Tin Hat Time?

[boo radley]

So following on from all the Fiery's Thread.
Is it tin hat time at the lane? Whats wrong with that if some form of negotiation/restructuring is taking place?
Maybe I'm a little too 'Glass Half Full' but the way things are going for next season gives me optimism. (Not wiped off hope for this season yet).
If a lot of restructuring is taking place and it gives us a sound money base then why should we get to know that the tea lady also now does the ironing?
Will all the season ticket holders who ditch regret that they did? Yes we may start with 20,000. But if we start winning you'll all be paying higher prices to watch your beloved Blades.
Or maybe you'll be right and be able to say 'I told you so'. Personally I will continue to support my beloved Blades like I did all the way down and back from Division 4.

 

[Grecian2000]

Will all the season ticket holders who ditch regret that they did? Yes we may start with 20,000. But if we start winning you'll all be paying higher prices to watch your beloved Blades.

Honest answer to the question is NO. No regrets.

If Blackwell is still around (which is the only reason I will ditch) then it doesn't matter what results we get as I'm going due to a lack of entertainment not anything to do with results themselves.

I'll be back, whatever the price, whoever the manager, once he has departed.

 

[Ted Danson]

Honest answer to the question is NO. No regrets.

If Blackwell is still around (which is the only reason I will ditch) then it doesn't matter what results we get as I'm going due to a lack of entertainment not anything to do with results themselves.

I'll be back, whatever the price, whoever the manager, once he has departed.

Even Robson? seems a daft statement to me. Are you really saying you wouldnt come if we were playing like we did last home game every week just because Blacky is the manager yet you would come and watch crap as long as it wasnt Blackwell?

Il be back whatever price and whoever the manager, even Blackwell.

 

[Grecian2000]

Even Robson? seems a daft statement to me. Are you really saying you wouldnt come if we were playing like we did last home game every week just because Blacky is the manager yet you would come and watch crap as long as it wasnt Blackwell?

Why is it a daft statement? Surely suggesting it would be Robson is way dafter.

Whoever comes in, as with Robson, will deserve a chance. Are you saying you wouldn't go because we appointed someone you didn't agree? I wouldn't simply assume it would be "watching crap" as you clearly would, without seeing it for myself.
Boo made the point in the original post that he had seen us go right down to the 4th. So did I, never stopped going then but not prepared to pay and watch anymore of what we are seeing most games now.

Blackwell has had his chance as far as I am concerned and has proved over the last season and two thirds that he cannot get us playing attacking, entertaining football on a regular basis. A couple of games of decent stuff might be like an oasis in the desert but isn't inspiring me until I see it on a regular basis.

 

[Worksop II]

why should we get to know that the tea lady also now does the ironing?

What, she is ironing with a Teapot ?

 

[Wards]

I won't renew (and it'd be the 1st time in 20 years) if Blackwell is still in charge. I have no reason for optimism if he's still in place. I don't actually mind the bloke, and I see myself as one of the more optimistic types, but I think it'd be chucking good money down the sh*tter. I'd be much more inclined to pick and choose my games, and probably attend more away than I have done this season.

 

[Ted Danson]

Why is it a daft statement? Surely suggesting it would be Robson is way dafter.

How is that dafter when you state 'whoever is in charge' so it could be anyone including Robson

Are you saying you wouldn't go because we appointed someone you didn't agree? I wouldn't simply assume it would be "watching crap" as you clearly would, without seeing it for myself.

No, as I said in my post I will go whoever is in charge

Boo made the point in the original post that he had seen us go right down to the 4th. So did I, never stopped going then but not prepared to pay and watch anymore of what we are seeing most games now.

So did I, are you saying it was more entertaining getting relegated to the 4th?

Blackwell has had his chance as far as I am concerned and has proved over the last season and two thirds that he cannot get us playing attacking, entertaining football on a regular basis. A couple of games of decent stuff might be like an oasis in the desert but isn't inspiring me until I see it on a regular basis.

