Blackpool THE MATCH

The goals papered over the cracks. The penalty was the first shot on target. The Payne goal was a good finish, apart from that the only save the keeper made was from Balls shot in the second half. Contrast that with Blackpool, a team with a lot more problems than we have and a new manager a game into the season. Save for last ditch blocks and very good 84 minutes from O’Donnell, Blackpool could have had 7 or 8.

 

No. Nobody was to blame, but it was unforunate

 

Didn't we play well for that 15 minute spell when we nearly scored a third?

My point is that there is no reason in that case that this can't be extended, I.e once Hopkins gets amongst them

I'm not saying we're Top 3 material, but surely there is enough quality to be comfortably mid-table. I remember three years a go we were terrible at Colchester, with 10 points from 10 games and largely the same players turned it around

Admit it must have been horrible watching!!

 

I agree, Blackpool was a horrible watch because the enormity of the situation became apparent even with a new manager. If we can get through to January with damage limitation then the season can be saved. Until that time Hopkin is working with limited resources that don’t necessariry fit his plans.

 

The thing is can we find players young or old who can hold that midfield together which for me is key. We need a Gary Jones type character or at the very least can hold the ball and put an accurate pass in. We also need a good tall up and at em striker.

 

I quite like Hopkin's reaction. Clearly we were largely rubbish but he's not throwing anyone under a bus or moaning about the 'enormity' of the task (i.e. like Grayson did)

It is a fair point that if they defend properly, we win - then the performance is largely irrelevant. Look at how terrible Plymouth were last November, we all know that results are everything

 

Would you have been saying that after the Shrewsbury game (serious question), we are now happy with a comfortable mid-table finish because of our terrible first 7 games ?.

 

I agree with this but also feel like you are clutching at straws at the same time. When Ball came on at 1-0 we did look a different side for a spell, and he had a chance to make it 3-0 right before they scored it was a good save tbf.

But highlighting a 15 minute spell against one of the pre season relegation favourites and a club with as much crap as they have really is a huge worry, not something to highlight as a positive. If all we can muster is 15 minute spells in games going forward then we'll be down by January.

 

Just listening to radio Leeds. What match was Andy Kiwomya watching on Saturday. Bradford were good value for their 2 nil Lead. Really

 

They were the home team and we are on a bad run. They were always gonna be on top. But i felt it came in stages for them. They weren’t amazing and were very direct. If we had a good couple of Center halves we would have left with 3 points.

But given how we played we would have robbed them of the points if we won 2/0 but that’s football isn’t it? You don’t always get what you deserve

 

I was gauging the performance to see at what point we might become competitive. They weren’t great and have more problems than we do, Gary Bowyer left after the first game and their behind the scenes problems make ours look insignificant. But on the day they were by far the better team even though they aren’t one of the better teams in the division. We are rock bottom in terms of form and injuries have left us bare in certain areas. At the moment everything is against Hopkin. Turning a team like ours in the circumstances we find ourselves probably doesn’t get any harder. We are one place outside the bottom four and we look like genuine relegation candidates. Until i see this team look like a team that can compete i will remain very worried for the rest of the season.

 

I still believe without the penalty we gave them we would have left with 3 points on Saturday. As poor as we were after that, the penalty gifted them the way back into the game.

Then with the players we had left on we just crumbled and inexperience showed.

Charlton will be very tough. We are gonna have to grind out some results and it’s not going to be pretty and I don’t think Hopkin will care.

 

That doesn't disguise the fact Blackpool were way ahead of us in simple pass and move football. I'm using this as an example as to what happened to us last year and that eventually poor performances get found out despite what the scorelines may be. Up until our poor run after new years day we were in fifth yet our performances never really merited a play off spot. I went to most games last season, i could count on one hand the games where i thought we looked genuine playoff contenders. And thats what i'm getting at in the Blackpool game. A win would have been a great result but 9 times out of ten Blackpool win that game on Saturday if the game goes as it did. A win against Charlton would be great but performance wise i need to see some shoots of recovery and quickly.

 

The way we’ve been playing I’d take a point now. Can’t see us beating them. We have to get some points on the board and quick. Performances will have to wait