There are always (at least two) sides to every story. Fickle as ever there are some people now wondering if Blackwell was actually quite good.
But let's just look at the facts. 1. Club in complete dissarray (thank you Peter, John, Trevor and Gerald) 2. Man with completely the wrong attitude and track record slides into Chairman's office (in the absence of any open and clear evidence to the contrary, no one can say whether he does or doesn't own the club). 3. Manager with no track record in the game as a Manager is then allowed to attempt to build a team with relatively no funds and a directive to keep costs down. 4. Meanwhile fans start to vote with their feet and once unnervingly loyal Supporters Club is isolated by money making scam (not good for a club in financial tatters). 5. Only highlight is appearance in playoffs (much to the bewilderment of many people) club cocks up ticketing and shows its real weaknesses in its management of its supporter base. 6. Something clearly goes wrong on the day and there is a consistent decline in the team's performance thereafter. Rumours abound (which one do you prefer?) 7. Owner sacks manager, to all intents and purposes this is linked directly to league position. (as ever rumours abound about manager's frustration over everything from the tea cups to the colour of the sky - who knows?) 8. Owner is reckoned to have successor lined up in Dennis Wise who in the end doesn't get a job at Elland Road. Owner clearly has no plan B and appears either to think there's nothing wrong/have no idea what to do next. Bookies have field day as yet another pound is made on the side at the expense of LUFC 9. Hapless caretaker manager oversees further decline in spite of attempts to make all the right noises. Remember this is NOT his team, he inherited it from his predecessor. 10. Fans frustration now fuelled not only by team's poor performance but by man formerly known as the saviour of Leeds United's apparent laissez faire attitude to situation. His only pronouncements are made via tame journalists or his infamous programme notes. He doesn't mention the current crisis. 11. Relegation is a possibility and with that a whole new set of problems. TMFKATSOLU goes home to the Med and another bottle of Chateau de Chaselet. To my mind the relegation scenario is unthinkable, however Bates is unable to provide any way of quickly resolving the situation as all the other clubs who are sacking their managers do the rounds of the ever decreasing gene pool..... Yes Blackwell wasn't doing it, and yes he should be sacked but good management is not just identifying a problem but resolving it. Good management is about doing it timeously and within your overall business strategy. The situation was not unusual and someone with the business and football pedigree we have been led to believe TMFKATSOLU has should mean that all is in safe hands and would be quickly resolved. So why is this not the case? I think we all know the long term history, but the current crisis lies at the door of one man. He should go. Betty _______________________________________________ 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 oh alright then :-)
