Pool Panel - Fulham (h) Lost 2-1 & Cardiff (h) Lost 2-1

A week of uncertainty off the pitch resulted in two close defeats on it.  Despite the shocking state of the pitch, both games saw the teams trying to play football.  Against Fulham we were one kick away from progressing but a common failing reared its head and we eventually lost after extra time.  That failing which also cost us against Cardiff, is a lack of communication at the back.  Too often, but not asserting ourselves vocally, we half clear and it results in us conceding.

A decent call on Tuesday night, and the hesitant header caused by two players going for the same ball would have been avoided and Fulham wouldn’t have scored.  Similarly against Cardiff, the volley from Smith was going straight to Gilks until Cathcart intervened.

Whoever is appointed as new manager needs to get a leader at the back to organise.  We’ve lacked that vocal presence ever since Michael Jackson retired and it’s costing us.

The search for a new manager continues to no avail at time of writing.  While Steve Thompson has a valid claim to the role, the position the club finds itself means that for me, we need to appoint an experienced manager who can quickly assess what’s needed and ensure that we don’t sleepwalk into a relegation battle.

Whoever that is then needs supporting financially to bolster the two or three changes that are needed.  It’s a critical period in the history of the club.  The right appointment needs to be made and fully backed, including a new pitch and training facilities.

Pool Panel - Charlton (a) Lost 2-1

As Oscar Wilde’s Lady Bracknell might have said, “To lose on manager is unfortunate, to lose two looks like carelessness”.  Once again the club is in turmoil as another manager walks.  Karl must ensure that he chooses the next incumbent very carefully and more pertinently, adequately backs him in this January window.

Saturday demonstrated that while we can keep possession and dominate the ball, we have no cutting edge at all at present.  After missing a golden opportunity in the first couple of minutes, and despite dominating the possession stats, we never tested their keeper again until injury time when Eccleston scored.  Add in the usual gifted goals and we’re currently a soft touch.

Too often we broke but then turned back into the middle, giving them the opportunity to regroup and set up defensively.  We’ve lost our way at present, and need to get back to the pacy attack we know we are capable of.  Add a finisher to the mix and we should be fine for this season.  If we don’t, we are in danger of repeating 1978 when we lost the manager in February and sleep-walked into relegation.  That experience has scarred me for life and it would be a scandal if we let it happen again, given the club has taken 35 years to get over it from last time.

I’d like to see a swift managerial appointment being backed with a transfer kitty to strengthen key areas.  Given our Premier riches, surely that’s not too much to ask for?

STARMAN: Ludovic Sylvestre

FA CUP - Fulham (a) Draw 1-1

A good following at Fulham saw us come away with a deserved replay and the potential match up with West Ham or Manchester United.  Throughout the game, Fulham reminded us that when you give possession away against a Premier League side, it can take a while to get it back again, but in truth, it was us making the clearer chances.

For all of Fulham’s neat passing and possession, it was mostly in front of our solid defensive shape, while we always looked dangerous on the counter-attack, with Ince coming close a couple of times in the first half, while the centre pairing of Broadfoot and Baptiste were comfortably dealing with Berbatov and Ruiz.

After coming close a couple of times, Delfouneso broke from wide before laying the ball back to the supporting Sylvestre.  He calmly stroked the ball into the net to send the travelling support wild.  After that, Blackpool sat somewhat deeper but had a couple of chances to put some real daylight between the teams, with Phillips and Sylvestre coming very close to shots across goal.

It then took a wonder goal to get Fulham level, with Karagounis chesting down a cleared corner and half volleying the ball back over Gilks into the far corner.

The pleasing aspect was that we showed we can be a match for a Premier League side and will now fancy our chances on our own pitch, which won’t suit Fulham’s style.  It should be quite a night at Bloomfield Rd.  Let’s support the team in large numbers.

STARMAN:  Kirk Broadfoot 

2012 - A review

2012...The greatest sporting year this country has ever seen, with Olympic glory, a Brit winning a tennis Grand Slam and a Tour de France claimed.  All that and yet as a Blackpool fan, this year hasn’t quite made it.

On the up side, the team again made it to Wembley, but a late goal denied us what we probably deserved on the day.  In addition, issues with ticket allocation also spoiled the day for many.

That defeat ultimately laid the seeds for Ian Holloway’s departure.  He gave us three fantastic seasons of success, but the protracted leaving led to a destabilising time that we are only now starting to come out of.  As a consequence we are playing catch up as we go into 2013 under Michael Appleton; there is still a possibility of promotion at the end of the season, but when this season started we were on fire, with managers queuing up to praise our style.  We still have the same players, yet the results haven’t been there and the confidence needed is proving elusive.

It would also help if we could keep the likes of Ince through the season.  If we are to make a charge, we need all our best players.  As it happens, I believe it would also be in his best interests to stay.  This time last year he wasn’t a regular in the side.  While he is talented, he still has much to learn and for me that would be best served by playing regularly.  All to play for. 

Here’s to 2013.