Category: Match Coverage

Four Thoughts on… Leicester City 2-0 Blackpool

·
Tuesday night saw Ian Holloway return to his former club Leicester and leave empty-handed after a 2-0 defeat, much to the enjoyment of the home supporters. Here are my observations on the match:


1. Harsh first half scoreline

Leicester led 1-0 at the break courtesy of Andy King’s goal from a Lloyd Dyer through ball, but ‘Pool had certainly deserved more. With the same starting line-up that had taken to the pitch in the weekend’s 2-2 draw with Birmingham, it was Ian Holloway’s side that sought to dictate the pace of the game and the short sharp passing we have become accustomed to in recent weeks. Having the better of the possession and on the whole looking comfortable, Blackpool had largely restricted the hosts to playing on the counter-attack.

Where Blackpool failed in the first half was with their inability to convert possession to genuine goalscoring chances. A number of players had shots from distance, but there was only one real gilt-edged opportunity to speak of, when Gary Taylor-Fletcher was unable to guide his header past Kasper Schmeichel following an excellent Neal Eardley cross. However, despite seeing less of the ball than the visitors, Leicester were still able to ask questions of the ‘Pool defence, primarily through the use of the ball over the top.

The pace and guile of David Nugent and Jermaine Beckford was always a threat lurking in the shadows and when they did get on the ball they looked dangerous against a high Blackpool line, but it was generally the Seasiders who did most of the running. When a goal did come it was a little against the run of play, but Leicester had earlier forced Matt Gilks into a good save, so the warning signs were there for ‘Pool who should have made their possession count. Still, Holloway will have been frustrated to give his half-time teamtalk to a trailing team.

2. Problems for Evatt and the defence

At the start of the season, the defence looked as if it would be the foundation of the side with no turnover of first team players in this area following relegation from the Premier League. Matt Gilks has backed that statement up with a string of fine performances in goal, particularly in recent weeks, but the back four is starting to appear a little more precarious, through a combination of injury and below-par performances. Craig Cathcart’s injury struck at a bad time, as the former Manchester United man was beginning to recapture his form from the first half of last season. Last night’s injury to Alex Baptiste only compounds the problem.

One man ‘Pool can normally rely on is Ian Evatt, but his displays of late have been a little below his usual standard. Evatt’s positioning could be questioned for both of Birmingham’s goals last weekend, and his role in Leicester’s strikes should be examined too. The first goal came down Evatt’s side, and in the build up to the second he was pulled all over the pitch and could be accused of ball-watching. For some balance though, on neither occasion did the defence receive much help from the midfield, so the blame can’t entirely be placed on Evatt’s shoulders.

Chris Basham came on for the injured Baptiste, and on reflection did fairly well, one panicked moment aside once the game was already lost at 2-0 down. Basham looked good in the air, and particularly in attacking situations looking to get on the end of free-kicks and corners. Whether Holloway sees centre back as Basham’s long-term position is unclear however. Should the injury situation be serious, it may mean a recall for Ashley Eastham as Miguel Llera just gone on loan to Sheffield Wednesday and ‘Pool won’t be able to call him back until 28 days of the loan have elapsed. The only other option would be Matt Hill, but anyone who saw his performance at West Ham would be reluctant to see him return at the heart of the defence. Strengthening in this area in January may now be a priority.

3. Midfield? What Midfield?

Despite a fairly positive first 45 minutes for Blackpool, the second half saw a change of approach from the restart. Taylor-Fletcher began the half in midfield, with Jonjo Shelvey pushing further forward. Soon after, Ludovic Sylvestre was then taken off – fatigue cited as the reason post-match – with Callum McManaman replacing him. This resulted in Shelvey dropping back into midfield alongside Barry Ferguson and Taylor-Fletcher.

This was not an ideal scenario as Shelvey has already been known to struggle positionally in a midfield three and Taylor-Fletcher is also attack-minded. In some ways Holloway had few genuine midfield options, with no Angel Martinez on the bench and Basham already utilised in defence due to Baptiste’s injury. This meant Blackpool’s midfield consisted of too many attackers in an unbalanced second half, the shape of the ‘Pool side crumbling.

Since the Leicester game, Liverpool have recalled Shelvey, which makes the return of Keith Southern all the more important. Tuesday night was the sort of game made for Southern as there was nobody in the Blackpool side in the second half who really looked to take the game to Leicester’s midfield. Holloway looked to have hit on a strong combination with Ferguson, Southern and Sylvestre, and the sooner he can return to this trio the better. Another player to consider is Elliot Grandin, who is nearing a return from injury, and has been a big miss for the Seasiders.

4. Functional Leicester
Nigel Pearson’s return to Leicester has certainly given the club a lift, and over the course of the 90 minutes it’s hard to argue that they were anything other than good value for their 2-0 win. Referring to Leicester as ‘functional’ may seem something of a back-handed compliment, but it is said with good intentions. So many teams in the Championship struggle for any kind of consistency, so the way Pearson looks to have set up his team in such a short space of time is to be commended. Being functional with the quality of players they have should see Leicester be realistic automatic promotion contenders.

Leicester set up in a 4-4-2 formation, with the full-backs encouraged to push on, and Richie Wellens sitting deep pulling the strings. Wellens’ midfield partner, Andy King, is a player clearly capable of playing in the Premier League and assisted by their wide men, Leicester appear to have a team that know their roles very well – again a considerable feat given the recent managerial change. There’s every chance Leicester can catch the current top two, and a play-off place is surely a given.

Pearson spoke very fairly post-match by saying that Blackpool had had better of first half. When asked how he spoke to his players at half-time, Pearson stated that he just asked for nothing complicated, but to work harder. This, combined with a downturn in the performance levels of Blackpool, was highly effective. It’s not to say that Leicester’s performance was purely based on graft and bereft of quality though, with their class shining through for their second goal, a lovely well-worked move which cut ‘Pool wide open. Leicester could possibly even have scored a few more goals, but some near-misses and Gilks saves limited the score to 2-0.

Four Thoughts on… Middlesbrough 2-2 Blackpool

·
In a thrilling encounter at the Riverside on Saturday, Blackpool did well to emerge with a point against a strong Middlesbrough side. Boro twice took the lead but goals from Ludovic Sylvestre and Jonjo Shelvey secured an away draw for the Seasiders. Here are my observations on the game.

 

