Re: deadbat's report

No managers willingly sell quality players and buys cheap replacements unless they have to. One of the reasons Blackwell was employed by the Board is his track record of bringing the wage bill down, and this was his number one priority. Number two was obviously to finish as high as possible in the league with what was left. He fulfilled his brief, and was well-paid for doing so and thus become the Boards's scapegoat in the process.

Having said that, he wasn't the best manager in the world e.g. Cotterill & Sharp debacles, buying Ched Evans, supposed aloofness & arrogance, but again, the Board backed him, because he was getting the wage bill down & getting results, in spite of some of the worst football seen in years at the Lane.

I think Blackwell knew he had taken us as far as he could after the play-off final (and I agree he should have gone then), but I guess the Chairman wanted him to stay on and finish off the fire sales. He had the chance to accept his resignation then and let him go cleanly with no compensation, but he didn't.

I agree with Huddersfield Blade when he says in the 'Yesterday' thread:

'sacking Blackwell so soon in the season when it was obvious to all that he should have either gone earlier (ie pre-season to give another manager the chance to rebuild) or left him in charge. This mistake is his biggest because it has left him exposed - he is the reason we are in a mess - but will he have the balls to invest like John Ryan at the mighty Doncaster Rovers or will he walk away? Current form suggests the latter as he hasn't been heard from for months and doesn't sound like he will be giving an interview to Radio Sheff any time soon (Paul Walker saying last night that they have put requests in to speak to him and they haven't heard anything which is unlike McCabe). This is a guy that you couldn't get off the radio a few seasons ago and he is now doing what all chairmen at SUFC have done in the past few decades ...'