The evidence - Blackwell has lost it

[oldblade]

The Guardian says that despite our three goals, Cardiff were "vastly superior". I found that very hard to argue with, obviously plenty disagree!

If they were 'vastly' superior to us they should have won by a bigger margin and wouldn't have conceded three against a side that they allegedly dominated.

 

[Guesty]

Have you never seen the blades be vastly superior to someone yet not won by the margin they deserved to? In every derby Pressman ever played in, for example.

 

[lenners]

You don't really read people's posts, do you? Of course losing doesn't represent a good performance. However, that is such a ridiculous thing to say in that consider if we'd played Barcelona, played out of our skin, drawn 7-7 and lost on penalties, would you allow anyone to say it then? Regardless, nobody has said that. What people are saying is that there are plenty of positives to take from the game - superior possession, shots on/off target, corners etc. plus the fact that we all witnessed a much improved "style" of football, plenty of character, guts and enthusiasm. Compared with recent performances it's perfectly acceptable to consider Saturday's game a "good performance". You're only as good as your last game and prior to Saturday we were shit. Going into the Newcastle game we are looking stronger and were unlucky to get something out of our last game. Nobody is saying it was like watching Brazil on Saturday, just that we were a lot better than other performances recently.

Being marginally better than crap does not equate to a good performance.
I have acknowledged we played better than the previous two matches but pretending conceding four at home is in anyway good is definitely not a healthy direction for SUFC to go. It was also definitely not unlucky.
Other than a dramatic spell in injury time we were well beaten by a slightly above average side.
No more, no less.

 

[oldblade]

Have you never seen the blades be vastly superior to someone yet not won by the margin they deserved to? In every derby Pressman ever played in, for example.

Could you explain to me how Cardiff were vastly superior? They weren't. They obviously did enough to win, but weren't exactly light years better than us. Our defence was comical, but their's was pretty poor as well. We created as many clear cut chances as they did, won more corners, were their equal in terms of possession, but lost by one goal. Not a good result, but no 'vast' difference.

I am as sceptical of Blackwell's ability to reverse the trend as anyone. But I'm not going to try and paint our performance as being worse than it was, or their's as being better than it was.

 

[shorehamview]

Have you never seen the blades be vastly superior to someone yet not won by the margin they deserved to? In every derby Pressman ever played in, for example.

There's almost always a way of getting that fat octopus in when talking about unlucky Blades performances.

 

[Casper]

Apart from the goals, neither goalkeeper had much to do. As ive said before, yes we played much better than in recent games, but that didnt make it a good performance. Cardiff controlled the game and had more of a cutting edge. Yes we kept the ball on the deck and played percentage passes but they just jockied us, crowded us out and when they won the ball looked far more fluid than us. Our defence was on the back foot every time they attacked. We looked like a team of half decent players who had never played together. Yes we played the ball around but it just seemed uncomfortable, contrived and disjointed to me. They looked like a team who had a game plan, and a method of playing that they were comfortable with.

Saturday was a game when a few long balls to Hendo, with Camara running off him, might just have worked. Blackwell bottled it - caved in to the fan pressure and kept the ball on the deck at all costs. This to me is not the mark of a man completely confident in his own thinking and methods.

 

[TonyAgana]

Being marginally better than crap does not equate to a good performance.
I have acknowledged we played better than the previous two matches but pretending conceding four at home is in anyway good is definitely not a healthy direction for SUFC to go. It was also definitely not unlucky.
Other than a dramatic spell in injury time we were well beaten by a slightly above average side.
No more, no less.

AGAIN, nobody has said that, hence the lack of a quote in your post. And a Morgan clearance hitting Walker on the arse and falling sweetly for their striker is unlucky. As is Kilgallon's volley being headed off the line when the defender knew nothing about it.

 

[Fiery Blade]

Liverpool went into todays game with Man Utd with worse form than us and on the back of their worst run for 40 yrs (I'm sure thats what was said) - they turned it round and SO WILL WE.

Too many are letting their private agenda's re-Blacky distort our season. We've drawn with 'Boro and WBA and should have got something yesterday.

I'll put my head on the block and say - we'll beat Newcastle - I really think we will!!

UTB

I cannot believe that youre comparing us with Liverpool!
The big difference is that they have two world class players in Torres and Gerrard that would walk into any side in the world we don't have two players who would walk into any Championship side Even Pro Rata your auguement has no legs.
Unfortunately for Mr Blackwell, Mr McCabe and many people on this forum football is now a results game. It is no good Mr Blackwell complaining that people are on his back, don't recognise what he has done for the club, injuries, small squad, international breaks, bad luck - Whatever excuse you come up with Mr Blackwell it has been used before - Even big Sam is claiming Swine Flu after being stuffed at Chelsea.
We obviously don't have the ambition of Middlesborough as their chairman saw fit to replace their manager before the season was lost!
I don't know about beating Newcastle but given that things won't change in the management of the club we are in for an indifferent season with the ultimate ambition is to beat Newcastle at home:thumbdown:

 

[TonyAgana]

Ok Fiery Blade, you have a pop at TH about comparing us with Liverpool, yet you compare us with Middlesborough in the same post. Can we afford Gordon Strachan? Can we even afford to sack Kevin Blackwell? Borough have a much bigger pot than us and I think it's about time some Blades fans recognised that we simply don't have black bags of 50s lying around the place anymore.

 

[Fiery Blade]

Ok Fiery Blade, you have a pop at TH about comparing us with Liverpool, yet you compare us with Middlesborough in the same post. Can we afford Gordon Strachan? Can we even afford to sack Kevin Blackwell? Borough have a much bigger pot than us and I think it's about time some Blades fans recognised that we simply don't have black bags of 50s lying around the place anymore.

