Who do you blame - KMc, KB, players, us?

[Linz]

There is some debate over who exactly is to blame for the negativity around the club at the minute, so where do you lay the blame?

Ultimately, where does responsibility lay?

Is it:

Kevin McCabe - The man with his hand on the purse strings

Kevin Blackwell - The man responsible for the day-to-day running of the team

The players - Professionals paid handsomely to perform

Us - The punters who pay the money in the name of support

 

[raul]

Think you've ranked it all nicely top to bottom yourself in the question Linz.

 

[Linz]

Think you've ranked it all nicely top to bottom yourself in the question Linz.

Do we, as fans, have to take some responsibility though?

It's a difficult one. Ultimately, we have little say over what happens on the pitch yet at times, as a collective, we haven't been as supportive as we possibly could've been.

You can pick as many options as you need to in the poll by the way...

 

[Bladesman]

McCabe's cost cutting and chasing a world cup match is not going to lure the fans back again next season.

Blackwell has had to work with one hand behind his back but clearly cant cope with the situation and makes excuses for the crap he has signed. Also his fallings out with certain members of the squad has just made a hard situation even harder and I imagine that he has lost alot of respect in the dressing room.

Players do shoulder some of the blame they owe it to the fans to perform even if their manager is a clueless prick that slags them off as the "best available at the time".

 

[FleaPitBlade]

Personally i blame, in no particular order, Rob Styles, West Ham, Liverpool FC, David Unsworth, Steven Gerrard and Kia Jorabchian.

Seriously though...i think the relegation from the premiership, and more importantly how it all unfolded, coupled with Warnock leaving (or perhaps the stability he had built up) was the start of a slippery slope we couldnt stop ourselves from falling down.

 

[Railway Blade]

I think the blame can be laid at several doors. The single biggest mistake for me was to trim the squad down to the absolute bare bones then supplement it with 5-6 loan players at a time. These loan players have to go back at some point to be replaced by further loan players. If they get injured for any length of time they also go back to be replaced by further loan players ( or out of contract players who arent good enough, i.e Jon Fortune ). This creates a complete lack of continuity and togetherness.

Now I dont know whether Blackwell was under orders to do this or whether the order came from above, but he should have had the balls to say thats not on.

Blackwell also seems to have a lack of a plan B. Last years formidable away record was built on the back of a solid defense consistent in personel, we havent had that this year, but does he try to change things, No, still the same narrow formation, lack of creativity and the mentality of "lets just try to nick something" That Im afraid is down to him.

The football is dull and uninspiring, has been for a while, and the results are now unfortunately matching what we are putting into it. Something needs to change.

 

[beightonblade]

McCabe all the way ....he's the boss.

 

[MAQ]

McCabe all the way ....he's the boss.

Indeed he is, and we all know that you dont like him.

But despite being the boss, he openly admits that he isnt a football manager or coach. So regardless of being the boss, he doesnt organise that "Staff" fotr the matches or decide on the tactics to use for each match

 

[super_pig]

i'm totally with railway on this.. this is not chicken and egg.. this is an entertainment industry.. hello!..the club has the responsibility to entertain first.. it is their ultimate responsibility.. something that SAF and SBR understood too well.. we've been supporting any old crap for long enough.. it would be nice to see a decent match every now and again.. we live in hope

 

[Sothall_Blade]

In chronological order:-
McCabe for not backing Warnock properly in The Premiership. (i.e. new contract, transfer funds, wage bill increase)
Warnock for overly negative tactics away from home
West Ham for cheating
The FAPL Arbritation comittee for not punishing them properly
West Ham again for continuing to cheat
Scudamore/Richards for allowing them to continue cheating
McCabe for appointing Robson and backing HIM in the way that he should have backed Warnock (i.e. new contract, transfer funds, wage bill increase)
Robson for being a terrible manager
The players for not turning up at Wembley
McCabe for forcing Blackwell to sell Tonge, Beattie, Naughton, Walker and Kilgallon
Blackwell for not making the most of the transfer funds he did have available (Howard, Cotterill, Evans, Taylor, Williamson)
Blackwell for wasting funds on loan/free players who weren't good enough and/or he hardly used (Dyer, O Toole, C.Beattie, Lupoli, France, Evans, Stewart)
Blackwell for failing to build a balanced squad and relying too heavily on loans
Harry Redknapp for recalling Walker at the last minute leaving us without a right back
McCabe/Robinson/Blackwell for agreeing to a clause allowing Spurs to recall Walker
Blackwell for overly negative tactics away from home
Most of the players for playing badly away from home
Myself for failing to drink out of my lucky mug and wear my lucky pants for the odd match recently

 

[beightonblade]

Indeed he is, and we all know that you dont like him.

ah but i do like him........ i admire his property brain, he's past his sell by date at BDTBL and shud fook off taking cheap as chips and the rest of the management team with him.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

I chose 'others', got to blame the bankers.

