Are Blackwells yester-year tactics suitable for an improving championship?

[matt1889 10]

Other fans are forever pointing out that United are a long ball sort of team, and much to my diappointment I have to agrree as this seems to sum us up most of the time apart from the odd 5-10 minutes of games where we manage to put the ball around on the floor and create things. When Hendersons fit Blackwell never fails to start him and from kick off we know that when we recieve the ball anywhere in our own half, Blackwell expects the ball to be punted straight up to Henderson which most of the time has 2 outcomes, the first being due to Hendersons large frame and clumsy style of play we end up conceding a foul and end up defending again, or alternatively Henderson knocks it down but with him being the only player that far up the pitch theres nobody supporting him and the ball comes straight back at us.

 

In a Championship league which I think is proven to be getting better season by season, moving more and more away from the physical style of play to a more creative attacking sort of game, and not only that the slightest contact on the opposition tends to be picked up on these days anyway meaning that you need footballers who can play football not just the gritty type who get stuck in.

 

Now feel free to disagree with me but I think United have the right players in the squad who can play this style of football, we have the resources to play good attractive attacking football however for whatever reason we're just no doing it. I put this down to Blackwells tactics, I think he's lost in yester-year and is now finding himself out of depth with his dated tactics. I don't think he knows how to utilise this cutrrent team to their max yet and is smothering them by giving them too much to do in a game, which then throws the players out of rhythm and does'nt allow them to play their natural game. A a football player (ok not at this level but a player never the less), but anyway I know what my strenghts are and prefer to be allowed to play to these strenghts. I think this applies to any footballer really and I think you get much more out of a player when you allow them to play football to an extent so that they enjoy what they are doing and play with confidence. Theres numerous roles that need to be considered in a team, and I think we have individual players to carry out these roles, rather than playing players out of position or asking them to do things that they would'nt have done prior to playing in the team. This is how you ruin a player and they soon can't wait to get out of the club so that they can concentrate on their own game which they know can be a success.

 

I just don't know if Blackwell can adapt to this and create a more Attractive style of football, a more passing and attacking side who can play through midfield and get 4-5 players in the box at any one time as we've seen other championship teams do succesfully. We DO have a squad who by rights can do this if they are allowed to adapt more to their natural game and natural strenghts rather than getting the ball and hoofing it up to henderson. I think we need someone you knows more about the current ever changing Championship in the club, who will know how to utilise this team to the potential that they are.

 

I'm not going to dis-respect you Mr Blackwell what you have sone with United is great, last season we finished very respectfully and this season we sit in a great position too, however I feel we have a lot more potential than what we are currently showing which says a lot really because if i'm right then we should be a top four team judging by our current success maybe???......But wither way I think we are in a great position to make a real push at the club at the minute and have the squad at the club who are capable of playing a far better standard of football than that we are currently playing therefore I can't help but say....Maybe a change is need at management level....even if it's Mr Blackwell sit down and let Gary Speed pull the strings, because with his experience of the modern game, he knows whats needed.

 

Please take the time to reply and feel free to answer my poll.

[Robbie Loving 10]

Interesting post Matt.

 

I agree with you that we do have the players capable of giving us the entertainment we're asking for.

Although I feel your criticism of Henderson is harsh - as he is one of the few players who can play the long ball game and a passing game (maybe not to the certain extent of say Camara, but he is still good at it)

 

Lets face facts, United have been a long ball team for as long as I care to remember, but in the past it has still been entertaining stuff. The current play for me is awful, and as a mate of mine says 'I am not entertained'..... by this way, this is coming from a fan who has missed one game in something like the last 7 years.

 

Blackwell for me is a strange one, when he went for his contract, we played some great flowing attacking football. Once the contract was given, we suddenly forgot how to attack and play.

If we got that back, he could go down as a legend.

 

McCabe is happy with Blackwell though, he has got us to a respectable position n the league while reducing the wage bill and generating cash.

Blackwell is a yes man to the people up above, and arrogant to the people below.

[kenny.gray 10]

utd. have no pace in the midfield he should move walker to right side midfield,quinn is usless would not get in a good non league side he must have some sort of hold on blackwell.montgomery gives to many free kicks away.we have potentialy a good strike force but they do not get the service ward works his socks off down the right and most danger comes from him.why did we sign france he never plays.we will do allright against the lower sides but not the top sides we are to quiet on the field no leadership and not strong enough physicaly or mentally.

