Yorkshire Post 11/9/06
I'll just keep doing my job – Blackwell
RICHARD SUTCLIFFE
KEVIN BLACKWELL has hit back at the Leeds United fans who called for his dismissal after yesterday's last-gasp defeat to Wolves and insisted: "I am doing the best job I can."
Jay Bothroyd's superbly struck winner in the second minute of stoppage time was enough to nudge United down a place to 16th in the Championship with a return of two wins and a draw from their opening six games.A section of Elland Road's lowest league crowd since the late 1980s vented their frustration at the final whistle by chanting 'time to go' at the under pressure Blackwell.He, in turn, pointed with some justification to the nature of his side's display against Wolves, but the United manager must also be well aware that results must improve sooner rather than later if supporters are to be placated.Blackwell said: "I am doing the best job I can and it is disappointing when things do not go my way. I want to win every game, just like the fans do."When you look at that performance, you would not say that was a team in trouble. There are five or six players to come in who will add real quality. When we have them in, we will be okay. To lose against Wolves was very unjust on the players, never mind me."Asked about the reaction of the 16,268 crowd at the end, Blackwell added: "I cannot go on and head the ball, can I? I cannot play in midfield and I cannot play at the back. Listen, anyone who saw that display, I do not think has a lot to moan about."But there are fans who if you do not win with style, they criticise. If you do not win by four or five, you get criticised. All I can do is just keep doing my job here."To be fair, we have had a horrendous run of injuries. The squad is as thin as it has ever been. There were only 16 players available to me, as was the case at Sheffield Wednesday (a fortnight earlier)."The good thing is Kevin Nicholls is on his way back and Steve Stone was available again. Geoff Horsfield is also available now after suspension." Bothroyd's winner was the third goal Leeds have conceded in stoppage time this season and Cardiff City left Elland Road with three points last month courtesy of Willo Flood's 83rd-minute strike.Blackwell, however, has called on his players to remain positive ahead of Sunderland's visit to Elland Road on Wednesday night.He said: "The lads are obviously down but I have told them they have nothing to be ashamed of. They played well. We had so much possession and so many chances that it is galling to lose."You look at the game and it is not for me to tell you. We deserved a lot more out of that game than we got. We played Cardiff and lost 1-0 here. We have lost 1-0 to Wolves. But we dominated, in my opinion, both games. If anyone writes anything other than that, I think they are blind."It is just not happening for us in the box. We had eight shots on target and to get nothing is disappointing. But there is no good moping about it, we just have to start all over again."Wolves manager Mick McCarthy knows all about the frustration of conceding costly late goals, his then Republic of Ireland side being denied a place at the European Championships to a goal by Macedonia five minutes into stoppage time.He said: "I was just saying to the staff (when the score was 0-0) 'I think this is a good point away at Leeds'. We would have taken that. It is not like we were all over Leeds."They had the better of the first half, there were periods where we weren't as good as I would have liked. Matt Murray made two great saves and it was looking like he was heading for a man-of-the-match performance."But in the second half he did not have as much to do and I think we levelled the game up. The difference was we scored, they didn't."
I'll just keep doing my job – Blackwell
RICHARD SUTCLIFFE
KEVIN BLACKWELL has hit back at the Leeds United fans who called for his dismissal after yesterday's last-gasp defeat to Wolves and insisted: "I am doing the best job I can."
Jay Bothroyd's superbly struck winner in the second minute of stoppage time was enough to nudge United down a place to 16th in the Championship with a return of two wins and a draw from their opening six games.A section of Elland Road's lowest league crowd since the late 1980s vented their frustration at the final whistle by chanting 'time to go' at the under pressure Blackwell.He, in turn, pointed with some justification to the nature of his side's display against Wolves, but the United manager must also be well aware that results must improve sooner rather than later if supporters are to be placated.Blackwell said: "I am doing the best job I can and it is disappointing when things do not go my way. I want to win every game, just like the fans do."When you look at that performance, you would not say that was a team in trouble. There are five or six players to come in who will add real quality. When we have them in, we will be okay. To lose against Wolves was very unjust on the players, never mind me."Asked about the reaction of the 16,268 crowd at the end, Blackwell added: "I cannot go on and head the ball, can I? I cannot play in midfield and I cannot play at the back. Listen, anyone who saw that display, I do not think has a lot to moan about."But there are fans who if you do not win with style, they criticise. If you do not win by four or five, you get criticised. All I can do is just keep doing my job here."To be fair, we have had a horrendous run of injuries. The squad is as thin as it has ever been. There were only 16 players available to me, as was the case at Sheffield Wednesday (a fortnight earlier)."The good thing is Kevin Nicholls is on his way back and Steve Stone was available again. Geoff Horsfield is also available now after suspension." Bothroyd's winner was the third goal Leeds have conceded in stoppage time this season and Cardiff City left Elland Road with three points last month courtesy of Willo Flood's 83rd-minute strike.Blackwell, however, has called on his players to remain positive ahead of Sunderland's visit to Elland Road on Wednesday night.He said: "The lads are obviously down but I have told them they have nothing to be ashamed of. They played well. We had so much possession and so many chances that it is galling to lose."You look at the game and it is not for me to tell you. We deserved a lot more out of that game than we got. We played Cardiff and lost 1-0 here. We have lost 1-0 to Wolves. But we dominated, in my opinion, both games. If anyone writes anything other than that, I think they are blind."It is just not happening for us in the box. We had eight shots on target and to get nothing is disappointing. But there is no good moping about it, we just have to start all over again."Wolves manager Mick McCarthy knows all about the frustration of conceding costly late goals, his then Republic of Ireland side being denied a place at the European Championships to a goal by Macedonia five minutes into stoppage time.He said: "I was just saying to the staff (when the score was 0-0) 'I think this is a good point away at Leeds'. We would have taken that. It is not like we were all over Leeds."They had the better of the first half, there were periods where we weren't as good as I would have liked. Matt Murray made two great saves and it was looking like he was heading for a man-of-the-match performance."But in the second half he did not have as much to do and I think we levelled the game up. The difference was we scored, they didn't."