Perhaps thats the main problem TA
McCabe and Blackwell have been talking us up as a big club for the last two years
McCabe employed Robson when we were in the same boat as 'Boro
Boro' are not as big a club as Sheffield United FC, not as big a fan base etc but they have a chairman who is willing to sink some cash into the club to achieve success - McCabes money is all based on loans and the only reason he chased the Tevez case was to ensure that he or Scarborough Holdings would get paid

 

[TonyAgana]

For the last 2 years, we had the money to compete and McCabe and Blackwell had every right to talk us up as one. Cash (admittedly not from McCabe but from the parachute payments) was made available for the squad and where the Robson debacle has gone down in history as a monumental failure, the appointment of KB has to go down as an equally monumental success. The money Robson spent on those players suddenly looked like money well spent when we rocketed up the table.

That money was still available last season although a little restructuring needed to take place with Beattie's agent stirring shit up. But that money has now gone. I don't think the "talking us up" has been so prevailant this season, but both proud Blades fans and fans looking for a stick to twat KB and KM with are hanging onto that self-appointed tag.

And why shouldn't McCabe want his money back? Because he's a Blade?

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

a slightly above average side.

'a slightly above average side' who happen to be lying 2nd in the table having scored more goals than anyone else by some way

 

[Fiery Blade]

Perhaps then, Blackwell should have gone at the end of last season
He must have obviously discussed finances with Kevin McCabe when he was 'persuaded' to continue in his role so don't bleat on about squad size etc
And Blackwell is the man who has signed Ried, Fortune and not played them!
And earlier in the season we we talking about signing McIndoe, Lita, Smith etc All Bullsh!t

 

[TonyAgana]

Perhaps then, Blackwell should have gone at the end of last season. He must have obviously discussed finances with Kevin McCabe when he was 'persuaded' to continue in his role so don't bleat on about squad size etc

I think that would've been the most sensible move.

And Blackwell is the man who has signed Ried, Fortune and not played them!
And earlier in the season we we talking about signing McIndoe, Lita, Smith etc All Bullsh!t

Au contraire, Fiery. Not at all bullshit. At least one of the players you listed SUFC got to the point of organising accommodation for the player and family.

 

[Isiah]

For the last 2 years, we had the money to compete and McCabe and Blackwell had every right to talk us up as one. Cash (admittedly not from McCabe but from the parachute payments) was made available for the squad and where the Robson debacle has gone down in history as a monumental failure, the appointment of KB has to go down as an equally monumental success. The money Robson spent on those players suddenly looked like money well spent when we rocketed up the table.

That money was still available last season although a little restructuring needed to take place with Beattie's agent stirring shit up. But that money has now gone. I don't think the "talking us up" has been so prevailant this season, but both proud Blades fans and fans looking for a stick to twat KB and KM with are hanging onto that self-appointed tag.

And why shouldn't McCabe want his money back? Because he's a Blade?

Don't want to dredge all that up again TA but start talking about money and I and I think many others start getting a tad confused. You are happy that for the last two years we have had the money to compete with the help of the parachute payments. This season we have apparently halved the wages bill, down from £20M to £10M and have the Kyles money and the first Tevez payment to more than compenste but seem almost overnight to have gone from a financially healthy and well managed and structured club to having nothing in the kitty. I know that's an over simplification but you get my drift.

The bottom line for me, and I am not one for throwing caution to the wind believe me, is that if I can't look forward to enjoying my football at the Lane, then financial stability doesn't really mean an awful lot.

 

[Highbury_Blade]

Don't want to dredge all that up again TA but start talking about money and I and I think many others start getting a tad confused. You are happy that for the last two years we have had the money to compete with the help of the parachute payments. This season we have apparently halved the wages bill, down from £20M to £10M and have the Kyles money and the first Tevez payment to more than compenste but seem almost overnight to have gone from a financially healthy and well managed and structured club to having nothing in the kitty. I know that's an over simplification but you get my drift.

The bottom line for me, and I am not one for throwing caution to the wind believe me, is that if I can't look forward to enjoying my football at the Lane, then financial stability doesn't really mean an awful lot.

How much of an annual transfer budget do you think a club of SUFC's size should have (inc signing on and agents fees)?

Do bear in mind that the kyle money hasn't all come through yet, and the tevez money has been earmarked to reduce club debt.

 

[Fiery Blade]

If there is no money then why are we looking to Premier League clubs to recruit both loanees and signings and not trawling the lower leagues for the unearthed gems that Wolves (Kightley, Ebanks Blake, Iwulumo, etc) are picking up instead of Bunn, Treacey, Davies, etc from the Premier League. I am sure Cresswell, Harper and now Walker are not on peanuts!

 

[Isiah]

How much of an annual transfer budget do you think a club of SUFC's size should have (inc signing on and agents fees)?

Do bear in mind that the kyle money hasn't all come through yet, and the tevez money has been earmarked to reduce club debt.

It's not so much the size of the budget, though I do expect us to be second only to the relegated clubs given our very healthy fan base, as the very rapid decline in our financial situation that concerns me.
Mr.Mc. has introduced a business model which is, I believe, unique in football in that he has joined the club into his business activities, with best intentions I am sure, but with minimal risk to him.
Others in his position, that is wealthy, succesful businessmen with a personal attachment to a particular club have kept their business interests separate and acted simply as benefactor.
It may prove to be a masterstroke in the long term but at the moment there seems to be more going out of the footballing pot than is coming in from this structure.