1.       Emnes and McDonald a handful
Middlesbrough will have been disappointed not to have taken all three points on Saturday, and a large contributing factor in that was the performance of their strikers, Marvin Emnes and Scott McDonald. Both have had to endure a tricky spell to start their careers on Teesside, but now seem to be through that stage and look a real threat.
Emnes was the player that had most ‘Pool fans talking after the game, his ability to hold the ball and his directness causing problems for Ian Evatt and Craig Cathcart, with Alex Baptiste also having a decidedly rocky first half struggling to cope with the Middlesbrough forwards. Emnes did have a tendency to go to ground a little too easily, but it’s easy to see why Boro have had a good start to the season on the back of 10 goals from the Dutchman.
For me though, the more impressive of the two was McDonald. Arriving on a hefty-by-Championship-standards pricetag – £3.5m from Celtic – McDonald bagged both goals for the hosts and I was surprised to learn he’d had something of a scoring drought this season up until recently. Despite his relative lack of height, he won more than his fair share of headers, and was perhaps unlucky not to get a hat-trick on the day.
2.       Phillips and Clarke back in the fold
After their successful month long spell on loan at Sheffield United, Matt Phillips and Billy Clarke both featured from the bench at the Riverside. Whether they’d both have made the 16 without the late removal of Lomana Lua Lua from the squad – Ian Holloway left him out after the forward missed a team meeting on the day of the game – is unclear, but given how they performed at Bramall Lane it was just reward for the pair.
Of the two, it was Matt Phillips who demonstrated a more visible impact once he joined the action midway through the second half. Phillips did not only assist Shelvey’s equaliser, but he was also involved in a few similar chances that may have even won all three points for Blackpool at the death. It’s important for Phillips to have confidence back in running with the ball and crossing into dangerous areas. Saturday was a fine example of how to do that, and if he can replicate that form as the season progresses, there’s no doubt he can play a big role for ‘Pool this campaign.
Clarke had fewer minutes on the pitch to impress, but still showed signs that his spell on loan has been productive. Clarke won praise during his loan spell for the creative side of his game playing just off the main striker – the lack of goals more than made up for by the amount of goals he set up. Looking to tap into this, Holloway used Clarke on Saturday in the hole behind the front three. It was noticeable that Clarke often picked up the ball from a rather deep-lying position, and with so much competition for the forward roles, Clarke’s best chance of any kind of regular action may be in this position.
3.       Gilks – in form but note of caution
Matt Gilks won the man of the match award for most onlookers of a Blackpool persuasion, and quite rightly so, as the former Rochdale keeper put in another fine display. There is a case to be made that he is player of the season so far and more performances such as this will only strengthen that view. 
Once again ‘Pool had to rely on their stopper to bail them out of some worrying situations, Gilks making several excellent saves to keep Blackpool in the contest. One save in particular in the first half will be remembered fondly, as Gilks dived low to his right to deny McDonald – comparisons to Gordon Banks vs. Pele weren’t far off the mark at all.
However, for all of the great work Gilks did, if we’re going to be picky then some of his distribution left a little to be desired. His desire to release the ball quickly is certainly to be commended, but sometimes a slight hesitation might be the best idea. Gilks’ quick throw-outs gifted possession to the opposition more than a couple of times, leading to some very dangerous moments indeed. However, that slight blemish aside Gilks is proving a steady foundation, and some minutes for Scotland are surely massively overdue.
4.       Blackpool – below par but a hard-won point
Matt Gilks was not the only Blackpool player to give up possession easily, and it was endemic amongst the men in tangerine throughout the match. Uncharacteristically for ‘Pool, the passing was not nearly as accurate as it could be and it led to some quick counter-attacks and end-to-end football, with Boro too guilty at times, although not nearly as often. 
 
The way Blackpool failed to hold onto the ball was down in part due to the strong pressing game employed by Tony Mowbray’s men. Middlesbrough sought to restrict the time ‘Pool had on the ball and did this well, particularly in the first half. Blackpool encountered this pressing tactic against Burnley a few weeks ago, but did cope slightly better this time around with a flatter midfield three.
 
As already mentioned, Boro were the more dominant team over the course of the whole game, but it should not be underestimated what an achievement it was to come from behind twice. Doing so in any away game is an excellent feat, but at a team with such a handy home record the comebacks were even more impressive. In a pre-season contribution to The Seventy Two, I tipped Middlesbrough as a side who “could make a credible challenge for the play-offs”. It’s now clear Boro are genuine promotion candidates and so a point for ‘Pool should be regarded as a fantastic outcome.

Four Thoughts on… Blackpool 1-0 Millwall

·
A week after the demoralising 3-1 defeat to Burnley, Blackpool have now racked up back-to-back wins without conceding a goal. Saturday’s 1-0 win over Millwall was not a vintage performance, but strong enough over 90 minutes to overcome a resolute, if unexciting, opponent. Here are my thoughts on the match:

1. The death of the long diagonal?
A staple of the way Blackpool played last season, it seems that the use of the long diagonal has been consigned to the past. A revealing post-match interview with Ian Holloway suggested that it was a tactic that may no longer be used. 
“We’re having to evolve. We can’t hit long diagonals [any more] because we can’t hit them as well as we used to and we’ve got to get support to people quicker and make better angles. This is a clean slate – we’ve got a new team, a new group. We can’t hit them diagonals, they’re too predictable, so let’s work it into people’s feet, let’s support them, let’s get runners off that, let’s try and see if we can outplay a 4-4-2 by having the ball on the floor because we haven’t got any big ones. We’re going to play a certain type of way, we’re going to encourage you to get the ball and pass it and hopefully we’ll look like a Spanish team, and that’s what I want to do because I think some of the football they play is some of the best I’ve ever seen in my life.”
This admission from Holloway is perhaps a little overdue, but is a sign that he has taken a fresh look to his approach this past week which may reap significant benefits. Key in his decision to ditch the long diagonal is likely the personnel at his disposal, both in making the long diagonal and receiving it. Charlie Adam was obviously at the heart of Blackpool’s creative spark last season and it was his quick thinking and ability to hit a pinpoint pass out of nothing that prevented ‘Pool being predictable. 
However, without Adam there has been nobody with the same range of passing and nobody willing to take on that mantle. Nevertheless, up until now it is a tactic Holloway has encouraged his team to continue with, but the job has largely gone to his central defenders, with very little success. Additionally, Blackpool just haven’t had the players up front to win the ball on a regular basis. ‘Pool relied heavily on the aerial prowess of Luke Varney last season but with a relatively short forward line it hasn’t clicked this season. Gary Taylor-Fletcher’s injury has perhaps been the final nail in the coffin for the long diagonal, as he is probably the only remaining player who can win a header.
The last two results indicate that Blackpool can certainly cope without resorting to the long diagonal, but it could be that the Seasiders go from one extreme to another. The long diagonal may have become predictable, but likewise if ‘Pool only ever go short, then teams may begin to pack the midfield to close off the available angles. Indeed, for all the domination of possession against Millwall, the hard-working visitors did largely restrict ‘Pool to shots from distance and didn’t have that many clear cut chances. For now, the long diagonal may be rare, but if Holloway brings in a player with height in the future, we may yet see its return.
2. Ferguson – the midfield pivot
With just one (enforced) change to the team – Neal Eardley came in for the suspended Ian Evatt – Blackpool lined up with the same midfield three that won 5-0 at Leeds. There were doubts over whether Ludo Sylvestre would be sharp enough to start his second game in just four days having hardly featured all season, but Holloway opted to keep things the same from his winning side. Barry Ferguson earned plenty of plaudits for his display at Elland Road, and it was another confident performance from the captain again on Saturday. The midfield now appears to be firmly based around Ferguson, allowing him to show his qualities.
Click image to view animation
As the animation above shows (click image to view), the three man midfield pivots around Ferguson, with Keith Southern and Ludo Sylvestre taking it in turns to push on – much in the same way David Vaughan would often anchor the midfield with Adam and Southern given more of a free reign to go forward. This role allows Ferguson to dictate the play, and by reverting to more of a short passing game he is able to come into his own. There were moments on Saturday when Ferguson could have perhaps kicked on and joined in attacks, but he seems comfortable to sit and control – consecutive clean sheets imply that this isn’t such a bad idea.

