Why does this 'fact' always come up in interviews?

[blader]

KB on the OS:

"about 90% of our team from the end of last season has gone"

every single interview I listen to, he seems to bring this up. what does this say about anything??

weve lost players, granted that happens to every team. However, how many of them were forced sales? cotteril? killa? howard?

Ok, im not claiming these players to be world beaters, but at the end of the day you cant keep using this as an excuse when he has got rid of them on his own accord.

Secondly, 90% of last years team has gone, but that bears absolutely no correlation to why he has signed (and is playing) Stewart, Harper, Nosworthy, Kallio..... whats the excuse for this? fed up with the same excuse with a slightly different wording every time we lose. get a grip and leave now before you damage my club any more!!!!!!

 

[raul]

I know frothing has taken the place of thinking atm, but come on Blader, do you seriously think he has swapped Killgallon and Walker for Kallio and Stewart of his own volition?

 

[mattbianco1]

Other than Harper its injuries and with Harper, when we announced we'd signed him i bet you were delighted, he's just not cut it like we'd hoped

 

[Railway Blade]

I know frothing has taken the place of thinking atm, but come on Blader, do you seriously think he has swapped Killgallon and Walker for Kallio and Stewart of his own volition?

This is true enough Raul. But when I look at some of the players he has brought to the club this year in the main they have disappointed. Evans, Stewart, Fortune, Reid, Little, Taylor, France, Harper (though I thought he would be a decent signing).

No wonder when we get injuries we have little to fall back on.

 

[Darren]

KB on the OS:

"about 90% of our team from the end of last season has gone"

every single interview I listen to, he seems to bring this up. what does this say about anything??

weve lost players, granted that happens to every team. However, how many of them were forced sales? cotteril? killa? howard?

Ok, im not claiming these players to be world beaters, but at the end of the day you cant keep using this as an excuse when he has got rid of them on his own accord.

Secondly, 90% of last years team has gone, but that bears absolutely no correlation to why he has signed (and is playing) Stewart, Harper, Nosworthy, Kallio..... whats the excuse for this? fed up with the same excuse with a slightly different wording every time we lose. get a grip and leave now before you damage my club any more!!!!!!

Did this before, but from our squad at the end of last season the following have left:

2. Halford
4. Cotterill
6. Kilgallon
9. Lupoli
10. Webber
11. Hendrie
12. Sun
14. Carney
19. Beattie
20. Howard
21. O'Toole
22. Haber (loan)
24. Sharp (loan)
25. Tahar
27. K. Quinn
29. Robertson (prison)
30. Naughton
31. Starosta
32. Bromby
33. Ehiogu
34. Walker

still at the club and available are:

5. Morgan
7. Henderson
13. Bennett
17. Montgomery
18. Ward
28. S. Quinn

Still with us but not available are:

1. Kenny (suspended)
3. Naysmith (injured)
15. Speed (semi retired)
26. Geary (injured)

So out of 31 players we had at the end of last season - only 6 are still with us and currently available for selection - not quite a 90% turnove, but unprecedented in United's history.

 

[Fiery Blade]

This is true enough Raul. But when I look at some of the players he has brought to the club this year in the main they have disappointed. Evans, Stewart, Fortune, Reid, Little, Taylor, France, Harper (though I thought he would be a decent signing).

No wonder when we get injuries we have little to fall back on.

Blackwell signed that shower and if you add up cumulatively their weekly salaries how much are we talking £20k per week for players that on Blackwells on volition are not good enough for the first team (am surprised about Harper and Evans though!!!)

 

[Grecian2000]

Take issue with putting Little in there Railers.

The bloke is way past his best BUT given a run ON THE WING in the last 20, against tired fullbacks, I'm sure he would be an assett.
I find Hoofies complete lack of knowledge of wide men and what they can do as his main (and there are a lot) drawback.

 

[Railway Blade]

I put Little in because as you say he would be a bit part player, not really a 90 min replacement for say Jamie Ward and his dodgy hamstrings. Plus apart from a couple of decent cameos at home earlier in the season he seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth

 

[raul]

This is true enough Raul. But when I look at some of the players he has brought to the club this year in the main they have disappointed. Evans, Stewart, Fortune, Reid, Little, Taylor, France, Harper (though I thought he would be a decent signing).

No wonder when we get injuries we have little to fall back on.

No problem at all with that Railers. Judging him on the things he HAS got control over is the way to go.

 

[spadge]

all these players though dont turn bad over night its blackwells shit tactics and the fact that he publicly says how crap the squad is, great man management.