I think he can produce entertaining football given a full strength squad and not being under orders to cut the wage bill. Am I the only one who actually sees that injuries effect the style of football we play?

 

[Bramley]

Managers come and go, players the same, I'll be there B-Block Shoreham.

 

[Dog Blade]

Honest answer to the question is NO. No regrets.

If Blackwell is still around (which is the only reason I will ditch) then it doesn't matter what results we get as I'm going due to a lack of entertainment not anything to do with results themselves.

I'll be back, whatever the price, whoever the manager, once he has departed.

I'll be there next year.

Can't say I enjoy the football much at the minute (Bristol game aside struggling to think of last home game I thought was decent) but I love the 'day' too much to give it up. If it didn't involve beer and banter beforehand, and then sitting with a great bunch of Blades battering the away dugout during the game, I think I'd be similar to Grecian - and for similar reasons.

I know plenty who genuinely won't bother next season if Blackwell is still there. I'm one of three brothers who go - the older two have had enough and aren't bothering next season, along with 2 x bored kids each. Shame.

 

[Grecian2000]

How is that dafter when you state 'whoever is in charge' so it could be anyone including Robson

So it's not dafter to think Robson is ever going to get offered (not to mention accept) the job?
OK. You are right. It's bound to be Robson. Silly me. Tell you what I'll give you 100/1 that it isn't. Any money you like over £100.
I'll stick by my statement. I'll go whoever is in charge other than Blackwell (yes, even if it's Robson - and there's more chance of it being Bobby!).

No, as I said in my post I will go whoever is in charge

What? Even if it's Robson?

So did I, are you saying it was more entertaining getting relegated to the 4th?

Not necessarily BUT I never went to away games thinking we were only going for a point. I never went expecting a good proportion of our attacks to be through launching a 50 yard 50/50 ball to Butlin/Bourne. We had a piss poor team and indifferent managers, now we've got a piss poor manager with a better than indifferent team (and better paid than almost all others we are up against).

I think he can produce entertaining football given a full strength squad and not being under orders to cut the wage bill. Am I the only one who actually sees that injuries effect the style of football we play?

So we played our best football last home game. No injuries then? Well except for Morgan, Geary, Harper, Taylor, Nays . . . .
He HAS shown an ability to "play football", BUT not often enough.

 

[Ted Danson]

So it's not dafter to think Robson is ever going to get offered (not to mention accept) the job?
OK. You are right. It's bound to be Robson. Silly me. Tell you what I'll give you 100/1 that it isn't. Any money you like over £100.
I'll stick by my statement. I'll go whoever is in charge other than Blackwell (yes, even if it's Robson - and there's more chance of it being Bobby!).

I never said it would be robson of even that there was the slightest chance of it being Robson. You said you would go 'whoever' and I said even if its Robson, where did I say it could / would / should / will be robson? I didnt in the slightest.

What? Even if it's Robson?

Yes, like I did when it was Robson, I said I would go whoever is in charge

Not necessarily BUT I never went to away games thinking we were only going for a point. I never went expecting a good proportion of our attacks to be through launching a 50 yard 50/50 ball to Butlin/Bourne. We had a piss poor team and indifferent managers, now we've got a piss poor manager with a better than indifferent team (and better paid than almost all others we are up against).

Fair point about not going away expecting to defend to get a point but look where that got us Div 4! Blackwell has nearly got us promoted and that would probably be twice if he'd taken over earlier in his first season.

So we played our best football last home game. No injuries then? Well except for Morgan, Geary, Harper, Taylor, Nays . . . .
He HAS shown an ability to "play football", BUT not often enough.

Out of that list only Morgan has offered anything this season anyway. If we had a settled team with players knowing who they are going to be playing with and their individual strengths and weaknesses they would most likely play more entertaining football as their confidence will grow as will theyr expectations and demands on other players.

 

[Grecian2000]

I never said it would be robson of even that there was the slightest chance of it being Robson. You said you would go 'whoever' and I said even if its Robson, where did I say it could / would / should / will be robson? I didnt in the slightest.

