I'M STILL STANDING
EXCLUSIVE Leeds boss Blackwell in blast at fans who back him for sack
Coca Cola CHAMPIONSHIP
Elland Road manager determined to return club to Premiership'
David Anderson
KEVIN BLACKWELL has come out fighting after the bookies made the Leeds boss favourite to be the first Championship manager sacked.
According to the Elland Road rumour-mongers, chairman Ken Bates will replace Blackwell with his former Chelsea boss Glenn Hoddle if Leeds are not among the early frontrunners this season. Blackwell's heard it all before. Last season he was said to be keeping the manager's chair warm for Dennis Wise before he silenced that talk by taking Leeds to the play-off final and winning a new two-year contract. He accepts that Leeds should be promotion contenders this season - but just wishes the critics would consider the bigger picture at Elland Road before cranking up the expectation levels. Blackwell, 47, claims it will be another 12 months before Leeds fully recover financially from "living the dream" - and a huge chunk of his monthly wage bill still goes towards paying off former players like Danny Mills and Nicky Barmby.
"I'm favourite for the sack, aren't I?" said Blackwell, whose side face Norwich at Elland Road today. "But then I don't think people have ever appreciated the situation at Leeds United.
"We're in the last year of paying all our former players and this, plus the loss of our parachute money, means we're basically £16million worse off.
"But from day one when I've been manager of this football club, I've been expected to win every match.
"People seem to forget that we lost every player at this football club when we came down and I've had to rebuild this football club from scratch. People gave me six weeks when I arrived here, then six months. Well, three years later and I'm still here.
"I've proved a lot of people wrong and I don't think I have anything to prove to anyone now. I've proved I can manage and I've proved I can coach and be successful. "I proved that at Sheffield United and I've done it here at Leeds by getting to a major final. A lot of managers would give their eye teeth for that."
While promotion rivals like Birmingham, West Brom and Coventry have all spent heavily this summer, Blackwell has actually reduced his wage bill and made £2m in the transfer market by offloading 12 players, such as last season's joint-top scorer Rob Hulse.
Instead of building the team, Bates is spending £2.5m this summer building bars at Elland Road to generate more revenue.
With money so tight, Blackwell claims it will be another 12 months before he is able to compete financially with his rivals.
"Birmingham, West Brom, Sunderland, Crystal Palace and people like that have got significantly more money than us," he said.
"I've brought in £3m and spent £700,000-although that will rise when Ian Westlake signs - because I know I have a financial responsibility to this football club. While some managers would moan that they have no spending power because the chairman is building new bars at the ground, I can see that it's crucial to the development of the football club.
"I know that this time next year, financially the club will be in good shape and then we can move forward.
"It was always our target this season to give it a real good go, but the year after will be the one when we can make significant strides."
He added: "It's not a question of if, but when we are promoted. There's no doubt about it. I'd love it to be this season, but this club will definitely be back in the next two or three years.
"Take it from me, Leeds United will be gracing the Premier League sooner rather than later."
David Prutton's £300,000 move from Southampton to Leeds has collapsed after the midfielder failed a medical. Former England Under-21 captain Prutton, 24, had agreed personal terms on a three-year deal. But he has been sent back to St Mary's because of an ankle injury. Prutton made only 14 league starts last season because of it.
FIRST BOSS TO LEAVE
Kevin Blackwell 9/2
Niall Quinn, Gary Waddock 8/1
Nigel Worthington, Steve Cotterill 9/1
Mike Newell 10/1
Steve Bruce 12/1
Bryan Robson, Steve Tilson 14/1
Geraint Williams, Jim Magilton, Paul Sturrock 16/1
Rob Kelly, Ian Holloway 20/1
Andy Ritchie 25/1
David Jones, Micky Adams, Phil Parkinson, George Burley, Peter Taylor, Paul Simpson, Mick McCarthy 33/1
Tony Pulis, Billy Davies 50/1
Odds: Sky Bet.