Their actions have left our chairman looking at a massive drop in the value of his portfolio. Dealing with these problems seems to have allowed McC take his eye off the ball as far the football side is concerned. In his defence I don’t think SUFC would be the top of my list of priorities if I was seeing £200m go down the plug hole.

Things like the world cup bid don’t offer us the fans anything but would have put more in McC’s coffers so business wise was a good move for him.

The sad thing is that monies generated by SUFC have allowed McC to keep on growing his businesses at the expense of our team. We are only interested in the team so it is not delivering to our expectations. Long term I’m confident that the McC family will be in charge and his investments will come good and off we go again. Will the fans be happy to wait 10 years?

Blackie has delivered if you measure him against what Mcc wanted – no relegation, possible play-offs and huge wage bill cuts. Big problem with Blackie is that he plays it like Warnock but then why wouldn’t he? They have had a few promotions and good times between them. The system though is too rigid and without enough wins alienates the fans. It also seems to be unpleasant for the players to work with although the few thousands per week in wages is nice compo for having to put up with shit. There is only so much shit you can take however, money isn’t everything and not enjoying yourself at work seems to be manifesting itself in our results.

Time for a change at the top – No, only hope McC’s empire recovers sooner rather than later. Also hope McC gets the next manager choice right, still can’t believe Robbo got the job, don’t think I’ll ever get over that decision, just so wrong!!

Time for a change in manager – afraid so, Blackie has done well results wise with his hands tied behind his back but the method of delivery is again so wrong!

Good luck for the future to the fans; we are going to need some.

 

[Bramley]

Personally i blame, in no particular order, Rob Styles, West Ham, Liverpool FC, David Unsworth, Steven Gerrard and Kia Jorabchian.

Seriously though...i think the relegation from the premiership, and more importantly how it all unfolded, coupled with Warnock leaving (or perhaps the stability he had built up) was the start of a slippery slope we couldnt stop ourselves from falling down.

Getting rid of Warnock was the single worst decision KMc was made.

 

[Micalijo]

Personally i blame, in no particular order, Rob Styles, West Ham, Liverpool FC, David Unsworth, Steven Gerrard and Kia Jorabchian.

Seriously though...i think the relegation from the premiership, and more importantly how it all unfolded, coupled with Warnock leaving (or perhaps the stability he had built up) was the start of a slippery slope we couldnt stop ourselves from falling down.

Totally agree with that. The devastation of relegation in that manner has hung over everything connected to the club and inspite sterling efforts of McCabe re investment Summer 2007 and Blackwell getting us to play-off final (yes I did say that), the damage caused was too much for us to recover. It will be many, many years before we see 30k average crowd at BDTBL and it is a huge, crying shame.

 

[Grecian2000]

Do we, as fans, have to take some responsibility though?

It's a difficult one. Ultimately, we have little say over what happens on the pitch yet at times, as a collective, we haven't been as supportive as we possibly could've been.

I'm sorry but that's ludicrous.

We've turned up to support in the 20k's every week. How many other teams at our level can say that? How many other teams at our level would kill for those numbers?
I have been to over 100 grounds, over 1500 matches over 50 years. Never seen a supporter score or conceed a goal yet!

