The Blades endured a run of five games without a win in September which culminated in the humiliation of a six-goal defeat by Arsenal's youngsters in the Carling Cup.
Yet now, after pulling off back-to-back victories over Watford and Doncaster Rov
ers, the Blades are back in the Championship play-off zone and aiming to complete a hat-trick of wins today, against Bristol City.
Blackwell regards September as a 'month of complacency' and summer signing David Cotterill was one casualty of the shake-up that stopped the rot.
Cotterill was given the middle names 'George Best' by his Manchester United supporting parents and has been trying to live up to the tag since emerging as a schoolboy winger in his native Wales.
Ironically, Keith Gillespie – who is nicknamed 'Bestie' and is both Irish and a former Manchester United player – has been told to find a new club after a bust-up with Blackwell.
The Blades manager insists that Cotterill still has a future at Bramall Lane, however, and could even return to the side today because of injury to Greg Halford.
"Sometimes, you have to give people a shot across the bows and say 'come on you're better than that'," said Blackwell.
"We know how good Cotts can be and this is just a bit of a wake-up call.
"He was dropped because he wasn't doing what I think he's good at. Now I just want Cotts to get back to doing what he does best – which is attacking players and getting crosses in."
With the signing, initially on loan, of Brian Howard completed, Blackwell is confident that the Blades will go from strength to strength and he says that the former Barnsley talisman is in contention to make his debut.
"I hope this is the start of a long unbeaten run now," he said.
"The 14 days before the Watford win was the first time I had seen any sort of downturn since I got here. I was criticised for that, and rightly so, but if those 14 days were the worst in nine months, it is not too bad."
The full article contains 404 words and appears in n/a newspaper.
