enough, but what values would you ascribe to, say, Stoke, or Bolton, or Blackburn, or Birmingham?



If football is to retain any values whatsoever, football needs to be competitive. You go to a game because you want to see your side beat the other, to progress to the next round, to climb the table, to pit themselves against other teams with similar aims. To not enter the fray wanting to be the best you can be is somthing I just can't comprehend. Everything about the club save the playing element of it screams Premiership, but what was the point of it all if we go down the inverted snobbery route becase we think "they won't like us"?

The Chumpionship is probably the most competitive league in the country in that every team can beat every other on a given day, you certainly can't say that about the Prem. In that respect, for the 'true' football fan with all the aspirations you're talking about, you could argue that this is the best league to be in. Trouble is, what happens next ? You have to have something to aim for but if the 'promised land' is anything but, where do we go from here ?

We've debated it to death countless times but whilever the money is as it is, things aren't going to change and that's all it becomes, a money chase. What's more important, a (probable) meaningless few games in the un-supported Carling Cup or concentrating your efforts on where the money is i.e. promotion.

 

[HoodedClaw]

Performance sounded really poor last night, but as Blackwell has said the priority is the league Im going to let him off last nights shambles.

It has increased the pressure on him for a decent performance on Saturday though IMO.

He's still got 9 league games left to convince me he should stay. Come on Blackwell lets see what you're made of.

 

[raul]

Lou is only bothered about the FA Cup, raul.

There will be no point winning away at Mansfield in round 3 because Dave Richards will only make sure we get Chelsea away in the 4th.

 

[Robbie]

Maybe not the 1st round of the Carling but we had some inept performances in the cups as we had this very same debate year in year out on BU. We also scraped through a few early rounds despite being awful.

2 years running now for us though under Blackwell, both to poor opposition.

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

We never got knocked out in the first round of the league cup under Warnock though if I remember rightly

He's either lost his touch then, or he is holding the League Cup in the same contempt as most other Championship clubs, because they were even more dire than we were on Tuesday.

To everyone else, lift the head and take a look around, there were many clubs of a similar level to us who capitulated against lower sides. As SF said we seem to be following the rest of the pack and only paying lip service to the competition. Sad and disappointing though this is, it merely confirms the cup is living out its last. And as for this being specifically a Blackwell issue, do you really think a different manager would've have changed the approach of the club to last nights fixture?

 

[JJ Sefton]

...remember 'that season', two cup run's and the playoff final was where we suffered.

Was it? I thought we just bottled it in a big game as we did in 1998, 1997, 1993...