New Manager to be Announced

[Neko Bazu]

According to the official site, the board are going to announce our new manager at 4pm today (Tuesday).

Blackwell looks to be the likely candidate, though I've got this horrible niggling feeling it could also be Stein - he'd be cheaper, for a start. As much as I love Stein for all he did at the club, though, I just can't envisage him being a good manager, and would even go so far as to say Blackwell would be a better man for the job

Neither prospect particularly excites me, though I'd get behind them either way. I wonder if Mourinho's sick of Chelasea and after a real challenge?

[derekhappyhatter]

Totally agree, Neko, Brian Stein is a wonderful servant to the club but I can't see him being able to do the job well enough (a bit like Ricky Hill a few years ago).

As for Blackwell, it depends who he has as backroom staff; I can't help thinking we need Mick Harford back as coach (a position he's particularly good at, imo); but anyway, we'll see

[Neko Bazu]

To be fair, I suppose Blackwell could be what we need - look at where he took Leeds in two seasons, especially considering the state when he first took them over!

On the other hand, his performance this season wasn't encouraging...

I've heard since my original post that he's been travelling around Europe looking at different coaching techniques - if that's true, I'd be interested to see what he brings back! Perhaps he could do a better job for us than I first feared...

It'd be fantastic if we could have Mick Harford and John Moore back at the club as coaches, but I don't think either's particularly likely!

[Travis]

neko said:

To be fair, I suppose Blackwell could be what we need - look at where he took Leeds in two seasons, especially considering the state when he first took them over!

On the other hand, his performance this season wasn't encouraging...

I've heard since my original post that he's been travelling around Europe looking at different coaching techniques - if that's true, I'd be interested to see what he brings back! Perhaps he could do a better job for us than I first feared...

It'd be fantastic if we could have Mick Harford and John Moore back at the club as coaches, but I don't think either's particularly likely!

Best not to mention all the money he wasted spent, and how performances nosedived when Boothroyd left then.......

[Neko Bazu]

Well right now, we look like we'll need to throw a working squad together - I can't see us hanging onto Foley and barnett, for instance, and Heiks and Bell may well have caught someone's eye too. He at least managed that much with you, right?

[Neko Bazu]

Ten minutes! Get your bets in! ;D

[Lollipop]

Blackwell! I actually reckon he'd do alright for you if you get relegated.

[Lollipop]

Any news yet?

[Lollipop]

It's Blackwell - confirmed.

[Neko Bazu]

It's Kevin Blackwell, on a four-year contract!

They're pretty damn confident... I'd have gone for three years tops...

Kevin Blackwell is the new manager of Luton Town, joining today on a four-year contract.

Blackwell, 48, and born in Luton, takes over immediately and has seven games left to try to keep the Hatters in the Championship. He was manager of Leeds United for just over two years, and has also been Assistant Manager at Sheffield United and Bury.

He comes to Kenilworth Road facing a daunting task as the Hatters are in the drop zone, but he said: "I'm not daunted by the size of the challenge. I can only do my best and give it a go.

"I've come here for the long term. There's a vision at this football club that excites me and it's something I'm looking forward to. There are things happening at Luton that could turn the club into a major player again and I want to be a part of that."

Blackwell met the players at a training session this morning and said: "The lads were good and there's no lack of spirit."

He is widely respected in football and thought of as the best-qualified coach in the UK. Since he left Leeds he has been studying new coaching techniques at Real Madrid and Inter Milan, and has recently returned from Brazil.

He takes over from caretaker boss Brian Stein, who had just one game in charge, and his first match will be at Burnley on Saturday.

As a player, Blackwell was a goalkeeper who saved a penalty at Wembley in the 1985 FA Trophy Final, although in a losing cause as his Boston team went down 2-1 to Wealdstone.

He also helped Barton Rovers reach the 1978 FA Vase Final.

In 1986, he was signed by Scarborough manager Neil Warnock - the beginning of a relationship that was to see the two work together at Notts County, Torquay, Huddersfield, Plymouth, Bury and Sheffield United.

Blackwell played 59 games for Scarborough, 20 for Torquay, 10 for Huddersfield and 27 for Plymouth.

He has worked under some notable managers in his time, going right back to Ron Atkinson when he was a young apprentice at Cambridge United. He was then signed by Barry Fry at Barnet in 1985.

And he was taken to Leeds by Peter Reid in 2003, before working under caretaker Eddie Gray and then getting the manager's job himself in 2004.

As Leeds manager, Blackwell took his side to 14th in the Championship in his first season and then 5th in his second, 2005-06. Leeds beat Preston 3-1 in the Play-Off semi-final but lost 3-0 to Watford in the Final, a scoreline made worse by an own goal on the hour and a late penalty.

Blackwell's record at Leeds was played 114, won 44, drew 33, lost 37.

He will now team up again with Matthew Spring - a player he took to Leeds from Luton in August 2004 - and Clark Carlisle - who he sold to Watford in August 2005.

...oh dear...

"I've come here for the long term. There's a vision at this football club that excites me and it's something I'm looking forward to. There are things happening at Luton that could turn the club into a major player again and I want to be a part of that."

That sounds frighteningly scripted and yes-man-ish...

[Lollipop]

4 years! Wow!