Leeds United Football Club - Relief For Blackwell
United boss Kevin Blackwell was a relieved man as his team proved to new chairman Ken Bates that they are fighting for him in the 1-0 win over Stoke.
Leeds became embroiled in a tense battle at the Britannia Stadium and it took an own goal from hapless defender Wayne Thomas, who sliced David Healy's cross into his own net, to separate the teams and give the Bates era a winning start.
Blackwell was just pleased his side were able to show that the pressure of the last few weeks is off them.
"I am glad today is out of the way," he said.
"There's been so many things going on in people heads this week. There was talk among the players about the situation and I pulled them before the game and said we get on with it.
"This is a brand new era, we can start to look forward as a football club and I want to take all of you with me. And if we can do that, brilliant."
Blackwell says that despite the prospect, or at least the rumour, of administration now being lifted, a different kind of pressure is on the players now.
"We are going to be scrutinised in everything we do and everything we say, and none more so than the last few days when we've been in every paper," he said.
"But for the first time its the right image, that the club is moving forward and please God this is the point where people can look and say that was the day it all changed.
"But the lads who have been here since the start of the season, they've battled to be where they are. They've been given nothing. People talk about our agents fees being ridiculous, but all those fees were to get rid of players.
"I would have loved to have paid out £1.5m to get players in, but that hasn't been the case. But those lads there did me proud on Saturday."
United boss Kevin Blackwell was a relieved man as his team proved to new chairman Ken Bates that they are fighting for him in the 1-0 win over Stoke.
Leeds became embroiled in a tense battle at the Britannia Stadium and it took an own goal from hapless defender Wayne Thomas, who sliced David Healy's cross into his own net, to separate the teams and give the Bates era a winning start.
Blackwell was just pleased his side were able to show that the pressure of the last few weeks is off them.
"I am glad today is out of the way," he said.
"There's been so many things going on in people heads this week. There was talk among the players about the situation and I pulled them before the game and said we get on with it.
"This is a brand new era, we can start to look forward as a football club and I want to take all of you with me. And if we can do that, brilliant."
Blackwell says that despite the prospect, or at least the rumour, of administration now being lifted, a different kind of pressure is on the players now.
"We are going to be scrutinised in everything we do and everything we say, and none more so than the last few days when we've been in every paper," he said.
"But for the first time its the right image, that the club is moving forward and please God this is the point where people can look and say that was the day it all changed.
"But the lads who have been here since the start of the season, they've battled to be where they are. They've been given nothing. People talk about our agents fees being ridiculous, but all those fees were to get rid of players.
"I would have loved to have paid out £1.5m to get players in, but that hasn't been the case. But those lads there did me proud on Saturday."