Once again I am powerless to defend my original statement from your impeccable logic. Shame on me to think it could be any other way.

I thus withdraw my original daft statement and will replace it with:

I'll be back, whatever the price (unless it has risen to over £1 million pounds per match in which case I reserve the right not to go) and whoever the manager (unless it is Adolph Hitler, Attilla The Hun, Stalin, either George Bush, Bobby Robson, Robson Green, Terry Curran, Satan, Billy Bremner, Don Revie (or any relation living or dead thereof), Brian off FH, The Radio Sheffield Mole, George Wendt, Woody Harrelson, Michael Palin (unless I see real proof he's a 100% Blade), Toby Foster or Harry Gration), once he has departed (unless I have died or regressed into a vegetative state due to accident (man made or natural cause) or married all the members of the Pussycat Dolls).

 

[Darthblade]

How is that dafter when you state 'whoever is in charge' so it could be anyone including Robson



No, as I said in my post I will go whoever is in charge



So did I, are you saying it was more entertaining getting relegated to the 4th?



I think he can produce entertaining football given a full strength squad and not being under orders to cut the wage bill. Am I the only one who actually sees that injuries effect the style of football we play?

I'm afraid you are Ted, to answer your last question.
Blackwell plays hoofball because he is a lower division manager and cannot coach the "better" quality players we have.
The players are capable of good quality , entertaining, attacking football; unfortunately, blackwell isn't.
Its got nothing to do with injuries. Yes we've had more than our fair share, but if we had started the season with a balanced squad with cover for all positions as you would expect any competent manager to do, the effects would not have been so disastarous.
Blackwell is only in the job now for one reason; he's a yes man for the Board and they know he's desperate for the job and will do as he's told.
Can you think of another championship club who would give him a job as manager?
UTB

 

[Ted Danson]

Once again I am powerless to defend my original statement from your impeccable logic. Shame on me to think it could be any other way.

My impeccable logic, by that you mean my grasp on the English language.

If you say you would go whoever is in charge (other than Blackwell), then that means anyone other than Blackwell. All you had to say was that youd go as long as we had a manager who was more entertaining than Blackwell. To coin a phrase, its not rocket science is it?

There are lots of managers who would play equally dull football yet you seem to say that you would go if these were in charge as long as it isnt Blackwell.

 

[Ted Danson]

I'm afraid you are Ted, to answer your last question.
Blackwell plays hoofball because he is a lower division manager and cannot coach the "better" quality players we have.
The players are capable of good quality , entertaining, attacking football; unfortunately, blackwell isn't.
Its got nothing to do with injuries. Yes we've had more than our fair share, but if we had started the season with a balanced squad with cover for all positions as you would expect any competent manager to do, the effects would not have been so disastarous.
Blackwell is only in the job now for one reason; he's a yes man for the Board and they know he's desperate for the job and will do as he's told.
Can you think of another championship club who would give him a job as manager?
UTB

Im sure lots of them would, its a results business afterall and Blackwell has a good record of getting results. If Brian Laws can get a job in the Prem then Blacky would easily get a job at a championship club

Also if he is so desperate for the job, why did he try to quit in the summer?

 

[Darthblade]

Partly due to the embarassment at the "performance" that his team had just turned in at wembly in front of a tv audience of millions.
I was almost embarrased myself!
Shows his limitations and that he doesn't learn from his mistakes.
eg tried hoofball 3 times in one season against the same team and surprisingly it failed.
UTB

 

[Ted Danson]

Partly due to the embarassment at the "performance" that his team had just turned in at wembly in front of a tv audience of millions.
I was almost embarrased myself!
Shows his limitations and that he doesn't learn from his mistakes.
eg tried hoofball 3 times in one season against the same team and surprisingly it failed.
UTB

I think lots of that is true but also he probably knew that he had to get rid of most of the decent players and I think a big factor in it is he knew how fickle our fans are and that we'd all be getting on his back for the slightest reason. Hed seen how our fans had turned on Warnock and knew they would do the same to him. However I think if he was desperate for a job he wouldnt have tried to quit

Im glad Id drunk far too much that day to even feel slightly embarrased though. For me it is actually an achievement to get to a playoff final and it annoys me that people always use the failure at wembly as a critisism of Blackwell when it was him who got us to the final in the first place.

