Championship - Blackwell ponders future

Eurosport - Wed, 27 May 11:12:00 2009

Sheffield United manager Kevin Blackwell admits he could quit Bramall Lane to avoid suffering the consequences of his side's failure to win promotion to the Premier League.

Kevin Blackwell at Wembley, FOOTBALL - 0

The Blades fell at the final hurdle as Wade Elliott's superb strike condemned them to a 1-0 defeat against Burnley in the Championship play-off final at Wembley.

Losing with the promised land of English football's top-flight within touching distance is always a heartbreaking experience. But Blackwell was speaking with experience as well as raw emotion when he said he would have to think hard about his future.

Blackwell was in charge of Leeds when they lost to Watford in the 2006 final and knows what a catastrophic effect defeat in the showpiece can have on a club.

Leeds never recovered from that loss and are now marooned in League One. And, with the Blades' £10 million per year parachute payment - given after their relegation from the Premier League - now at an end, Blackwell knows a host of key players are likely to be sold.

"There is a rebuilding job to do at the club and it might need someone different to do it," he said.

"A lot of lads will have to leave the club now. The whole wage structure has to change.

"Our turnover is going to drop by £10 million. Anyone who loses that will tell you it's a significant downturn.

"I will go away and reflect on it but I am thinking that I might have taken the club as far as it can go.

"I have been in this position before. I know the ramifications. To pick clubs up off the floor after this is difficult.

"It is a gut instinct. I would rather make the decision myself than have it made for me."

AFP

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  1. wendy remember who told you first ..the blades will­ languish in the bottom half next season blackwell will­ get sacked after loads of tracksuit wearing manor­ blades take off their well worn reeboks in car park and­ killgallon will be sold in january window ..and we will­ finish well above you ..premiership your havin a laugh­ woman ..oh who you gonna hump ball up 2 now halford­ gone ???

    From paul john l, on Thu 28 May 6:56PM

  2. Thank's for staying Kevin, although it hurt's­ like hell right now ,if you don't jump ship i­ reckon we can hold onto the better player's,sign a­ good striker get rid of the dead wood and concentrate­ on the midfield we need a player or 2 like­ jag's.
    WERE ALL BLADE'S AREN'T WE.

    From wendyroebuck67, on Wed 27 May 4:32PM

  3. Yes! Yes! He's staying!

    From John, on Wed 27 May 4:11PM

  4. andy m

    jamie ward not good enough?

    From TYKE THROUGH AND THROUGH, on Wed 27 May 12:42PM

  5. saalemnok,
    check records for late 60's
    and early­ 70's

    From TYKE THROUGH AND THROUGH, on Wed 27 May 12:40PM

  6. This is the whole culture in football. A team does­ really well and finishes 3rd in the table and just­ misses out on promotion to the so called promised land­ of the Premier League and everyone turns against the­ manager. Yes, maybe we didn't play to our best, but­ there is absolutely no reason to hound Blackwell out of­ his job.

    As I've said, he's done a marvellous­ job since he arrived and I beleive he can turn things­ around in the new season. He needs the supporters to­ get behind him!

    From John, on Wed 27 May 9:33AM

  7. Come on the blades, another disappointment but­ we'll get up and brush it off. If we can keep the­ back four and get a decent striker we can keep hold of­ we'll be ok for next term.Were still behind you­ boys.

    From andy, on Wed 27 May 9:31AM

  8. Tyke Through And Trough......In the old days 3 got­ promoted. There was a time for a couple of seasons that­ only 2 did though. This is when they was cutting the­ top division down to 20 teams from 22.

    From saalemnok, on Wed 27 May 8:38AM

  9. such excellent support deserves a better style of­ football- 2x in a month clarke carlisle won man of the­ match because people kicked the ball to his head­ incessantly- he'll probably sue you if he gets­ parkinsons disease- it was all too easy for the clarets­ despite the blades obvious committment- steve coppell­ would be an astute signing!-up the clarets(allbeit­ temporarily!!!)

    From james, on Wed 27 May 2:51AM

  10. us blades r used to corruption,bad luck and referee­ desicions all way back to wimbledon v everton,everton­ had to win on last day of season 2-0 down at half time­ hans segers in net everton won 3-2 stayed up we went­ down hans segers convicted of match fixing 12month­ later were not bothered any more stick your prem up­ your arse full of foreigners it @#$% full of over paid­ druggie diva,s if u wanna watch english football at its­ best watch the championship and lower leagues proper­ ENGLISH teams 11 men v 11 men good luck to burnley your­ deserved it give or take ur were best side this season­ shame your coming back down on record points up the­ blades

    From the blade, on Tue 26 May 10:21PM

  11. up the blades with or without blackwell we will still­ keep marching on we have got the support we just did­ not turn up on the day and lost to a wonder goal

    From neil o, on Tue 26 May 9:55PM

  12. go just like your mentor did

    From TYKE THROUGH AND THROUGH, on Tue 26 May 4:02PM

  13. Mr Blackwell please
    go just like your mentor­ did
    thanks

    From TYKE THROUGH AND THROUGH, on Tue 26 May 4:00PM

  14. I agree with Knotty, he should go now and lets hope­ that Steve Coppell might be interested in taking the­ team forwaord.

    From David R, on Tue 26 May 3:59PM

  15. No play-offs means no money for the people
    at the F A­ so can't see them being abolished,
    as in the old­ days only 2 went straight up.
    So they invented play­ offs to generate more income
    for themselves and wembley­ stadium

    From TYKE THROUGH AND THROUGH, on Tue 26 May 3:58PM

  16. isnt it time all play off's were done away with as­ any team that finishes 3rd has got there on merit and­ should automatically go up unless the team that­ finishes 3rd from bottom goes into a play off with the­ teams that finish 4th, 5th, and 6th from bottom

    From paul h, on Tue 26 May 3:37PM

  17. To lose one manager is unfortunate, to lose two smack­ of incompetence

    From Paul, on Tue 26 May 1:49PM

  18. Better to have been there than not at all paul, just­ like your tin pot club,BTW how's the season ticket­ sale's going rather slow ( like you) i have heard­ awwww bless something to get excited about though they­ are selling a little faster than last year ,how's­ the investment coming along ?????oh that's right no­ nearer on that one either are you, never mind you can­ try to win the double again next year at leaast­ youv'e got something to look forward to i suppose.

    From wendyroebuck67, on Tue 26 May 1:02PM

  19. please stay blackwell the way you got the blades so­ close was amazing and the hopes of all the sad piggies­ so high was lol funny ...you play kick and run football­ with no creative players ..see you again next season­ ...W.T.I.D

    From paul john l, on Tue 26 May 12:12PM

  20. Blackwell is just showing that he is only interested in­ clubs with unlimited money to spend again. The Blades­ ended this season just like they did the season that­ they was relegated from the Premiership. They had no­ strikers fit. I know Craig Beattie played. But he's­ not a Championship striker as his season has shown.­ Blackwell showed the same failing as his mentor did­ when manager of the Blades. He hasn't got a clue­ how important a goal scorer is. The Blades haven't­ played that well all season. Especially being one of­ the richest clubs in this division. Their season was a­ bit of a damp whimper. James Beattie was always using­ his time with the Blades to show clubs he was able to­ stay fit and score goals. So acually did them a favour­ by staying till January after he was due to leave last­ summer with the Blades missing promotion last year. As­ he always said he'd leave if they missed promotion­ last year.

    If Blackwell doesn't leave, then McCabe­ should push him out the exit door. As he's shown­ he's got no loyalty or effection to the club and­ fans.

    From saalemnok, on Tue 26 May 12:07PM
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