 

[Micalijo]

In chronological order:-
McCabe for not backing Warnock properly in The Premiership. (i.e. new contract, transfer funds, wage bill increase)
Warnock for overly negative tactics away from home
West Ham for cheating
The FAPL Arbritation comittee for not punishing them properly
West Ham again for continuing to cheat
Scudamore/Richards for allowing them to continue cheating
McCabe for appointing Robson and backing HIM in the way that he should have backed Warnock (i.e. new contract, transfer funds, wage bill increase)
Robson for being a terrible manager
The players for not turning up at Wembley
McCabe for forcing Blackwell to sell Tonge, Beattie, Naughton, Walker and Kilgallon
Blackwell for not making the most of the transfer funds he did have available (Howard, Cotterill, Evans, Taylor, Williamson)
Blackwell for wasting funds on loan/free players who weren't good enough and/or he hardly used (Dyer, O Toole, C.Beattie, Lupoli, France, Evans, Stewart)
Blackwell for failing to build a balanced squad and relying too heavily on loans
Harry Redknapp for recalling Walker at the last minute leaving us without a right back
McCabe/Robinson/Blackwell for agreeing to a clause allowing Spurs to recall Walker
Blackwell for overly negative tactics away from home
Most of the players for playing badly away from home
Myself for failing to drink out of my lucky mug and wear my lucky pants for the odd match recently

Sothall - good post but I have to take issue with the criticism of NW in away matches. we got 10 points away from home and that is very respectable for a promoted team in my opinion, given the lack of funds you say he had. I don't see what more he could have done. we tried our best in vast majority of matches. Fulham was very disappointing yes, but in plenty of the other matchesd we were just outplayed by more powerful sides. Bolton was a decent effort imo. Pompey we had a good go and Boro we were level with 15 left. What games are you referring to please? I know we went down by a goal - I guess that is one of your points?

 

[Sensiblade]

I'd say all but the fans really
McCabe for seeming to sit back and allow the slide without commenting as to the why's and wherefores of the players who have left and either not been replaced or been replaced by lesser players
Blackwell for lack of a plan B and seeming to be weak in the tacktical side of the game
The players for not standing up and being counted
& injuries for not allowing a settled team to establish itself at any point this season.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

What about Warnocks 451 at home against Bolton Wanderers? That was being scared and is part of Blackies make up. We are still suffering from the Warnock way.

 

[Foxy]

Can we have an option for blaming 4-5-1 and Darius Henderson last night please?

I thought that was the main reason we lose

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

'Others' for me, not one single factor to blame, a bit of everything.

What we need to make sure is that we get the next major decision right.

 

[londonerblade]

McCabe is to blame 100%


Mistake No.1 ---We were in a good position when we came down....He didnt sack Warnock in the priemiership so why did he not offer him a new contract to get us back up straight away...Warnock with that squad after the sale of jags, ckr, and with a few additions would have got us back us back up no problem.

Mistake No.2 To hear that a poor excuse for a manager knobson got the job shocked
all blades....he is a chequebook manager, a real crappy one at that.

Mistake No.3 To not sack knobson sooner cost us a chance to get in the playoffs.....Everyone was calling for head sooner but McCabe still kept him on

Mistake No.4 To sell beattie knowing we were gona be in the playoffs , we could have got money for him the summer....so we had to pay his wages for a few more months...which arse sanctioned his pay in the first place

Yes McCabe had done some good but he has done equally bad as well !!

 

[davidpinder]

I don't see how the fans can take any of the blame, we have put up with a lot we get a big home gate, sell lots of shirts and have to watch the worst football that is played in england (i know that isn't a fact but no one can play worse thats not possible) Can some one please explain why the fans were even put into the pole and who voted them? and also who is to blame for what? Blackwell on the pitch and McCabe off as far as i see it.

 

[Bladesman]

McCabe is to blame 100%


Mistake No.1 ---We were in a good position when we came down....He didnt sack Warnock in the priemiership so why did he not offer him a new contract to get us back up straight away...Warnock with that squad after the sale of jags, ckr, and with a few additions would have got us back us back up no problem.

Mistake No.2 To hear that a poor excuse for a manager knobson got the job shocked
all blades....he is a chequebook manager, a real crappy one at that.

Mistake No.3 To not sack knobson sooner cost us a chance to get in the playoffs.....Everyone was calling for head sooner but McCabe still kept him on

Mistake No.4 To sell beattie knowing we were gona be in the playoffs , we could have got money for him the summer....so we had to pay his wages for a few more months...which arse sanctioned his pay in the first place

Yes McCabe had done some good but he has done equally bad as well !!

Not certain that Warnock would of got us back 1st time of asking and he was leathal at pissing money away on crap. Even to get promoted people seem to forget Horsfield & Akinbiyi thats over £3mil alone!