[alex3659 11]

As irvine is proving at hillsborough, you do the best you can with the players you have got. The quality that has left the lane over the last two years has not been replaced.

[Scutts 10]

The problem is, we know Blackies teams can play beautiful football because we've all seen it. People used to call us a long ball team and I would defend Blackie and say you obviously haven't seen us recently. I now have to admit that we are back to these awful tactics.

 

Yesterdays performance was just a disgrace. Blackie had the players to change it, but, for some reason, he won't change the way we're playing. What's the point of having Cressie and Wardie on the wings if you're just going to lump the ball to Hendo non stop. The only chances we had yesterday were when Wardie managed to get on the ball.

 

I believe that Blackie reached his peak with United in the Play-off final, he WILL NOT do any better than that.

 

I didn't hear the phone in last night as I was on my way back from the game but from what I understand Blackie said, we've got no chance of signing anyone because McCabe will not allow it.

 

We get so many promises, but nothing is ever delivered. Remember "We'll get first choice of loan players from Tottenham" and "We can only buy if Kilgallon is sold" and why have we bought a keeper? If even we only pay him £1000 a week, we don't need him!

 

The atmosphere at BDTBL is poor these days even when we're winning because I think people aren't really enjoying the games even though we're winning.

 

I'm not going to call for Blackie to go BECAUSE we all know he has the ability to get us playing great football which could take us to the Premiership. We can just hope a miracle happens and he realizes it himself.

[alex3659 11]

The loan from players from spurs has gone through the window.

A very reliable source to me naughton asked rednap if he could come back to the lane.

Rednap said "no chance they don't play football there" he was clearly worried about how many Blades players get injured.

[sham.69er 10]

Other fans are forever pointing out that United are a long ball sort of team, and much to my diappointment I have to agrree as this seems to sum us up most of the time apart from the odd 5-10 minutes of games where we manage to put the ball around on the floor and create things. When Hendersons fit Blackwell never fails to start him and from kick off we know that when we recieve the ball anywhere in our own half, Blackwell expects the ball to be punted straight up to Henderson which most of the time has 2 outcomes, the first being due to Hendersons large frame and clumsy style of play we end up conceding a foul and end up defending again, or alternatively Henderson knocks it down but with him being the only player that far up the pitch theres nobody supporting him and the ball comes straight back at us.

 

In a Championship league which I think is proven to be getting better season by season, moving more and more away from the physical style of play to a more creative attacking sort of game, and not only that the slightest contact on the opposition tends to be picked up on these days anyway meaning that you need footballers who can play football not just the gritty type who get stuck in.

 

Now feel free to disagree with me but I think United have the right players in the squad who can play this style of football, we have the resources to play good attractive attacking football however for whatever reason we're just no doing it. I put this down to Blackwells tactics, I think he's lost in yester-year and is now finding himself out of depth with his dated tactics. I don't think he knows how to utilise this cutrrent team to their max yet and is smothering them by giving them too much to do in a game, which then throws the players out of rhythm and does'nt allow them to play their natural game. A a football player (ok not at this level but a player never the less), but anyway I know what my strenghts are and prefer to be allowed to play to these strenghts. I think this applies to any footballer really and I think you get much more out of a player when you allow them to play football to an extent so that they enjoy what they are doing and play with confidence. Theres numerous roles that need to be considered in a team, and I think we have individual players to carry out these roles, rather than playing players out of position or asking them to do things that they would'nt have done prior to playing in the team. This is how you ruin a player and they soon can't wait to get out of the club so that they can concentrate on their own game which they know can be a success.

 

I just don't know if Blackwell can adapt to this and create a more Attractive style of football, a more passing and attacking side who can play through midfield and get 4-5 players in the box at any one time as we've seen other championship teams do succesfully. We DO have a squad who by rights can do this if they are allowed to adapt more to their natural game and natural strenghts rather than getting the ball and hoofing it up to henderson. I think we need someone you knows more about the current ever changing Championship in the club, who will know how to utilise this team to the potential that they are.

