ARCHIVE: Mr. Difficult / Waste of Space
Back in October 1998, Blackburn Rovers came in for Nathan Blake and Colin Todd snapped their hands off. It wasn’t much of a surprise to see him go, many fans starting to feel his heart wasn’t in the club. Regular White Love contributors of the day, John Burton (Deane) and Nick Green (Chorley) had their say on his departure.
Mr. Difficult
The transfer of Nathan Blake to Blackburn was a surprise, but not a shock. The surprise was not that he went, but that he went to Blackburn. We got good value from him, £1.5m in, £4.25m out. JOHN BURTON writes.
Some Wanderers fans were outraged that we had let another of the club’s prize assets go, but for me Blake was a player I would always be looking to get rid of; just as long as the price was right.
For when it all comes down to it, Nathan is, how should we say – difficult. And moody. And awkward. And hard to handle. And lazy...
There is doubt that the only player we had last season who was going to get any goals was Blake. Without him nobody else was really going to look like scoring. Though curiously when he drops down a division instead of getting an absolute panful, he does okay to fair to good. But not outstanding, and not, to me, £4.25m. And he’s... difficult.
That’s not to say you’d put your mortgage on Nathan. You wouldn’t. For every one he scores, he’d miss four. You can dissect and analyse the ’97/98 season to obsessive lengths, as you would tend to when you go down in such agonising circumstances on goal difference. But Blake’s misses at Blackburn (A) when on a one-on-one, and from a collective 8 yards out against Wimbledon (A) and Leicester (A) stay in my mind. And he’s... difficult. And lazy. If you want a heart and soul player, giving his all, chasing lost causes, hustling defenders’ well Nathan just wasn’t your man. And he’s difficult.
Granted when Nathan felt like it he’d probably score. When he felt like it; which he often didn’t. Though one thing Nathan was always up for was having a running conversation/moan with the referee. And he’s difficult.
And for a man so sensitive to the racial aspects of the game, and of life in general, it would seem Nathan can be as bigoted as the next. I do not believe in “outing” and feel that someone’s private sexuality is just that, private. So if you know that Bolton have a homosexual player, okay. If you don’t, then you’re not getting the name from me, now or ever. Save to say that Nathan had to be persuaded to train with him. Strange, intolerance and prejudice from someone so touchy about the race card.
So long Nathan. I wish you well. You scored some lovely goals, and overall Bolton got a lot from you. But when Roy Hodgson came along waving Uncle Jack’s cheque for £4.25m you had to go. You’re just too bloody difficult.
Waste of Space
£4.5 million for Nathan Blake? I don’t know who scouts for Blackburn Rovers these days but he must be the same scout who landed us with Dean Holdsworth. NICK GREEN writes.
Blake had been rubbish this season, the only time he put any effort into his game was when he was running for the bath after the final whistle.
The simple fact is that Blake cost us our place in the Premiership last season. If he’d put just a fraction of his easy chances in the back of the net we’d probably have finished in the top ten!
Nathan Blake is a gifted player, make no mistake about that. That’s what makes his attitude so annoying, with his ability his name should be uttered in the same breath as Shearer and Owen.
I am one of the many Bolton fans who was glad to see Blake go. There’s no point in having bags of talent if you’re not going to use it. Anyone who witnessed Blake’s performance at Barnsley will know what I’m talking about, his display was an insult to the Bolton players of yesteryear like Reeves, Coyle and Patterson who gave 110% every match despite not being blessed with immense talent.
Colin Todd must take some of the blame. Blake needed a kick up the backside but all Todd did was heap praise on his underachieving striker. If Blake had been playing in the Bruce Rioch era do you think he’d have had it so easy? Would he have allowed the immense talent of Nathan Blake turn into the whinging, petulant, lazy player that he is? I think not.
As things stand, Blake could well become the first player to be relegated from the Premiership with three different clubs as he seems to have joined a club equally devoid of ideas and inspiration. Whatever happens, I look forward to seeing Blake back at the Reebok as it’ll be the easiest game our back four will have played since they last tackled him in training!
First appeared in White Love Issue 25, Christmas 1998.