 

[Grecian2000]

My impeccable logic, by that you mean my grasp on the English language.

If you say you would go whoever is in charge (other than Blackwell), then that means anyone other than Blackwell. All you had to say was that youd go as long as we had a manager who was more entertaining than Blackwell. To coin a phrase, its not rocket science is it?

There are lots of managers who would play equally dull football yet you seem to say that you would go if these were in charge as long as it isnt Blackwell.

Teddy, Teddy, Teddy.

I will repeat my assertion for you again then.

"I will return, whatever the price and whoever the manager, once he has departed."

This means once The Lord of Hoof (that's Kevin Blackwell, just for you Teddy) has left his position, then I will once again return to paying good money to watch The Blades (err, Sheffield United). I will do this whoever the manager is.
The new manager will have no previous as far as I am concerned (that means I will give him a chance to put any ideas he has in place as the new manager of Sheffield United with no prejudice). I say this becuase I know (and I think you might know it too Teddy) it will not be Bryan Robson. It will also not be Jimmy Sirrel or Ken Furphy or Ian Porterfield or Adrian Heath.

Just as a matter of interest, and because I love to see you use that grasp of the language, how would I know any incoming manager would be duller than Blackwell without returning to BDTBL to see what he can do?

 

[Fiery Blade]

Taking your initial point Boo
I would suggest that we take stock at the end of the season let all the loans go back and see where we are at!
I don't believe Blackwell or this team is capable of getting promotioneven if we did scape into the playoffs by the seat of our pants!
Then during the summer start from scratch.
New Manager - and the alternative is not a Robson but I'm open to suggestions
Look at the squad and fill in the many gaps with promising youngsters and aspiring players from the lower leagues
Decide what to do with your Hendersons, Sharps, Evans, Harper, Montgomery etc
Speed will then be off the books as a player
Basically start from scratch and lets see where it goes
I for one cannot stand much more of Blackwell his lies, his bullsh!t and his arrogance but I'm afraid weve got him till the end of the season

 

[Ted Danson]

This means once The Lord of Hoof (that's Kevin Blackwell, just for you Teddy) has left his position, then I will once again return to paying good money to watch The Blades (err, Sheffield United). I will do this whoever the manager is.
The new manager will have no previous as far as I am concerned (that means I will give him a chance to put any ideas he has in place as the new manager of Sheffield United with no prejudice). I say this becuase I know (and I think you might know it too Teddy) it will not be Bryan Robson. It will also not be Jimmy Sirrel or Ken Furphy or Ian Porterfield or Adrian Heath.

What Im getting as is that it could easily be someone as bad as any of those if not worse. My other point is that if Blackwell could turn it round and start playing entertaining football as he has shown he is capable of then it would be daft not to go just because it was Blackwell.

Just as a matter of interest, and because I love to see you use that grasp of the language, how would I know any incoming manager would be duller than Blackwell without returning to BDTBL to see what he can do?

Well thats pretty easy to answer, there's these little things called TV's and radio's and also word of mouth. It would be very easy to see / find out if it was duller than under Blackwell.

 

[Dog Blade]

Taking your initial point Boo
I would suggest that we take stock at the end of the season let all the loans go back and see where we are at!
I don't believe Blackwell or this team is capable of getting promotioneven if we did scape into the playoffs by the seat of our pants!
Then during the summer start from scratch.
New Manager - and the alternative is not a Robson but I'm open to suggestions
Look at the squad and fill in the many gaps with promising youngsters and aspiring players from the lower leagues
Decide what to do with your Hendersons, Sharps, Evans, Harper, Montgomery etc
Speed will then be off the books as a player
Basically start from scratch and lets see where it goes
I for one cannot stand much more of Blackwell his lies, his bullsh!t and his arrogance but I'm afraid weve got him till the end of the season

Agree with a lot of that Fiery. I just fear a lot will vote with their feet if he does stay, and hate the feeling that we've blown the chances we've had to really be top dogs around here for a long time.