3. Rotating forward line
The re-discovered fluidity to Blackpool’s play has also undoubtedly been influenced by a front three that is constantly switching places. Callum McManaman, Lomana Lua Lua and Jonjo Shelvey have combined well and have a good chance of starting three games in a row together when ‘Pool come back from the international break to face Middlesbrough. What the three may lack in height, they more than make up for in their close control. All seemed happy to accept the short pass, hold the ball when necessary and run at the opposition.
Similar to Sylvestre, Holloway may have opted to rest Lua Lua after his exertions on Wednesday and questions remaining over his fitness, but continuity was very much the order of the day in terms of team selection. Lua Lua did noticeably tire and even just after half time he seemed to be struggling, but still showed enough to indicate he could be a shrewd signing. He is guilty at times of trying to do much on his own and should possibly look for a pass more often, but he has evident top level ability and should only improve as he gets his fitness up.
The two loanees are also demonstrating their quality too, and Jonjo Shelvey is now excelling after misfiring in his early games (his debut versus Bristol City excepted). It’s unclear whether Shelvey has the discipline and positional awareness to play in a midfield three, but further forward and relinquished of the responsibility that comes with the deeper role, he can prove what a talented player he is. McManaman is quietly impressing as well and keeping the unlucky Tom Ince out of the side – extending the loans of these two players beyond January, if possible, should be a top priority for the manager.
One note of caution should be aired however, in that the forward line did lack a focal point, particularly in the first half. ‘Pool were getting into good positions, but a host of crosses into dangerous areas were not met. Kevin Phillips does provide a central figure – his goal and volley that hit the post from an Eardley cross are examples of this – but maybe doesn’t offer the flexibility of fulfilling any of the three forward roles. Having a few options to change things is what Holloway will require between now and the end of the season.

4. Defensive solidity
For all the good work Blackpool did in moving the ball around and dictating the play, the two players who probably emerged with the most credit were Alex Baptiste and Craig Cathcart. Up against a Millwall team on the back of three straight wins and plenty of goals (10 in their last three games), the two central defenders were simply immense. Missing the suspended Evatt, it was a big task for Cathcart to mark the physical Darius Henderson, but he came through the challenge with flying colours. Despite his rather lean stature, the former Manchester United man was strong in the tackle and won more than his fair share of headers. Cathcart hardly put a foot wrong all game and was unfortunate not to collect the man of the match award.
Baptiste was exceptional too and proved to be as adept at centre back as he has been at right back. During the first half he also sought to fill the role vacated by Evatt, regularly venturing forward to join attacks, Ferguson or Southern dropping in behind to cover him. Baptiste has a lot of strong traits and this season it would appear he has vastly improved the attacking side of his game, both from right back and now as a centre back.
Holloway will have another selection quandry for the trip to the Riverside in a fortnight in deciding whether Evatt comes straight back into the team, or bides his time on the bench. Eardley’s performance was good, if not outstanding – he still gives the opposition left winger too much space to put in a cross, but at the same time is more than capable of assisting a goal at the other end, as almost shown in the build-up to Phillips striking the post. One suspects Evatt won’t be out of the side for long, but there can be some healthy competition in that area of the pitch too.

Four Thoughts on… Burnley 3-1 Blackpool

·
A disappointing showing in front of the Sky cameras saw Blackpool go down 3-1 to a superior Burnley side on Saturday evening. It was a poor performance which will only fuel the negative atmosphere currently surrounding the club. Here are my thoughts about the weekend’s match.

1. Burnley in the derby mindset
From a Blackpool perspective, the build-up to this game was somewhat low-key. Considering the two sides hadn’t met since the 2008/09 season, the anticipation among the ‘Pool support for this Lancashire derby hadn’t exactly hit fever pitch. Whether that transmitted to Ian Holloway’s players is unclear, but it was the men in claret and blue who looked by far the hungrier of the two sides. Suggesting a team simply ‘weren’t up for it’ is something of an cliched English approach to football, but on this occasion it seems a fair comment.
From the off the Burnley side looked to harry their opponents and frequently pressured the visitors into making a lot of mistakes. Burnley’s running off the ball was relentless and ‘Pool struggled to get to grips with the high tempo of the game, often finding themselves caught in possession. In contrast, ‘Pool didn’t exert the same pressure when the home team had the ball. It was a frustrating viewing experience for Blackpool fans and aside from a couple of early runs from Tom Ince, there was little to set the pulse racing.

This is by no means an all-star Burnley line-up – their stuttering form so far this season indicates their present mid-table position is about right, but they gave ‘Pool little opportunity to demonstrate any quality that the visitors may believe they have. Time on the ball was at a premium and Burnley’s constant pressure made Blackpool resemble a team of near strangers destined for a long old season.

2. Two men on the short corner

It has been a bugbear of mine since last season, and eventually Blackpool’s lack of concentration from a corner kick has cost them a goal. Set-pieces seem to be a recurring frailty for the Seasiders, but incidents like this should be cut out altogether. The premise is simple, if the opposition goes to take a short corner involving two players, the defending side needs to send two players 10 yards from the corner flag, in order to successfully close down a one-two between the attacking players.

On this occasion, the corner that led to Burnley’s first goal, only Brett Ormerod was nearby as the hosts worked a short corner. On his own, Ormerod was unable to prevent the cross after Ross Wallace passed to Junior Stanislas for a short corner. The cross came in and Charlie Austin beat Craig Cathcart to the header – 1-0. In the stands, it was Cathcart who shouldered a fair amount of the blame. Cathcart was too easily shrugged off sure, but the cross should never have been allowed.

Had the corner been put in directly, it’s an easier ball to defend as it’s usually heading away from goal, meaning it’s more difficult for attackers to put a run on their marker. In this instance, the guilty party is surely Kevin Phillips, who as seen below is slowly wandering over to the corner, but only once it is too late. Phillips was surely tasked with being the second marker on the short corner, but a lack of concentration handed Burnley the initiative.

Brett Ormerod is forced to track Ross Wallace’s run, allowing Junior Stanislas to cut back and deliver the killer cross. Kevin Phillips (top left) arrives on the scene too late.

3. Change of shape, (slight) change of fortune
Going into half-time two goals down, the performance had been so sub-standard that it was difficult to imagine what changes Holloway could make to turn things around. With so many players having an off-day, picking just three to haul off was a tough choice. As it happened, the manager sent the same 11 players back out in the second half, faced with the daunting challenge of salvaging a result. The shape of the team was different however, and not for the first time in recent weeks, Holloway changed to a 4-4-2 – Ince went wide right, Jonjo Shelvey wide left, with Brett Ormerod partnering Kevin Phillips up front.
The tactical change was not a complete success, but Blackpool did begin to create chances having drawn a virtual blank on that front in the first 45 minutes. Ince and Shelvey created more width, and Callum McManaman also looked a threat when he came on with 20 minutes to go, but the front pairing of Ormerod and Phillips struggled badly, the latter especially. It was no surprise when they were both taken off, but the change could easily have come sooner. Whether the marginal improvement was down to the shape is unclear – some players were better after the break while others were just as bad, if not worse.
Ian Holloway has been a big exponent of the 4-3-3 formation since being appointed Blackpool manager in May 2009, but his use of the 4-4-2 lately demonstrates one of two things, depending on your viewpoint. A willingness to change when necessary would be one outlook, but one could equally view it as a manager confused about the direction his team is going. I would suggest that there isn’t necessarily a need to re-invent the wheel by changing philosophy, rather a need to identify the core group of say 16 players Holloway can rely on, and build some continuity into the side.