 

[londonerblade]

Not certain that Warnock would of got us back 1st time of asking and he was leathal at pissing money away on crap. Even to get promoted people seem to forget Horsfield & Akinbiyi thats over £3mil alone!

with the amount of money we had to spend he would have bought some good players and spunked abit of money too, but im sure he would have got us up!

 

[Bladesman]

with the amount of money we had to spend he would have bought some good players and spunked abit of money too, but im sure he would have got us up!

Warnock didnt have the pulling power to attract real quality on a par with Beattie. He would of just brought in Alan Lee or Shefki Kuqi.

 

[Sothall_Blade]

In chronological order:-
McCabe for not backing Warnock properly in The Premiership. (i.e. new contract, transfer funds, wage bill increase)
Warnock for overly negative tactics away from home
West Ham for cheating
The FAPL Arbritation comittee for not punishing them properly
West Ham again for continuing to cheat
Scudamore/Richards for allowing them to continue cheating
McCabe for appointing Robson and backing HIM in the way that he should have backed Warnock (i.e. new contract, transfer funds, wage bill increase)
Robson for being a terrible manager
The players for not turning up at Wembley
McCabe for forcing Blackwell to sell Tonge, Beattie, Naughton, Walker and Kilgallon
Blackwell for not making the most of the transfer funds he did have available (Howard, Cotterill, Evans, Taylor, Williamson)
Blackwell for wasting funds on loan/free players who weren't good enough and/or he hardly used (Dyer, O Toole, C.Beattie, Lupoli, France, Evans, Stewart)
Blackwell for failing to build a balanced squad and relying too heavily on loans
Harry Redknapp for recalling Walker at the last minute leaving us without a right back
McCabe/Robinson/Blackwell for agreeing to a clause allowing Spurs to recall Walker
Blackwell for overly negative tactics away from home
Most of the players for playing badly away from home
Myself for failing to drink out of my lucky mug and wear my lucky pants for the odd match recently

Sothall - good post but I have to take issue with the criticism of NW in away matches. we got 10 points away from home and that is very respectable for a promoted team in my opinion, given the lack of funds you say he had. I don't see what more he could have done. we tried our best in vast majority of matches. Fulham was very disappointing yes, but in plenty of the other matchesd we were just outplayed by more powerful sides. Bolton was a decent effort imo. Pompey we had a good go and Boro we were level with 15 left. What games are you referring to please? I know we went down by a goal - I guess that is one of your points?

We actually got 11 points away from home, which compares favourably with Watford (10 pts) and WBA (8 pts) who both went down but much less so with Reading (20 pts) and Hull (21 points) who both stayed up.
In addition, we only scored 8 goals away from home which is equalled only by Derby (3 pts) in recent times. In general I think that we went in to too many matches with only one striker and even if we played a second “striker” such as Kazim-Richards or Webber they tended to play in a withdrawn or wide role.

If you look at a front six against West Ham for example, it was Gillespie, Law, Leigertwood, Monty, Quinn and Hulse. Not too much goal-scoring threat in that lineup and a draw or even a 2-1 defeat would have kept us up. We weren’t too far behind Reading when we went up with 90 points and yet they romped clear of us in the Premiership chiefly by playing the same, consistent team home or away (20 pts, 23 goals).

 

[FleaPitBlade]

Warnock didnt have the pulling power to attract real quality on a par with Beattie. He would of just brought in Alan Lee or Shefki Kuqi.

This is true, but i always thought he was/is a master of creating a team that was infinatley better than the sum of its parts.

I'm not saying he was fantastic, far from it, just that what we needed when we went down was stability and i'm pretty sure that had he stayed we wouldnt have slumped to the lows we did under Robson.

Besides all that, our years under Warnock were nothing if they werent entertaining... can you say that about following United now?

 

[Tickhillblade]

With McCabe I'm afraid. He appointed Robson and relaxed the purse strings which have left us in the current mess.

I wonder whether it was a pride thing after being relegated.

 

[Rustyblade]

It has to be McCabe. The buck stops there. Every single football related decision he's made since we were promoted has been wrong. There is NO plan. NO strategy. NO vision. NO continuity. NO club ethos. Where these things might possibly be said to exist is in areas which do not concern the footballing side at all. And even in these, all is not hunky dory. Business wise, we may be in the soup. Football wise we are nostrils deep in the effluent.

 

[Ballinpigpubs13]

I would say 50% mcCabe 50% blackwell.