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Kevin Blackwell has real selection problems

Jan 15 2008

Liverpool Daily Post

 

TROUBLED Luton manager Kevin Blackwell has admitted that some of his players could refuse to face Liverpool in tonight’s FA Cup third-round replay at Anfield for fear of scuppering moves away from the financially-stricken club.

Blackwell handed in his notice at the Coca-Cola League One club on Friday after the club’s administrators agreed to sell captain Chris Coyne to Colchester and midfielder Dave Edwards to Wolves without his knowledge. He and coaches Sam Ellis and John Carver will leave on February 9 and he believes he could face the prospect of players refusing to risk injury in the clash.

Blackwell said: "The way it has gone, I don’t even know who I will have available to play.

"There are at least one or two players talking to other clubs and they’ve got to step into the arena and put their bodies on the line knowing that an injury could cost them a move to a club where they are guaranteed to get paid. I could be sat in the dressing room at Anfield an hour before kick-off and a player might decide that they don’t want to run that risk and pull out.

"I would be bitterly disappointed if that happened but you can understand it.

"Wolves said that we could play Dave Edwards in the game but the administrator wouldn’t allow it in case the deal fell through so now that seed has been sown then it must be praying on other players’ minds."

Blackwell saw his side beaten 3-1 at home to Swansea on Saturday - their first defeat in six games - and believes the loss of Coyne and Edwards derailed the morale at the club.

He said: "I only found out they were going when things were signed, sealed and delivered.

"Once one went I knew it would open a can of worms in the dressing room.

"While we were all in the same boat, not getting paid but playing well and getting good results, the lads were still enjoying themselves.

"But once the group starts to break up it is difficult. The players are well aware that they will lose 15% of their salaries if we get relegated to League Two and that cannot be helped if we sell all our best players.

"The psychological effects of selling those two players at that time cannot be underestimated by people."

To compound Blackwell’s selection problems goalkeeper Dean Brill is a doubt with a thigh strain and has no deputy at the club while newly-appointed captain Chris Perry is also a doubt with the same injury.

 

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