Back to the shape however, and the balance of the midfield hasn’t quite been right all season – it remains to be seen if Keith Southern and Barry Ferguson is viable in a three man midfield (or for that matter, a two man central midfield). Holloway’s decision to leave out Southern against Nottingham Forest indicates he too has concerns in this area. Having switched to a 4-4-2 midgame on a couple of occasions now, it may only be a matter of time before ‘Pool begin a game with that shape – rightly or wrongly.

4. Lack of a target man 

Gary Taylor-Fletcher, while hardly an out-and-out target man himself, was a big loss for the Seasiders and his absence displayed what an influential player he is. Blackpool do have a tendency to go long with their passing using the diagonal ball, but without Taylor-Fletcher present, it was a thoroughly unrewarding tactic on Saturday. The resultant effect was conceding possession on a regular basis, with none of the forward line able to effectively hold the ball up.

In terms of Taylor-Fletcher’s own form this season, it has wavered, possibly down to the variety of roles he has been asked to fill, but he remains a key cog in the machine. Missing through injury, the loss of Taylor-Fletcher again highlighted a failing in Blackpool’s transfer policy this season. For all the players that have been signed – 17 in total – and the size of the squad, the loss of one player was too crucial and shows that despite the numbers it’s hard to make a case for genuine strength-in-depth.

There are too many similar players in the squad, and perhaps more alarmingly, too many who are unlikely to ever feature despite being signed only a few months ago. Comments made this week by the manager and his assistant indicate that they perhaps are now aware of mistakes made, but it will be interesting to see if they can rectify this situation to any great extent before January. A big target man may not be the Spanish way Holloway admires, but in a league such as the Championship it is a weapon that Blackpool need to have in their armoury. For the time being, a speedy recovery for Taylor-Fletcher is key.

Four Thoughts on… West Ham United 4-0 Blackpool

·
The last thing anyone would expect after a 5-0 win is a 4-0 reversal, but a nine goal swing between fixtures (surely one of the biggest in the club’s history?) saw Blackpool return from the capital empty-handed. Here are my observations on Saturday’s match:

1. Mixed first half
In the opening 45 minutes at the Boleyn Ground Blackpool saw plenty of the ball, particularly early on, but were still rather fortunate to be going in only a goal down. It was actually ‘Pool who started the brighter team, with West Ham forced to watch as the visitors barely gave them a kick of the ball in the early exchanges. Tom Ince, making his second league start, was impressing down the left and combining well with Stephen Crainey and Jonjo Shelvey in the first 10 minutes, but unfortunately for the Seasiders they were unable to create clear-cut chance while they were on top. With the Hammers’ first real attack, it was 1-0 against the run of play.
Rocked by conceding, Blackpool’s early dominance faded and the game became a much more even affair. ‘Pool were still having more than their fair share of possession, but the best chances went the way of the hosts. The effectiveness of Tom Ince was severely reduced when he moved over to the right – once again the idea behind inverting the wide players must be questioned. As a tactic to confuse the opposition on an infrequent basis it’s fine, but when a player spends most of the game on their unnatural flank, something does not add up.
Barry Ferguson and Keith Southern had a lot of touches of the ball in the first period, but finding their way past a resolute West Ham defence was proving tricky. The Hammers were happy to stifle Blackpool and wait for the mistake, pouncing quickly to threaten adding a second on a few occasions. Matt Gilks was rather busy in front of the Blackpool fans during the first half, including one excellent save with his feet to keep ‘Pool in the game.
2. Matt Hill ≠ a centre back

The big talking point in the aftermath of Saturday’s defeat was the selection of Matt Hill at centre back. An injury worry for Craig Cathcart saw him miss the game, but eyebrows were raised when it was Hill who came in to replace him. When the teams were announced, the prospect of seeing Hill come up against John Carew was a worrying thought, and so it proved as Hill had a day to forget. It was actually Ian Evatt who lost Carew for the first goal, but Hill had the (rather bizarre) responsibility of marking a player around a foot taller than him for the rest of the game, unsurprisingly never looking comfortable.

Hill was lucky to get away with two heart-in-mouth moments during the first half when he inexplicably dallied on the ball twice presenting the Hammers with two great chances – fortunately for Hill he had Matt Gilks behind him to come to his rescue. Perhaps feeling sorry for him, the referee gave a couple of soft free-kicks Blackpool’s way in the first half – the sheer mismatch in size maybe fooling the officials into thinking Hill was being fouled by Carew when the Norwegian’s challenges were probably fair.

With the number of chances West Ham had in the first half, they were unfortunate not to have a bigger lead, but it was surprising to see Hill re-emerge for the second half when it was clear for all to see he was badly struggling. A simple change would have been to take off Hill for Eardley, shifting Baptiste to centre back – the defence that should have started the game – but alas the first half warnings went unheeded. Matt Hill is enthusiastic, experienced and based on historical evidence, a reasonable footballer at Championship level. However, there is a reason he has rarely been utilised in the centre of defence before joining Blackpool, and let’s hope it’s the last we see of him in that position – up against a big striker, of which there are lots in this league, he does not have the physical stature to adequately complete and it was a total failure of management to primarily play him there, and secondly not withdraw him when the faults were so glaring.

It’s something of a worry that despite signing so many players, with another one arriving today in the form of Callum McManaman, there is an alarming lack of cover in central defence. One injury to either Evatt or Cathcart should surely not mean Matt Hill is next in line. There are of course other players who could have played instead, not just Baptiste who I’ve already mentioned. Chris Basham has been used at centre back both at Bolton and for Blackpool’s reserve / development squad side this season and last, but Basham appears to be far out Holloway’s plans, with a loan move likely. The return of Craig Cathcart against Doncaster will be a big relief.
3. Mad 10 minutes
The start of the second half was the worst 10 minutes imaginable, and Blackpool only had themselves to blame. Some suicidal defending saw the offside trap repeatedly breached – Hill often at the centre of the problems but they were by no means isolated to just him. Evatt and Crainey both failed to step up at the necessary moment on separate occasions, and glances over to the linesman in hope of the flag going up were in vain.
Sam Baldock was lively and it’s surprising it had taken him until this game to get on the scoresheet. A questionable offside decision and a selfish effort from John Carew when he might have passed were the only things that prevented Baldock from taking home the match ball. The ‘Pool defence did not have the pace or organisation to keep up with Baldock, and in combination with the aerial dominance of Carew over Hill, the floodgates opened.
After the fourth goal went in, it did at one moment seem as if the final score was going to be five, six or even seven, but after a few near misses, West Ham did eventually take their foot off the gas and settle for just the four goals. Not that that appeased the visiting side, whose frustration was there for all to see, notably in the case of Alex Baptiste. Not content with a tantrum that saw him demolish the corner flag, Baptiste was lucky that the officials missed a kick out at the prone Papa Boupa Diop – had the referee seen this a red card could easily have been the result.
4. Lomana Lua Lua – more than a novelty act?
Aside from the heroics of Matt Gilks who helped keep the score relatively respectable, the introduction of Lomana Lua Lua provided one glimmer of light for the travelling fans. Looking a little more rotund since he last graced these shores, Lua Lua arrived on the pitch as something of a circus act. A jovial chant which accompanied his every minute on the pitch seemed to spur him on however, and as a result he at least did depart the pitch with some credit to his name.
He is surely not yet fully fit, his size alone indicates this, but he looked to have enough energy about him to suggest there is still some mileage left in him. He was content to run with the ball, take on players and be positive heading towards goal. It was of course all over by the time Lua Lua entered the field – why the substitutions took so long to be made is a question only Ian Holloway can answer – but Lua Lua did give the West Ham defence something to think about.
Whether Blackpool should even be signing the likes of Lua Lua – a player out of contract unable to find a club elsewhere – when there should be huge resources available is an argument for another day. For now though, Lua Lua may well get a chance to prove people he can still do well in this country. I’m not convinced he can last a full game, or even 60-70 minutes, at this point, but with Billy Clarke and Matt Phillips loaned out to Sheffield United, he should get a chance to feature in the coming weeks.

