Pool Panel - Ince's First Week - Leeds (a) 0-2 & Leicester (h) 0-0

Welcome to Paul Ince as we finally made a managerial appointment.  Unfortunately, we started with defeat at Leeds, despite playing our part in an end to end game.  Once again, the lack of a finisher came back to haunt us allied to some defensive calamities gifting easy goals.  It doesn’t seem to matter who is manager, we still have a propensity for allowing soft goals and failing to take advantage of promising situations.

 

For Saturday, changes were made to the midfield that made us more solid in defence but also somewhat limited us going forward.  Once again the pitch also played its part, with us unable to get any passing football going, frequently resorting to the more direct approach.  For once, we rode our luck, with Leicester missing a penalty, but with Schmeichel also making a number of decent saves, a point was deserved.

 

Ince Senior now has a full week to work with the team and get his ideas across.  In my opinion, it’s a positive appointment in that it’s someone who has seen us play for the last eighteen months and hence knows both our strengths and weaknesses and therefore what can be done to rectify our current malaise.  This season is now all about maintaining our status as a Championship club, starting with a massive game next Saturday against Bristol City.  I wouldn’t go as far as to say it’s a must win, but a win would go a long way to making us safe.

STARMEN:  Kirk Broadfoot (Leeds); Barry Ferguson (Leicester)

Pool Panel - Ipswich (a) Lost 1-0

This is turning out to be a season of disappointment summed up by defeat by a side no better than us.  Once again, we were undone by a failure to clinically take what chances we had, while conceding through a lack of organisation.

First half, we more than matched Ipswich, creating a number of chances, with Gomes going the closest when he hit the post after a good passing move put him in the clear.  That failure to take chances once again came back to haunt us.  Broadfoot went off injured, and while we reorganised defensively, Chopra took advantage to find space down the middle and took the one clear chance that Ipswich created.

After that, despite plenty of possession, in all truth we didn’t create much, with Baptiste going closest with a header from a corner.

Paul Ince comes in to take over a squad that looks good on paper; the one thing in Ince’s favour is that he has seen so many of our games.  While his son was the focus of his attention, he must have his own views on those surrounding him and will have a good idea of what will and won’t work.

This season is already over in terms of thinking about progressing.  He has to come in and secure enough points to keep us in this Division and then be fully supported in developing the squad to be a force next time round.  I wish him all the best in his new role.

STARMAN: Kirk Broadfoot  

Ipswich Away - 16th Feb

We currently have 12 takers for the "fun bus" down to Portman Road on February 16th.

It has been agreed that YS will subsidise the cost of this trip and that the cost to members will be no more than £12, irrespective of how many people travel - but could be less if we have a full bus.

Please contact Charlie or Phil if you want to be part of the YS Express.

Pool Panel - Millwall (h) Win 2-1

Another week of turmoil at the club with us seemingly unable to finalise a deal to secure a couple of experienced managers and that was reflected on the pitch in the first half, as the team seemed unable to cope with the atrocious surface and looked sorry for themselves.  Millwall could have been more than the one they were up and discontent was manifest in the stands with a number of chants aimed at the owners.

From the start of the second half it was different.  The team didn’t allow the surface to dominate and played much better.  Once Ince had equalised, it was basically one way traffic, with Angel playing well, ensuring that the ball was unfussily retained and directed wide.  The substitutions gave us a better focus going forward and we were able to keep the ball higher up the pitch.

Despite that, it looked like another frustrating afternoon at Bloomfield Rd but then Delfueneso held off his man and coolly finished to release some that tension in the ground.

The consequence is that while we remain only six points off a relegation place, we are only three of seventh.  It’s now essential that stability is restored through the appointment of a manager.  Judging from the calibre of candidates that have been linked with the job, it would seem we are looking for an experienced man.  On the face of it, that would seem to be a sensible move, but the longer we go on with the current uncertainty, the more dangerous the league position.  We need to be decisive now.

STARMAN: Angel Martinez

Pool Panel - Barnsley (h) Lose 2-1

A week all too typical of the way it’s been going for Blackpool recently.  There is still no news on a permanent managerial appointment, while on the field, despite dominating for long stretches, we again failed to convert that superiority into points.

While we have a decent squad of players, what we lack is an out and out striker who can convert the chances we create.  As a consequence, we end up frustrated by teams like Barnsley who set out their stall to compete for everything and rely on converting a couple of chances to kill us off.  Time and time again, we got the ball into good areas but lacked the killer instinct.

Meanwhile we are drifting into a relegation battle, a travesty of a situation given the resources the club have had from their Premier League sojourn.  The failure to secure a manager and then a much needed striker in January is coming back to haunt us.  The latter is a direct result of the first because players naturally will be unwilling to commit themselves to a club where any new man may not see them as part of his plans.

With the transfer  window now closed, any new man (including Thompson should he be given the job on an extended basis) has his options limited to loanees.

The buck has to stop with the man at the top who is in danger of watching all the good will accrued in the town to drift away.  Decisions must be made now.

STARMAN: Thomas Ince

Pool Panel - Wolves (a) Win 2-1

Another week goes by without a manager, leading to a feeling of instability for the fans and probably players.  Despite that we secured three valuable points at Molineux, a place where we haven’t won since the mid 60s.  Perhaps this is an omen that things are finally turning our way again.

Certainly the game had all kinds of emotions, conceding a breakaway goal after an early promising start, being denied a cast iron penalty when Baptiste was brought down from behind as he broke into the area.  Our luck turned just before half time as Ince took full advantage of defensive hesitancy to prod the ball into the corner of the net and make it a much better half time for the travelling support who’d braved the treacherous journey.

Second half, that change of fortune continued as the ball fell to Ebanks-Blake close in but Gilks make a great blocking save to keep us in the game.  In the end that proved to be Wolves’ best chance asa we took control without really threatening their goal.  Out of the blue, Ince then cut in from the right and unleashed a terrific swerving shot that beat the keeper all ends up.  A late sending off for Johnson ensured that we saw out the game in some comfort.

It's n’w crucial that the club appoint a new manager as soon as possible to bring back some semblance of structure to the club.  We’ve had a run og good appointments.  Time to make another.

STARMAN:  Thomas Ince