Like a lot of Blades on here i too im not happy with the way the season is panning out. If things continue we are not far off going into freefall.
BUT I DONT BLAME IT ALL ON BLACKWELL.
Lots on here come out with the same old same old time after time. I ve watched the Blades over many a long year now and ive seen some right tripe dished up at BDBL.
Yes things arnt that good at the moment. But by god they ve been a hell of a lot worse over the years. Too many people here want instant success and when its not served up straight away the dummies come out (read that however you want to) and its sack him, get rid of him, and he's crap etc ad infinitum. If you look around this league quite a few clubs are going through bad spells right now. We are not alone.
One poster on here suggests that if we get a new manager in and he plays half decent football he will be treated like a god. Well the current manager did nt do so bad last season did he. We were only a whisker from prem at the end of the day. He s still the same guy. He has nt become a bad manager over night.
Very few of the moaning whingers seem to realise that last season our success was based on our defence, with an an excellent more or less ever present back 5!!!
Paddy, Morgs , Killa Naughton and Naysmith
Look at us now, Paddy GONE, Naughton GONE Naysmith INJURED Killa, HEAD SOMEWHERE ELSE. Leaving us with one everpresent MORGS!!!
No wonder we are leaking goals at the moment. Its virtually a whole new defence who are obviuosly not jelling.
On top of this we have a horrendous injury crisis.
Jamie Ward and Monty are a MASSIVE loss at the moment. I dont believe we would have slipped to where we are if these two alone had been fit.
For all those who moan the club never pushes the boat out on players, Ched Evans £3 Mill . Again he s new to the squad and has not done as well as expected. He needs though to start at least looking like he's worth that kind of money. For me he hasnt done anything to suggest that kind of investment yet.
Harper!!!! Well for me Keith Edwards summed him up perfectly last night on radio sheff. All Harper ever seems to do is run about shouting and waving his arm in the air. He contributes NOTHING so far as I have seen.
Similarly Cotterill. Whats all the love fest with this guy???? I dont get it.
Yes on his day he s a world beater. But apart from a few games last season what the hell has he done??? Somebody tell me. And before people say he s not been given a chance !!!! do me a favour. How many chances does he want.
With harper and Cotterill in the side its like playing with 9 men.
Rant over on those two.
I know this post is gonna get slaughtered but I dont care.
We as fans do make a difference and thats why I have loved being a Blade for so long. We create a fantastic atmosphere....usually. But at the moment the amount of mud and vitriol being slung at Blackwell McCabe the Team and at other Blades is unreal.
We really do need to be patient. I believe as the injuries improve things will get better. Its no good moaning sack the manager. Who we gonna get that would be willing to come. The next guy is also gonna be hamstrung by lack of money to buy players too.
I firmly believe with the squad we have got now, all fully fit, we will start to climb the league again. Not sure about the keeper though.
DJBK sits back and awaits the sh!t to fly
No, it's not all Blackwell's fault. He has had things happen that are out of his control, namely numerous injuries.
But he does control the team tactics and organisation. And at present there seems to be little of those things.
I take it you are not impressed with Harper or Cotterill. Blackwell signed both of them, and chose to pay somewhere in the region of 2 million (I think?) for Cotterill after having had plenty of time to assess him whilst he was on loan at the end of 2007-8 season. He also signed Evans who you don't seem to think has done much to justify the money spent on him.
He is also responsible for not ensuring there was adequate cover up front or in the centre back area. he chose to sell Bromby without having secured a replacement.
The change in defence personel was can account for some disruption in this area, but 17 goals in 7 games against largely mediocre opposition? It's no excuse for that level of leakage.
Kilgallon's contract negotiations have been going on for ages and in the summer many expected him to go, so if his head is elsewhere, I think that was a forseeable problem. Entering a season with such paucity of cover in this area was not good management.
I agree that Ward and Montgomery are big losses.
I too have seen us go through considerably worse times than this. But the current level of performance is in my view worse than towards the end of Robson's days and just as poor as during the 1980-1 relegation season to the fourth division. I would also say that 2 points from 5 matches and 12 goals conceded in that time is pretty close to free fall if not already there.
But I do agree whole heartedly that there is no excuse for the vile personal abuse dished out to the manager and various players, and getting on the back of the team will not help the situation. I also believe that if we get behind the side at matches we can make a positive difference. But I also think the team, even allowing for the injury list, is capable of playing much better than it is at present, and I'm afraid I do blame Blackwell for the fact that it isn't. I don't hate him and I shan't abuse him, but I do blame him.