Four Thoughts on… Blackpool 5-0 Bristol City

·
Blackpool racked up their most comprehensive win in over 10 years – the last time ‘Pool had won by five goals or more was back in February 2001 when the Seasiders beat Scunthorpe 6-0 at Bloomfield Road. It was a scoreline that flattered the home team, and a result that signalled the end of the Bristol City manager’s reign – Keith Millen being dismissed within 48 hours of the final whistle. Here are my thoughts on the match:
1. Fortunate first half
At half-time of Saturday’s game, a 5-0 scoreline seemed an unlikely outcome. ‘Pool had looked disjointed for the majority of the first 45 minutes, struggling to cope with the way Bristol City had set up. Keith Millen had sent his side out in a 4-4-1-1 formation, Brett Pitman playing off Nicky Maynard. In a defensive situation, this strategy helped the visitors stifle ‘Pool – straight from Matt Gilks’ goal kicks City were often happy for a Blackpool defender to receive the ball, dropping deep into their own half to crowd out the home team’s attacks.

In contrast, City were causing plenty of problems for the hosts. The most obvious chance they had in the first half was the fine save Brett Pitman forced Matt Gilks into following a neatly worked corner, but Keith Millen’s side were also looking dangerous from open play. Pitman, who passed up the chance to play Premier League football with Blackpool last season to sign on at Ashton Gate, was finding himself in space time and time again.

As the graphic above shows, Pitman was playing between ‘Pool’s lines, not being tracked by Barry Ferguson or Keith Southern or any of the home side’s back four. Bristol City’s two wide players – Albert Adomah and Jamal Campbell-Ryce – also drifted into this area and gave cause for concern. Clearly there was a lack of firm communication, neither the back four or the two holding midfielders took responsibility for picking up players between the lines and there were moments when ‘Pool almost paid the price.

As illustrated below, Blackpool got the benefit of a close offside decision following a well-worked move when City exploited the space given. Pitman found himself with time on the ball and split the ‘Pool defence with a fine through-ball. Adomah got on the end of it and slotted past Gilks, but much to the relief of the home support, the flag went up.

Gary Taylor-Fletcher’s goal separated the sides at the break with a helping hand from Dean Gerken (see point 3), but it’s hard to argue it was a justified lead.

2. The long diagonal is back
With just one victory in the seven matches preceding the encounter with Bristol City, the Seasiders had become a little too predictable in their play. Short, deliberate passing had become easy for sides to combat and the creation of chances had been at a premium. The success ‘Pool enjoyed last season was in no small part down to a nice blend between crisp short passing and an excellent use of the long diagonal. The tactic’s main proponent was the now-departed Charlie Adam, who had a range of passing unrivalled in the current squad.

However, there does now seem to be a shift in the team’s mindset to attempt this high risk pass with more regularity. The first 20 minutes at Portsmouth saw a number of right to left long diagonals which more often than not sadly found the stands rather than a tangerine shirt – a lack of early success with the long diagonal at Fratton Park led to an abandonment of the tactic, but the following game at Coventry saw it brought back with more joy.

Craig Sutherland had a goal unfairly chalked off for offside having got onto the end of a long diagonal before finishing cleverly, and Gary Taylor-Fletcher’s wonder strike was the result of a long diagonal pass from Ian Evatt. Coventry manager Andy Thorn was quoted after the game as saying ‘Pool’s usage of the long diagonal had taken him by surprise – a response that didn’t endear him to a section of his own support who accused him of not doing his homework. In defence of Thorn, the tactic hadn’t been employed regularly so far this season and the Coventry game marked a visible change in focus from Ian Holloway’s players who made great use of the long diagonal during the first half at the Ricoh Arena.

This trend continued on Saturday against Bristol City, with the long diagonal featuring heavily again. It’s a tactic that has its critics, with some ‘Pool fans lamenting its use and insisting ‘Pool would be better keeping possession. However, there’s equally a case to be made that keeping possession is all well and good, but if the short passing doesn’t penetrate the opposition, is it really effective? The long diagonals do sometimes result in a concession of the ball, but used in moderation, it provides a way of keeping the opposition guessing – and with pacy players on the flanks there is always the chance a long diagonal can create a goalscoring opportunity.

3. A bad day for Gerken – worse day for Millen
The pre-match team news from various media outlets speculated on whether David James would retain his place between the sticks, or if Dean Gerken would replace him. It’s been a turbulent start to the season for James – a man no stranger to dropping the odd clanger – but Keith Millen will surely be wondering what might have been had he not selected Gerken.

Firmly in the game in the first half, and possibly even arguably having slightly the better of things, Gerken made a mess of a speculative Jonjo Shelvey shot, spilling the ball right into the path of Taylor-Fletcher who made no mistake from around six yards out. It was shot Gerken should have held, or at the very least been able to direct away from goal, but instead the City keeper handed the initiative to ‘Pool. Not content with his first mistake, Gerken again should also have been able to prevent Blackpool’s second. Shelvey’s audacious free-kick made for a spectacular goal for home fans, but any keeper being beaten at that range is surely at fault.

For Millen, his keeper’s errors then highlighted the weaknesses of his team. The confidence drained from the players in a fashion typical of a side languishing at the bottom and for the first time this season, Blackpool pressed home an advantage. Bristol City lacked a leader on the pitch and heads dropped – from a position of being competitive for over half the match, by the end of the game ‘Pool were rampant and the full-time whistle was a welcome sound for the visiting side.

Under Millen’s stewardship, City have obviously had a hugely disappointing start and after holding onto a player of Nicky Maynard’s calibre their fans would reasonably have expected more. With the pressure already building, a 5-0 defeat was only ever likely to end with one outcome and Millen became the second managerial casualty of the weekend. Whoever replaces him has the foundations of a team to build on – the first half performance showed that much – but a tough season looks inevitable.

4. Shelvey sets the bar high
The closing of the transfer window at the end of August left a significant number of Blackpool fans disappointed. Many felt that the squad was missing two quality players who could make an immediate impact on the starting XI – an attacking midfielder and another forward. The wait for an extra striking option goes on, but the loan acquisition of Jonjo Shelvey is a real coup. Filling the void at the tip of the Seasiders’ midfield, Shelvey looked right at home on his debut.

With Elliot Grandin injured, ‘Pool had been sorely missing a player to link the midfield and attack. Many of the midfielders at the manager’s disposal are more suited to a deeper role, and the one other player in the squad who could fill the role behind the front three – Gerardo Bruna – seems to be some way off breaking into the first team. Shelvey seemed the perfect answer, and expectations following the announcement of his move were high.

Needless to say, a thunderous goal from a free-kick and a couple of assists ensured he did not let anyone down, but repeating that level of performance during his spell could be critical in deciding whether ‘Pool climb the table. Shelvey should provide goals, a willingness to run at the opposition and no shortage of energy based on his first outing. It’s still early days, and Shelvey’s ability to shine at this level will be tested to the full in Blackpool’s next game, away at West Ham.