This time next year L*eeds and Wendy above us and with bigger followings?

 

[Grecian2000]

Well thats pretty easy to answer, there's these little things called TV's and radio's and also word of mouth. It would be very easy to see / find out if it was duller than under Blackwell.

But that doesn't mean much to me. No Sky, never will have, so all I get is MOTD. Can't judge anything from highlights.

If we sign someone from a club I know a fan (or fans of) I will ask their opinion of him, but I don't take it as gospel. Seeing is believing.

Like I said, anyone who comes in will get my full support as everyone else has (including Robson and Blackwell) until they lose that support through their actions (as Robson was very close to doing and Blackwell has done).

 

[Ted Danson]

Like I said, anyone who comes in will get my full support as everyone else has (including Robson and Blackwell) until they lose that support through their actions (as Robson was very close to doing and Blackwell has done).

Thats fair enough, I lost faith in Robson very early on and I think its because he was as bad as he was that Ive got more faith in Blackwell (my extra faith in Blackwell is probably more that Im shit scared of us getting another Robson), he hasnt lost my support as you can probably tell, I think his excuses this season are valid and Im willing to give him time to sort it out. I agree its not very exciting football normally but he does get results and thats what matters.

 

[mattbianco1]

Will all the season ticket holders who ditch regret that they did? Yes we may start with 20,000. But if we start winning you'll all be paying higher prices to watch your beloved Blades.

Do you mean like the 2005/06 season?

That's exactly what happened. think we only had around 17k season ticket holders. bet those extra 10,000 fans we had come May were skint!

 

[HoodedClaw]

Thats fair enough, I lost faith in Robson very early on and I think its because he was as bad as he was that Ive got more faith in Blackwell (my extra faith in Blackwell is probably more that Im shit scared of us getting another Robson), he hasnt lost my support as you can probably tell, I think his excuses this season are valid and Im willing to give him time to sort it out. I agree its not very exciting football normally but he does get results and thats what matters.

How much time are you willing to give him to sort it out?

 

[Pinchy]

An increasing number of people have decided that, for them, there is more to it than results.

We are typically dire, not dull.

If we accept the argument that Blackwell has shown he can produce entertaining football [a tenuous argument, in my view] then it must follow that he has also demonstrated he is ten times [at least] more likely to produce sterile, mind-numbing hoofball.

I'm quite sure the diminishing crowds have been noted by Messrs. McCabe and Birch. It's becoming clear that the season ticket sales, if Blacko remains manager, will speak resoundingly for themselves.

Change the style; Change the manager; Save the world.

 

[Fiery Blade]

Get rid of Blackwell and Ellis
Waste of space
Purile, Sterile Fooftball (hoofball)
No interest
Liars Cheats and Whingers (and thats just the management!)

 

[boo radley]

I'm quite sure the diminishing crowds have been noted by Messrs. McCabe and Birch. It's becoming clear that the season ticket sales, if Blacko remains manager, will speak resoundingly for themselves.

Does anyone know if Attendances in the championship are down over the last two seasons? (Not the Blades Attendances).
What i would like to find out is how the recession has hit crowds, if it has?

 

[Revolution]

2007/8 average for Championship was 17,172
Last season was 18,026

this year so far is down a bit - 17859 - but given that we have gained Newcastle, who must be propping the average up a bit (their average is over 12,000 higher than the best supported team last year), a fair number of clubs' attendances must be down. That said, Scunthorpe and Peterborough's presence may pull things down as well.

 

[Pinchy]

Does anyone know if Attendances in the championship are down over the last two seasons? (Not the Blades Attendances).
What i would like to find out is how the recession has hit crowds, if it has?

I'm talking about the sharply diminishing crowds over the last 3 home games. That has nothing to do with any general reductions here or elsewhere.