"Kevin Blackwell will say he is paid to get results and not entertain, but at the moment we are in between with the results, and certainly not being entertained." - Deadbat is not impressed with the Blades' manager.
Against QPR, I felt we were the better side for the most part without completely dominating or creating too many clear-cut chances. Amongst a dearth of good football from both sides, we did have one or two moments where we kept it and created things.
The chance where Quinn hit the bar would have been a really good team goal, and a couple of other times in the second half we played some neat stuff down the right-hand side. Seip did okay under little pressure but overall it was the same as the Preston game; fairly solid at the back apart from a very sloppy goal and Taylor’s continued inadequacy, but very little creativity in midfield and the distinct lack of a goal threat.
Camara and Ward once again looked lively at times but were also frustrating, being too selfish and delivering poor final balls. Cresswell continues to disappoint but does have the knack of scoring goals despite never looking much of a threat. Evans showed he is clearly a good footballer if also not much of a threat.
I was surprised Blackwell did not give Little, Reid, France, Naysmith and others an opportunity. It is hardly like the side have been superb in recent weeks. It is almost like Blackwell has admitted to himself that he has made bad signings.
We won’t get a chance to see them in league games so he may as well offload some of them now rather than have them drain resources if he does not feel he can call on them.
Overall, we continued to look a one-paced side that is fairly solid, has got back to being organised and compact but one that is sorely devoid of quality. If we had a Routledge-type player though, would Blackwell even play him (think Cotterill)?
He prefers a solid, more workmanlike side with players like Quinn, Monty and Cresswell. This, as I have said previously, will get us to the middle of the league but not much higher. We need an injection of pace and something different – apart from the odd flash from Ward or Camara we do not look like doing anything different.
However, Blackwell’s record with the signings he has made apart from these two has been really poor, with benchwarmers like France, Reid, Little and ineffectual players like Stewart, Evans and Taylor cases in point.
The games and the performances at the moment are okay but for the most part have been painfully dull and devoid of any real spark. Look around the stands: in most of the games this season people look genuinely bored. Blackwell will say he is paid to get results and not entertain, but at the moment we are kind of in between with the results, and certainly not being entertained.
Maybe we should be happy with the average results and performances but the thing that concerns me is that the manager only seems to know how to play one way and there does not seem much progression.
I do not see a surge up the league like last year, and feel that without some new impact-signings we will continue to potter around between fifth and 11th for the rest of the way.
Absolutely spot on summary. His pre/post match comments continue to be as uninspiring as what's on the pitch. No wonder the players don't appear to be enjoying it. STILL crying out for a creative midfielder - how long is it since Brown left? Speed was doing a pretty decent job until his back went, which was always on the cards. The thought of going to the game no longer gets me excited. Carry on like this and I won't be getting a season tkt next season... that is me and the 5000+
Posted by: Prince | Tuesday, 05 January 2010 at 11:11
Hes duller than Mr Dull himself, the revered by some Mr N Warnock.Of course they are good mates and both are totally incapable of maintaining a team in the prem..ok i know KB will never get us there anyway
Posted by: thebladesmaywinagainsomesunnyday | Tuesday, 05 January 2010 at 18:08