Four Thoughts on… Portsmouth 1-0 Blackpool

·
Blackpool suffered their second defeat of the season, and their first on the road, as they went down 1-0 away at Portsmouth to a heart-breaking 94th minute Erik Huseklepp strike. Here are my thoughts on how the game panned out:

 

1. Tale of two wingers
Ian Holloway made three changes for the trip to Fratton Park, one of which was fairly easily anticipated – Stephen Crainey replaced Matt Hill at left-back, a change that should perhaps have been made one game earlier against Cardiff. Two more unexpected changes though came in the form of Tom Ince and Matt Phillips, who started in place of Brett Ormerod and Billy Clarke who were both left out of the matchday squad altogether. It was a day of contrasting fortunes for the two wide men – Ince showed his ability and has made a case for earning a run in the side, while it was a day to forget for Matt Phillips whose start to the season has been disappointing.
An interesting point to note is how Holloway had set up his wingers, with the wide men playing in an inverted position for much of the game. In some instances, switching wingers to their unnatural flanks can be a clever ploy to confuse and deceive the opposition, but playing on their natural side was very much the exception rather than the rule at the weekend, including a full 25 minute spell at the start of the game with Matt Phillips on the left, and Ince on the right. Where Ince looked comfortable with the ball at his feet, regardless which side of the pitch he found himself on, the story with Matt Phillips was slightly different.
Once again Matt Phillips looked a shadow of the player he promised to be in stages last season, lacking any sort of confidence – the poor England U20 World Cup campaign seemingly still affecting him. There is a case to be made that the former Wycombe man is at his best when running with the ball from deep, and that this is much more difficult for him on the left when he always has to be thinking about checking back at some point. Conversely, his best work did come from the left, but in an off-the-ball capacity making a run for his two clear chances. Upon collecting the ball however, he looked comfortable in neither situation, when a player at this level should be converting at least one of those two chances.
It’s hard to know where Holloway goes with Matt Phillips at the moment. To get the best out of him he surely needs to play him on the right in his natural position, but it’s currently hard to justify giving Matt Phillips an extended run in the side in the hope that it may play him into form. As for Ince, it was a first league start filled with promise. Pacy, confident and with no shortage of skill, Ince looked everything Phillips isn’t just now. An end product wasn’t visible on Saturday – a three-on-two situation in the second half saw Ince fail to take advantage of the superior numbers and lose the ball – but he looked as likely as any Blackpool player to make the breakthrough. Right now, Tom Ince appears to be ‘Pool’s best option on the left of a front three, and I’m sure we’ll see more of him in the coming weeks.
2. Sylvestre pushing for a start
With Matt Phillips struggling to make an impact, he was withdrawn on 54 minutes for Ludo Sylvestre, which brought with it a change in shape from a 4-2-1-3 (verging on 4-2-4) to a more rigid 4-3-3. Gary Taylor-Fletcher moved into the forward line and Sylvestre had another opportunity to stake a claim for a starting place. Sylvestre had a strong pre-season, but had to wait until the 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace to make his first appearance of the league season – he got another 15 minutes in the home win over Ipswich but had to watch all of the Cardiff game from the bench.
Ludo Sylvestre has a case to be aggrieved at his lack of action thus far, but will his performance at Fratton Park have convinced his manager to start the next match at Coventry? There’s no simple answer unfortunately, despite a largely impressive performance at Fratton Park. Sylvestre is definitely a nice player to watch – he likes to move the ball quickly and simply, almost always retaining possession for his side. His introduction resulted in some neat passing triangles in midfield which had Portsmouth chasing shadows, and looked to help launch attacks.
But, and there is a but, adding Sylvestre into the mix created a gap between the midfield and the attack. None of Ferguson, Southern or Sylvestre particularly like to run with the ball and in the final half hour on Saturday, you were just as likely to see the full-backs Baptiste or Crainey supporting a ‘Pool attack as you were one of the midfield three. Individually, Sylvestre absolutely deserves an opportunity to break into the starting 11, but if Ferguson and Southern remain, as is likely, can Sylvestre be accommodated too? Will a midfield of those three players create the chances, the through-balls, the driving runs? I’m not so sure.
Since the injury to Elliot Grandin, the final midfield spot has been filled by Gary Taylor-Fletcher who has filled the role with varying success. On Saturday Taylor-Fletcher showed glimpses of how he can be effective at the tip of the midfield three, notably in his through ball for Matt Phillips in the first half and some mazy runs at the Portsmouth defence when other options were non-existent. However he should not be the long-term man for this position and it is up to Holloway to decide if Sylvestre can take on such a role, or if he needs to recruit another player if Elliot Grandin continues to suffer from injury problems.
3. Defensive strength
It seems strange to be talking about the defence in the wake of a loss, but on the whole it was another solid performance from a goalkeeper and back four who becoming one of the tightest units in the Championship. The result may tell of a 1-0 win to Portsmouth, but in truth the battle between the ‘Pool defence and Pompey attack was one in which that the visitors had the better. A couple of lapses aside, including the goal on the back of a rare Ian Evatt mistake, ‘Pool don’t currently look like shipping too many goals.
What the team might be lacking in attacking conviction, it is making up for in its defensive solidity. Earlier in the season ‘Pool were still looking frail because of their high defensive line, but only three goals against in the last four games suggests Holloway may have been addressing this issue on the training ground. If anywhere, it was set-pieces where the Seasiders looked vulnerable against Portsmouth, long throw-ins especially. A first half throw-in resulted in a free-header for Joel Ward going narrowly wide, and of course the last-gasp winner for the home side came from a similar situation.
Despite this, Holloway will be happy to have shed the image from last term as a side that leaks goals. Currently only two sides in the division have conceded fewer goals – Middlesbrough and Derby County. Teams winning promotion are typically built on a sound defensive base, and if Holloway can fine-tune his creative options, the club could be set for a successful season.
4. Unbalanced substitutes bench
When ‘Pool failed to take their chances despite dominating long spells of the match, one wonders what thoughts would have been going through Ian Holloway’s mind when he turned to look at his bench. As already discussed, one change he made early in the second half was to bring on Ludo Sylvestre, but who else did he have available? Mark Halstead, Matt Hill, James Hurst and Daniel Bogdanovic were the other options for the manager to turn to – a vast departure from the days when Holloway would often reserve five of his seven substitutes places for attackers. 
Injury concerns over his two goalkeepers during the week likely forced Holloway’s hand in including Halstead on the bench, and it wasn’t a surprise to see deadline day signing Bogdanovic among the substitutes either. However, the reasoning behind having both Hill and Hurst in the squad is a little baffling. The arrival of young James Hurst at Bloomfield Road appeared an odd decision anyway with so many other right-backs at the club, but Holloway is obviously keen to include him. So keen in fact, that Hurst was utilised to fill in as part of the front three, again often from an inverted position on the left instead of his natural right side.
As the game wore on, with Blackpool unable to find the goal their performance had merited, ‘Pool had little on the bench to effectively change the game and move up another gear. It is common opinion that the team is lacking an extra attacking option or two, but even without a new signing, it’s surprising that one of Clarke or Ormerod, or even Craig Sutherland or Gerardo Bruna weren’t available to change the game. It’s almost as if the bench had been selected with the intention of going more defensive after taking a lead, as opposed to having something different to find a winning goal if needed.
If this is not the case, then the decision to employ only one forward on the bench suggests a lack of faith in the existing attacking options and so makes the addition of new faces all the more urgent, to ensure that ‘Pool don’t keep dropping points in games they enjoy the better of. The Guardian’s match report contained a line which sums up the current situation rather neatly, and it is on that I shall bring this piece to an end:
Ian Holloway’s side’s failure to turn that dominance into goals goes some way to explaining why the Tangerines’ nascent attempt to bounce back into the Premier League at the first attempt has been solid rather than spectacular.