EXCLUSIVE Leeds boss Blackwell in blast at fans who back him for sack
Coca Cola CHAMPIONSHIP
Elland Road manager determined to return club to Premiership'
David Anderson
KEVIN BLACKWELL has come out fighting after the bookies made the Leeds boss favourite to be the first Championship manager sacked.
According to the Elland Road rumour-mongers, chairman Ken Bates will replace Blackwell with his former Chelsea boss Glenn Hoddle if Leeds are not among the early frontrunners this season. Blackwell's heard it all before. Last season he was said to be keeping the manager's chair warm for Dennis Wise before he silenced that talk by taking Leeds to the play-off final and winning a new two-year contract. He accepts that Leeds should be promotion contenders this season - but just wishes the critics would consider the bigger picture at Elland Road before cranking up the expectation levels. Blackwell, 47, claims it will be another 12 months before Leeds fully recover financially from "living the dream" - and a huge chunk of his monthly wage bill still goes towards paying off former players like Danny Mills and Nicky Barmby.
"I'm favourite for the sack, aren't I?" said Blackwell, whose side face Norwich at Elland Road today. "But then I don't think people have ever appreciated the situation at Leeds United.
"We're in the last year of paying all our former players and this, plus the loss of our parachute money, means we're basically £16million worse off.
"But from day one when I've been manager of this football club, I've been expected to win every match.
"People seem to forget that we lost every player at this football club when we came down and I've had to rebuild this football club from scratch. People gave me six weeks when I arrived here, then six months. Well, three years later and I'm still here.
"I've proved a lot of people wrong and I don't think I have anything to prove to anyone now. I've proved I can manage and I've proved I can coach and be successful. "I proved that at Sheffield United and I've done it here at Leeds by getting to a major final. A lot of managers would give their eye teeth for that."
While promotion rivals like Birmingham, West Brom and Coventry have all spent heavily this summer, Blackwell has actually reduced his wage bill and made £2m in the transfer market by offloading 12 players, such as last season's joint-top scorer Rob Hulse.
Instead of building the team, Bates is spending £2.5m this summer building bars at Elland Road to generate more revenue.
With money so tight, Blackwell claims it will be another 12 months before he is able to compete financially with his rivals.
"Birmingham, West Brom, Sunderland, Crystal Palace and people like that have got significantly more money than us," he said.
"I've brought in £3m and spent £700,000-although that will rise when Ian Westlake signs - because I know I have a financial responsibility to this football club. While some managers would moan that they have no spending power because the chairman is building new bars at the ground, I can see that it's crucial to the development of the football club.
"I know that this time next year, financially the club will be in good shape and then we can move forward.
"It was always our target this season to give it a real good go, but the year after will be the one when we can make significant strides."
He added: "It's not a question of if, but when we are promoted. There's no doubt about it. I'd love it to be this season, but this club will definitely be back in the next two or three years.
"Take it from me, Leeds United will be gracing the Premier League sooner rather than later."
David Prutton's £300,000 move from Southampton to Leeds has collapsed after the midfielder failed a medical. Former England Under-21 captain Prutton, 24, had agreed personal terms on a three-year deal. But he has been sent back to St Mary's because of an ankle injury. Prutton made only 14 league starts last season because of it.
FIRST BOSS TO LEAVE
Kevin Blackwell 9/2
Niall Quinn, Gary Waddock 8/1
Nigel Worthington, Steve Cotterill 9/1
Mike Newell 10/1
Steve Bruce 12/1
Bryan Robson, Steve Tilson 14/1
Geraint Williams, Jim Magilton, Paul Sturrock 16/1
Rob Kelly, Ian Holloway 20/1
Andy Ritchie 25/1
David Jones, Micky Adams, Phil Parkinson, George Burley, Peter Taylor, Paul Simpson, Mick McCarthy 33/1
Tony Pulis, Billy Davies 50/1
Odds: Sky Bet.