Also on another note, listening to radio sheffield wednesday last night they was telling one of our callers that mccabe had said we had one of the top 4 wage bills in the league, Bollox we may have had but, we definatly havent now. With the likes of newcastle, cardiff, forest, west brom, middlesborough and many more with players they own not on loan im sure we are way down now.

mccabe and blackwell have both took us as far as they can and if things dont change i think well struggle next season, shame when we had so much potential.

 

[Sothall_Blade]

Out of 31 players we had at the end of last season - only 6 are still with us and currently available for selection - not quite a 90% turnover, but unprecedented in United's history.

By my reckoning, it’s 77% of the genuine first team squad that’s changed but if you break it down further, only 35% of the changes have been forced on Blackwell. He’s chosen to change the other 42% himself:-

Forced changes 9 35%
Unforced changes 11 42%
Unchanged 6 23%

2. Halford Forced
6. Kilgallon Forced
30. Naughton Forced
33. Ehiogu Forced
34. Walker Forced
1. Kenny Forced
3. Naysmith Forced
15. Speed Forced
26. Geary Forced

4. Cotterill Unforced
9. Lupoli Unforced
10. Webber Unforced
11. Hendrie Unforced
12. Sun Unforced
14. Carney Unforced
19. Beattie Unforced
20. Howard Unforced
21. O'Toole Unforced
24. Sharp Unforced
32. Bromby Unforced

5. Morgan Unchanged
7. Henderson Unchanged
13. Bennett Unchanged
17. Montgomery Unchanged
18. Ward Unchanged
28. S. Quinn Unchanged

Being forced into replacing a third (the best third!) of your squad IS a valid excuse in my book but Blackwell does himself no favours by exaggerating.

 

[Jostein Flo]

4. Cotterill Unforced
9. Lupoli Unforced
10. Webber Unforced
11. Hendrie Unforced
12. Sun Unforced
14. Carney Unforced
19. Beattie Unforced
20. Howard Unforced
21. O'Toole Unforced
24. Sharp Unforced
32. Bromby Unforced
QUOTE]

From the above list of unforced changes though, how many would the majority of fans been happy keeping. If Blackwell had kept the likes of Webber, Sun, Hendrie, Carney (who I personally thought was under-rated..but anyway) and Bromby he's be under more critism from not "moving out the dead wood". These were all average players, on high(ish) wages, most of which he didn't sign, if you include these players you're getting on for replacing half the squad.

 

[Revolution]

4. Cotterill Unforced
9. Lupoli Unforced
10. Webber Unforced
11. Hendrie Unforced
12. Sun Unforced
14. Carney Unforced
19. Beattie Unforced
20. Howard Unforced
21. O'Toole Unforced
24. Sharp Unforced
32. Bromby Unforced

O'Toole and Lupoli and Beattie were not "unforced" changes. They were all on loan and went back to their clubs. United had no unilateral option to keep them.

Same with Webber. He was not under contract any more and could, in theory, have walked even if United had offered him a deal.

Mind you, as Jostein says, there ain't much quality on that list, save for Cotterill. Sharp has done very well with Donny but he was awful last year after September - the idiot move there was not having some sort of recall.

 

[blader]

I know frothing has taken the place of thinking atm, but come on Blader, do you seriously think he has swapped Killgallon and Walker for Kallio and Stewart of his own volition?

No im not saying he's done a straight swap, ofcourse not. However, im saying he cant use this excuse because he chose to bring these players to the club. if he feels they arent good enough, why bring them in in the first place?

 

[Foxy]

4. Cotterill Unforced
9. Lupoli Unforced - On loan, so he was forced to allow him to go back if we couldn't sign him
10. Webber Unforced
11. Hendrie Unforced - Forced, needed his wages off the bill
12. Sun Unforced - Forced, he wanted to go back home
14. Carney Unforced
19. Beattie Unforced - Forced, he wanted more money and we needed him off the bill
20. Howard Unforced
21. O'Toole Unforced - On loan and injured, so he didn't have a great deal of choice
24. Sharp Unforced
32. Bromby Unforced - Not forced, but wanted the first team football we couldn't guarentee at the time

 

[Fiery Blade]