Blackpool 1-1 Cardiff City – An unlikely point

·

Cardiff should have won this game with some considerable ease as Blackpool struggled to get any fluency in possession of the football and weren’t effective enough without it.

Setting up

Blackpool with a flatter than usual back four. Sorry, no extra 's' above in Gunnarsson.

Blackpool fielded an unchanged side in their variant of a 4-3-3 with Gary Taylor-Fletcher once again at the tip of the central midfield triangle. The actuality of the shape will be discussed later on. Cardiff dropped Robert Earnshaw, presumably for tactical reasons as Malky Mackay replicated the approach of both Derby and Ipswich by packing the midfield. He has his side man for man in the middle of the pitch setting them up in a rough 4-5-1 formation with Peter Whittingham advancing to support Kenny Millar, who acted as the lone striker.

Central focus

Again the centre of the pitch was the focus of the battle and Mackay made the right moves. For the third home game running a manager has packed the midfield. Whilst Derby packed the midfield to great effect they were opportunist in seizing their win, Ipswich did well in stifling Blackpool but appeared to have no game plan in possession. However, Cardiff both stifled Blackpool excellently, but were technically much more competent on the ball than the other two teams and were able to structure their attacks with more cohesion.

Why did Cardiff win the centre ground?

  1. Blackpool’s shape on and off the ball was inconsistent at times, on paper they matched up 3 v 3 in the centre, but when Gary Taylor-Fletcher failed to recover his off ball position this left Blackpool outnumbered in the centre. There are certainly questions about Taylor-Fletcher’s effectiveness in a midfield role. He is certainly excellent in the final third for such a role, but in tight games like this he needs to not only recover position but close out the opposition and make tackles. Is Taylor-Fletcher more effective starting deep and drifting up the pitch or starting up and drifting deep? Arguably the latter is the preferred option as it frees him from defensive duties and he is harder to track from the higher starting position, asking questions of the opposition defence and midfield as he sneaks in to space. This has the feeling of last season when Blackpool struggled in the Premier League when losing sight of their flatter midfield three and only recovering it when 3-1 down to Wigan at home. Will Holloway seek to restore the flatter shape for his midfield three or will he persist with one man advancing and Blackpool straying towards a 4-2-4.
  2. Cardiff completely outworked Blackpool in the centre. As soon as a Blackpool player received the ball a Cardiff man went to close him down immediately. They shared the work load well and Peter Whittingham put pressure on Barry Ferguson in the deep and always looked to get goal side of him. On the other hand, Blackpool’s pressing was sporadic at best and at times almost seemed to invite Cardiff to turn and attack them.
Support group
Winning the centre ground in a football match doesn’t guarantee a team anything, however, given that Cardiff were so dominant they also performed much better in other aspects. None more so than the work of Whittingham, Craig Conway and Don Cowie. As Kenny Millar performed a lone striking role they worked superbly to get forward to support him, giving him passing options and especially Cowie and Conway getting in to dangerous positions in wide areas. Added to this they were composed on the ball in and around the final third and delivered some very tricky crosses and passes that through a combination of Blackpool defending and Cardiff poor finishing ensured that they inflicted little real damage. Conway in particularly looked very dangerous picking an excellent pass in the deep which split open Blackpool’s dis-organised high defensive line as well as laying on the cross for Cowie’s goal.
An interesting observation about this match was how little Blackpool’s full backs got forward. In a number of games this season, Blackpool’s stepped up their game when Alex Baptiste progressed forward. In this match he rarely got forward, it could be assumed that this was more to the excellent play of Cardiff’s wide men ensuring that they were continually occupied. It’s likely that to be the case rather than Ian Holloway asking them to sit as that was hardly a ploy he tried in the Premier League and certainly not something that would help Blackpool. Matt Hill in addition to staying back also strayed very centrally and seemed uncomfortable in keeping his width and stepping higher up to support the midfield. The moment that Stephen Crainey came on Blackpool looked like holding on to the ball better. He understands the role and how he can influence the game from full back. Helping to support the midfield offering passing options, but also in getting the ball up to the forwards as he did in the lead up to the Blackpool equaliser.
Moving on
Cardiff have a solid looking Championship team, functional, spirited, flexible, creative and reasonably well-balanced. However, they may need to find someone more clinical to play the lone striker role when they play away from home in order secure more victories. Blackpool on the other hand may not function as poorly as this all season and win a point when defeat seemed likely. Holloway will take encouragement from his substitutions, the real question centres on his ability to deal with teams who come to Bloomfield Road to match up his midfield three. A lot of the time Blackpool will move the ball around better than this and win more games, however it is when the ball stops moving do issues become apparent. He might need to ask his players to solve these situations ‘in game’ with more effectiveness, or he may seek tactical changes to flex their approach.

Blackpool 2-0 Ipswich Town – Routine Victory

·

Ian Holloway will be very happy that his Blackpool side took advantage of a poor Ipswich team who after some promising early play, disintegrated as a team unit the longer the match wore on.

Lining up

Paul Jewell appeared to have watched the way that Derby set up to beat Blackpool at Bloomfield Road last month and set his team up to do something similar. By setting up in a 4-1-4-1 he tried to try to stifle the middle of the pitch and stop Blackpool from controlling that area. Blackpool on the other hand fielded Gary Taylor-Fletcher in midfield which lent itself to Blackpool becoming a more aggressive unit, fluidly changing from a 4-2-3-1 to a 4-2-4 depending on the role that Taylor-Fletcher took up. The main change for Blackpool was Matt Hill replacing the injured Stephen Crainey at left back.

Congestion without the charge

Lack of clarity

As alluded to earlier, Ipswich appeared to want to work Blackpool hard in the centre of the field, Jimmy Bullard played in a deep-lying central midfield role with Lee Bowyer and Keith Andrews ahead of him. It appeared that Bullard was expected use the space he found in the deep to try to dictate play. Andrews appeared to be asked to push higher up the pitch and try to hurry up Barry Ferguson in the deep and force him in to mistakes. Whilst this carries a perfectly logical path, it appeared to be focused on how they performed off the ball and they lacked a real plan of attack when they had the ball. They made occasional moves to spread the play wide, but rarely built up any passing rhythm and started to hit hopeful long balls that rarely made any impact.

A Deep Bullard

The role of Bullard is certainly worth noting. He operated in a deep midfield position, most probably as a concession to match up numbers with Blackpool’s three central midfielders. He may have helped to stifle Blackpool in the first half by closing down the space reducing Blackpool’s options, however, for such a role to work he also needed to make tackles and interceptions to gain the ball for Ipswich. He rarely broke up the Blackpool midfield rhythm and obtained the ball to his advantage. Most of the time Blackpool would collect the ball and start again. When he did have the ball he was very deep and although he made some passes to the flanks his passing was devoid of any forward penetration. Bullard appears to enjoying breaking from midfield to receive the ball on the run in the final third and by keeping him so deep Jewell effectively removed a key threat from his team.

Keys to victory

There were a number of reasons for Blackpool’s victory.

