After the Cardiff game I did feel a bit anti-Blackwell. I was annoyed then when it mattered he wouldn't (couldn't) pick a team that would go for it and try to outplay opposition that we should have been at least equal to.
But thinking about it, the team have reached targets/expectations in the last 2 years and he probably deserves another season. There are a few misconceptions that I don't hold with. 1) We have spent more money than anyone else in the division. On the face of it yes we have paid what would be considered reasonable money in this division for 5 or 6 players. But these days the transfer fees are only half (or less than half) of the equation. None of us really know how much we were/are still paying the ex players, how much money Lennon was on and how much we have paid the signings and loan players. We don't know how much jiggery pokery Bates had to do to keep the club afloat. I expect at least part of the huge debt we had is still being paid for in some way, and will be for some time. 2) We had the best players in the division. Rubbish. Only Gary Kelly made the divisional team. We have/had a few decent players at this level. Sullivan, Kilgallon, Bakke, Derry, Miller, Lewis, Hulse, Healy, Creswell, Blake but none who really stood out as being a class above anything else we faced. However I would criticise Blackwell on a number of fronts. 1) He had 6 or 7 strikers in his squad yet only played with one man up front when push came to shove. 2) he said he wanted to play 4-4-2, then pinned his faith in a 34+ year old as his only right sided player. Once injured it took him 6 months to find another player for that position. He persevered with the signing despite all sorts of problems with the deal, then decided the bloke wasn't even good enough to get near the match-day team. 3) He had competent play makers in Bakke/Miller for most of the season, but felt compelled to stick a workhorse of limited ability in the side either instead of a playmaker, or alongside the playmaker instead of a 2nd striker. 4) The whole squad is short of real pace, meaning we don't carry a threat in behind the opposition defence, and are pedestrian on the break. Only Kilgallon is what I would call quick compared to the average for the position he plays. The only thing I hope is that he learned that whilst there are times when you have to dig-in to get out of this division, there are also times when you have to have the confidence and desire to say, 'Hey, we're better than this lot, let's show it'. I'm hoping that Blackwell has got to the stage where he is saying. ' I built a side that doesn't concede many goals, now let's develop it into a side that plays good football and scores a few.' Most good teams start off being difficult to beat and go from there. (Blackburn 2004-5 year were a bit like Leeds but last season turned into quite a good passing side, and with the introduction of Bellamy started to attack teams) I think Blackwell deserves the chance to get the team to the next stage. KOT. _______________________________________________ the Leeds List is an unmoderated mailing list and the list administrators accept no liability for the personal views and opinions of contributors. Leedslist mailing list [email protected] http://list.zetnet.co.uk/mailman/listinfo/leedslist 12000 bulldozed homes.....