Blackwell will come up with any excuse in an interview as long as he doesn't get the blame!
Nothing is his fault!
He lies,exaggerates, blusters, blames the players, financial climate, refs, linesmen, FA, Football League, Pitch, Weather, Coach travel, Supporters, Debuts, Spurs, New Players, Old Players, Injuries, Radio, TV, Technology, No Technology, Luck, Bounce of the ball, Balls, Nets, Goalposts, Ground, New manager syndrome, No Manager Syndrome, players, Shirt colours, Mobile telephones, Agents, Players, Finance, Loan System, Premier League Clubs, Internationals, Nerves, Big Match tension, etc etc

 

[Bladesman]

Blackwell will come up with any excuse in an interview as long as he doesn't get the blame!
Nothing is his fault!
He lies,exaggerates, blusters, blames the players, financial climate, refs, linesmen, FA, Football League, Pitch, Weather, Coach travel, Supporters, Debuts, Spurs, New Players, Old Players, Injuries, Radio, TV, Technology, No Technology, Luck, Bounce of the ball, Balls, Nets, Goalposts, Ground, New manager syndrome, No Manager Syndrome, players, Shirt colours, Mobile telephones, Agents, Players, Finance, Loan System, Premier League Clubs, Internationals, Nerves, Big Match tension, etc etc

Well thats exactly what Warnock did.

Also Warnock still totally blames West Hams cheating as the only reason we went down despite some of the decisions he made. Blackwell has learnt well off Warnock on the art of blame everyone other than yourself.

 

[TonyAgana]

Sharp has done very well with Donny but he was awful last year after September - the idiot move there was not having some sort of recall.

He doesn't need a recall. Sharp would come back in a flash.

 

[Fiery Blade]

Well thats exactly what Warnock did.

Also Warnock still totally blames West Hams cheating as the only reason we went down despite some of the decisions he made. Blackwell has learnt well off Warnock on the art of blame everyone other than yourself.

Totally Agree Bladesmen!!! except

Warnock never blamed his players in public - wiped the floor with them in the dressing room but never ever came on the radio and said the players were not good enough

Thats whats different about Blackwell- Warnock protected his players not publicly castigated them.

 

[Sothall_Blade]

4. Cotterill Unforced
9. Lupoli Unforced
10. Webber Unforced
11. Hendrie Unforced
12. Sun Unforced
14. Carney Unforced
19. Beattie Unforced
20. Howard Unforced
21. O'Toole Unforced
24. Sharp Unforced
32. Bromby Unforced

O'Toole and Lupoli and Beattie were not "unforced" changes. They were all on loan and went back to their clubs. United had no unilateral option to keep them.

Same with Webber. He was not under contract any more and could, in theory, have walked even if United had offered him a deal.

4. Cotterill Unforced
9. Lupoli Unforced - On loan, so he was forced to allow him to go back if we couldn't sign him
10. Webber Unforced
11. Hendrie Unforced - Forced, needed his wages off the bill
12. Sun Unforced - Forced, he wanted to go back home
14. Carney Unforced
19. Beattie Unforced - Forced, he wanted more money and we needed him off the bill
20. Howard Unforced
21. O'Toole Unforced - On loan and injured, so he didn't have a great deal of choice
24. Sharp Unforced
32. Bromby Unforced - Not forced, but wanted the first team football we couldn't guarentee at the time

Blackwell barely used Lupoli, Webber, Hendrie, Sun or Carney while they were here. So he can hardly use their departure as a reason why we’re struggling now.

The sale of Bromby without a permanent replacement lined up was a particularly bad move as he could have provided adequate cover all across the back. He was under contract and most of our defensive woes this season could have been avoided by keeping him and signing one other defensive utility man (e.g. Nosworthy).

Instead Blackwell has been forced to plug the defensive gaps with no fewer than 9 different players (France, Davies, Fortune, Seip, Nosworthy, Bartley, Taylor, Stewart, Kallio). That’s the path he chose to go down so he should accept the responsibility when our permanently “unsettled” defence leaks goals.

 

[DazBlade88]

He keeps talking about this, but most of us realise the player turnaround he's had to deal with is not his fault.

The main gripe for me is that while I'm at the match I'd rather be scratching our eyeballs out than watch what is happening on the pitch.

Tuesday proved it all for me, when Lewis turned round to our fans and said he was bored and cold. Speroni would have probably said the same on Saturday if he was asked.

Then, when questioned about the negative tactics he says it's the players, which would be believable had we not been using this tactic consistently away from home for 2 years. And it's not the formation that's the problem, whether we play 4-4-2 or 4-5-1 we are not committing men forward from midfield, thus creating no chances.

It doesn't bother me if we're losing games and creating chances, looking like getting a point, but we're losing games far too often where we don't even deserve anything, and it's so frustrating.