  1. They moved the ball out to the flanks early enough to avoid getting stuck in a midfield battle.
  2. They consistently unsettled the Ipswich defence particularly in the first half, with excellent passes in to the right hand channel causing Aaron Cresswell at left back real problems on the turn.
  3. They initially lacked runners breaking from midfield in the first half which slowed their momentum, however, in the second half Ferguson and in particular Keith Southern broke forward much more regularly and Ipswich failed to cope with that added pressure.
  4. Ian Holloway singled out the impact of his defenders stepping up in the second half to create a spare man in midfield to resolve the deadlock. This gave them extra passing options and helped them to gain a greater control in the centre of the pitch.
  5. Finally, and most possibly the most vital element, was the excellent display of Taylor-Fletcher. He was active in his movement all game long making him hard to track, especially when he started centrally and moved out wide right. This had the added bonus of helping Blackpool overload Ipswich in that area. His first touches were excellent, as was his link up play and blended midfield and attack supremely well. His movement ensured that he was rarely picked up effectively by Ipswich and ended up having a lot of time to pick his passes and create openings for Blackpool.

Moving on

A display such as that from Ipswich shows clear organisational issues on the playing side, a lack of playing discipline and a lack of a game plan coming from the management. They’ll struggle to pick up points and only a strong performance from Danny Collins in the centre of defence stopped them from being over run for the duration of the match. Blackpool will not have such an easy victory all season long, but still appear to lack quality passing in the final third and an appreciation for game tempo. Arguably those last two elements are those which they lost with the departure of Charlie Adam and have yet to replace. The loan market is now open and Ian Holloway may well be seeking those ingredients from a loanee.

Four Thoughts on… Crystal Palace 1-1 Blackpool

·
Blackpool went into the first international break of the season on the back of a good performance at Selhurst Park, but had to settle to take only a point from it. Here are my thoughts on Saturday’s game:

1. ‘Pool should have been out of sight at half time
Whereas Blackpool dominated the first half of their home game against Derby without actually creating any notable opportunities, the first 45 minutes at Selhurst Park was a much more convincing display of superiority. Ian Holloway commented post-match that it was probably the best ‘Pool had played so far this season, and it’s hard to disagree with him. Blackpool looked a cut above their opponents in the first period and had a whole host of chances. Alex Baptiste did give the Seasiders a half-time lead just before the break, but in reality the damage inflicted could have been a lot heavier.
A cutting edge was all that was missing from a 45 minutes that had a lot of positives to be taken. Chance after chance went begging, with Palace also having to clear a few shots off the line in a desperate, but successful, bid to stay in the game. Brett Ormerod will have been disappointed not to make more of the chances that fell his way, but by far the best opportunity came to Billy Clarke. Through one-on-one, Clarke failed to beat the onrushing Julian Speroni and never really looked confident of doing so. Palace did have one golden chance in a half during which they were overrun, but Matt Gilks did well to save a close-range header.
2. Full backs on form
Ian Holloway has changed his defence in each of the last four league games, be it through injury or choice, but the back four at Selhurst Park is not far off Blackpool’s best available. Stephen Crainey is seemingly indisposable at left-back, but Alex Baptiste submitted evidence he can be an effective full-back, despite arguments he is a more able central defender. Both Crainey and Baptiste put in excellent performances which means Holloway may retain the same defence after the international break for the first time since the opening week of the season.
It was a particularly strong performance from Stephen Crainey who provided a serious attacking threat during ‘Pool’s strong spell. Ian Holloway spoke of wanting his side to cross the ball more often and the Seasiders’ left-back was able to do exactly that. The below stills show examples of when Crainey was able to whip dangerous balls into the Palace box.


In both of the above cases, despite good work from Crainey down the left, ‘Pool forwards were unable to get ahead of their marker and get on the end of the crosses. Still, it’s what Holloway will want to see from ‘Pool’s number 3 and potential incoming signings may be more successful in converting these chances. One man who did convert his chance on Saturday was Alex Baptiste, who collected a neat pass from Gary Taylor-Fletcher to fire past Speroni, aided by a clever dummy from Kevin Phillips. Like Crainey, Baptiste offered a good offensive threat and showed that it is not just Neal Eardley who can attack from the right-back position.
3. Long overdue minutes for Ludo Sylvestre
It was a frustrating first season at Bloomfield Road for Ludovic Sylvestre. Reportedly tracked by Ian Holloway for a good year before his eventual signing, much was expected of the former Barcelona  and Sparta Prague player. Syvlestre was never really given a decent run of first team football however, and had to settle for just seven Premier League appearances. Keen to stress the importance of the Frenchman, Holloway had indicated that the side could be built around him this season, but so far this has not been the case, despite an impressive pre-season.

The League Cup tie at Sheffield Wednesday excepted, Sylvestre had yet to feature for Blackpool this campaign. The signing of Barry Ferguson has instead provided Holloway with his anchor to build the team around and long-time servant Keith Southern is difficult to leave out too. With only one place in the midfield three left, the manager has opted for someone a little more attacking with Elliot Grandin starting the season at the tip of the midfield three, and Taylor-Fletcher filling in there since Grandin’s injury. As if Sylvestre had not been unfortunate enough, the rule change that meant only five substitutes can be named has also hampered his inclusion in the squad, with Holloway typically favouring a bench comprising a goalkeeper, a utility player and three attackers.

Introduced on the hour mark at Selhurst Park, Syvlestre turned in a solid enough performance, rarely wasting a pass. He seems happy to receive a pass at any time, has the confidence to turn on the ball and normally finds his own player with a simple pass. The question is whether he does enough to justify a regular selection alongside Ferguson and Southern, and that is yet to be seen. Sylvestre’s effectiveness in the final third is unproven and is therefore perhaps a little too similar to the two mainstays of the Blackpool midfield. Sylvestre maybe lacks the flair of his countryman Grandin, and once fit, one suspects Holloway will bring Grandin back into the team, assuming no new attacking midfielders are brought in on deadline day, or the loan market shortly afterwards. Sylvestre may have to wait for an injury or suspension for Ferguson or Southern before finally getting a run of games in the side.

4. Both teams will believe they could have claimed all three points
For all the superiority of Blackpool’s first half performance, when taking the whole game into account some Crystal Palace fans may believe they could have won the game – a claim that would not be that wide of the mark. Some positive substitutions from Dougie Freedman allowed Palace to begin to put on the pressure as the second half wore on. Matt Gilks was called upon more often in the Blackpool goal, and with 10 minutes to go, the home team did level the scores – influential substitute Glenn Murray with the equaliser.

After that, Palace had several chances to take the lead with one real heart-in-mouth moment for ‘Pool fans coming when Murray again got the better of the Blackpool defence. The below stills show once again that a high defensive line could be Blackpool’s undoing.

‘Pool defence at sixes and sevens, Stephen Crainey playing Glenn Murray onside.

Luckily for ‘Pool fans, and agonisingly for Palace, the shot goes narrowly wide.

In the end, a point each wasn’t too far off being a fair result. Palace proved that it is possible to turn a game around even after few would have given them much hope based on the first half alone. ‘Pool themselves ran out of steam a little, and this added weight to the theory that reinforcements are required before the Seasiders welcome Ipswich to Bloomfield Road on 10th September. At the moment it doesn’t seem like Blackpool have enough about them to brush sides away completely, and in a competitive Championship season, teams such as Palace will not roll over even when behind. Ian Holloway now has two week break before his team’s next game to add that killer instinct, be it through permanent or loan signings.