 

I'm not going to dis-respect you Mr Blackwell what you have sone with United is great, last season we finished very respectfully and this season we sit in a great position too, however I feel we have a lot more potential than what we are currently showing which says a lot really because if i'm right then we should be a top four team judging by our current success maybe???......But wither way I think we are in a great position to make a real push at the club at the minute and have the squad at the club who are capable of playing a far better standard of football than that we are currently playing therefore I can't help but say....Maybe a change is need at management level....even if it's Mr Blackwell sit down and let Gary Speed pull the strings, because with his experience of the modern game, he knows whats needed.

 

Please take the time to reply and feel free to answer my poll.

 

matt can you add a "sack the idiot" option to your poll? cheers;)

[bladebeer 11]

utd. have no pace in the midfield he should move walker to right side midfield,quinn is usless would not get in a good non league side he must have some sort of hold on blackwell.montgomery gives to many free kicks away.we have potentialy a good strike force but they do not get the service ward works his socks off down the right and most danger comes from him.why did we sign france he never plays.we will do allright against the lower sides but not the top sides we are to quiet on the field no leadership and not strong enough physicaly or mentally.

 

Listening to Radio Sheffields commentary on the match , once again our midfielders got the ball and once again got rid of it quickly. The commentator said if that had been West Broms midfield they would have brought the ball down, and played it forward.Very true and isn,t this the main problem and why can,t the manager see it?Sorry to say but neither Quinn or Monty have the required skill level to play this way:(

[sham.69er 10]

Listening to Radio Sheffields commentary on the match , once again our midfielders got the ball and once again got rid of it quickly. The commentator said if that had been West Broms midfield they would have brought the ball down, and played it forward.Very true and isn,t this the main problem and why can,t the manager see it?Sorry to say but neither Quinn or Monty have the required skill level to play this way:(

 

cocco out.............

[sheff71 10]

Listening to Radio Sheffields commentary on the match , once again our midfielders got the ball and once again got rid of it quickly. The commentator said if that had been West Broms midfield they would have brought the ball down, and played it forward.Very true and isn,t this the main problem and why can,t the manager see it?Sorry to say but neither Quinn or Monty have the required skill level to play this way:(

 

You're not comparing fairly though with West Brom - they've just come down and got their parachute money, and can afford to have better quality midfielders than United, now the parachute money has gone (and the Tevez money seems to have vanished, or is used elsewhere).

 

Let's be right about it, since 2003 when we had the likes of McCall, Brown and Tonge buzzing in midfield, we've been looking for a midfielder that can do that bit extra than the likes of Monty and Quinn - Warnock and Robson, with money to spend, were unable to solve this, so it's unfair to expect potless Blackwell to do it when he's under orders to reduce the wage bill?

 

These same tactics are going down a treat at S6 currently, you should be careful what you wish for, we could easily end up with another 'footballing manager' like Robson...

[kenny.gray 10]

so why pay wages to france,little,stewart,bunn,who are no better than what we have and why let bronby go when he is a far better player than what we have.the way football is going it is becoming more a fast mobile game were players have to break quick and maybe go into positions from were they can do damage.as clough said when you have the ball attack when you have not defend.we have not got these players.i have seen mopst of the home games this season and nobody from midfield ever puts the opponents defence under pressure.

[TAT 10]

 

You should be careful what you wish for, we could easily end up with another 'footballing manager' like Robson...

 

Here here!!

 

Blades, some have very short memorys, Robson now he was a bad manager, Blackwell has kept us as a top 6 championship team.

 

If we were honest, thats our level, of course we want premiership footy and millions to spend, throw in Europe too:) but in reality we would at best be a lower teir team in the premiership.

 

So you can dream about The above, but dont forget the bad days,the 4th division etc .

 

Blackwell has got us in a play off position, despite constant injuries etc. Some of the footy has been good, Forest at home a prime example.

 

Blades are moaning , we are in 6th spot!! aiming higher. A position many other teams can only dream of.

 

Some Blades will never be happy, its the same at any club, can i ask the Blackwell knockers to come up with serious realistic alternatives to his position? rather than the easy "hes crap get rid".

 

I still feel Blackwell moving upstairs with Speed as a replacement is a serious option.

 

But in the meantime carry on the good work Mr Blackwell.