Pool Panel - A Free Weekend

The free weekend puts even more emphasis on how important the next game for Blackpool is.  The game at Ewood Park takes on crucial importance after last week’s defeat to another of our relegation rivals..  With the gap at only four points, it’s essential that we get something out of the game.  In all likelihood, a win goes a huge way to ensuring our safety, with maybe one more win needed after that.

The club has underperformed this season after such a promising start, disrupted by a succession of managerial changes and a sense of drifting along rather than taking the bull by the horns and really going for it.  It’s been a frustrating season because in all truth, no one side has really stood out and looked better than us.  The sooner we can ensure safety and put this season behind us the better.  With eight games to go, I remain convinced that we have enough about us to ensure we gather the points needed to guarantee that and then go into a summer of change where Paul Ince can get the squad he wants and start afresh.

With two games over the forthcoming weekend, and a large support expected to travel to Blackburn, it would be great to get maximum points.  That trip is followed by the return of Ian Holloway.  He gave us three wonderful years, but it’s no time for sentiment as the need for the win is overwhelming.

It’s time for the fans to get right behind the team and ensure we survive; any recriminations can wait until after the end of the season.

Away Travel

Blackburn Away - Good Friday

No mini bus for this game, but there is quite a few of us going on the train.  The idea is to take the 09.53 from Leeds and then have a few drinks in Accrington before the game.  The train goes via Bradford.  See you at the station if you fancy it.

Nottingham Forest away - Saturday 6th April

We're running a bus to Nottingham on April 6th,  We'll be leaving Leeds around 10.45.  We've still some surplus cash in club coffers so are limiting the cost per person to £10 maximum, but  may be less depending on numbers.  Please let Phil or Charlie know if you are interested - places filling up quickly....

Pool Panel - Peterborough (h) Lost 1-0

Peterborough (h) Lost 1-0

After the win at Watford, it was vital that the team built on the momentum gained and also to ensure a team below us didn’t make any ground.  The team started very brightly, buoyed with the confidence gained, making a number of chances, but the injury to Barry Ferguson after half an hour disrupted the shape of the team and we were never the same after that.

Inevitably we then allowed a crossfield ball to be headed back into the centre unchallenged where it was an easy finish for the onrushing midfielder.  Try as we might, we were then unable to break down a massed defence and slumped to another home defeat, putting us back into the relegation mix.

There is now a fortnight to stew on the result and ensure we are better placed to go into two massive games against our recent ex-managers over the Easter weekend.  To banish those relegation fears we need to take the chances when they come along.  On the whole, we’ve tightened up defensively, with the new centre half pairing looking solid.  However, we are not gelling going forward, with a number of promising opportunities being squandered as a consequence of a poor final ball, or a failure to make the right run.

Once again, the team seem afraid to play on the home pitch, which doesn’t help a team who try and play on the floor.  I’m sure we’ll take a large following to Ewood Park, and that support could be crucial in gaining a vital three points.

Keep the faith.

STARMAN: Gary Mackenzie

Player of the Season 2012/2013

Travel - Nottingham & Blackburn

NOTTINGHAM FOREST AWAY - 6th APRIL - Just a brief reminder that we're running a minibus to Nottingham for the game on 6th April. Price will be no more than a tenner and possibly less if we fill up.  Please let Phil or Charlie lnow if you are going.

BLACKBURN AWAY - FRIDAY 29th MARCH - Blackburn away is on Good Friday.  I know there's a fair few looking to travel by train, with a pint or two in Accrington beforehand.  I'll check out train times and make sure there's a full service and let you know which train we're looking to travel on.

In case you haven't seen it...

If you haven't previously had a season ticket and are worried about travelling back to Blackpool from Yorkshire for home games, we are usually able to offer lifts with enough notice.

Pool Panel - Birmingham (a) & Watford (a)

Tuesday night at Birmingham was essential in not losing ground to one of the teams around us, and a point was the least we deserved for a decent away performance, with us in control for much of the first half only to concede once again to a set piece.  The turning point was the introduction of Ludo Sylvestre who immediately gave us more urgency going forward with his neat, one touch football.  We were very close to scoring as Crainey overlapped and put a great ball across the face of goal, but scored from the resulting corner, with Broadfoot bundling the ball home from close in as Delfouneso created confusion with his first touch.

Watford are in fine form so not much was expected.  For Paul Ince to get his first win there was therefore all the sweeter.  We again had a few chances early on with Ince and Derbyshire both being denied by good saves, only to fall behind.  The linesman inexplicably gave them a throw in, and then compounded his error by not picking up on the blatant foul throw; they broke at pace, we missed a tackle and they scored.   Once again Ludo came on and made a difference and again Crainey overlapped with Ince taking advantage.  After that, only one team looked like winning and it duly came after a scramble caused by Futacs making a nuisance of himself at a corner.  A great win that makes us look much more secure in the Division. We need to build with victory against Peterborough.

STARMAN: Ludo Sylvestre (Birmingham); Tom Ince (Watford)

Pool Panel - Bristol City (H) Draw 0-0

Saturday saw the pitch as the key player in a game of little entertainment where neither side were able to impose themselves on that surface.  Blackpool started brightly, with more movement than of late, and managed to get a couple of decent balls across the face of goal but were unable to get on to the end of them.  

The longer the game went on though, the less the players were trusting the surface and resorted to going longer, playing into the defenders’ hands as a result.  It could be said that the pitch is the same for both teams, but it’s us who has to play the most games on it, and it’s affecting confidence and the ability to attack as we would want, especially as we don’t have the personnel to play it long to a big man, hold it up and play from there. Four games without scoring tells its own story and one we must rectify and soon to go with our new found defensive solidity.

As part of that, the loan signing of Mackenzie shows promise, in that he came into the team and provided the commanding presence we’ve missed for quite a while. On that basis, Paul and his team seem to know what is required.  I’d hope they are able to line up a forward from the same mould to give us an attacking focus.

Tuesday now becomes another crucial game, with Birmingham being another of those teams around us; for Ince to get his first win would be most opportune.

STARMAN: Gary Mackenzie