Oh, the frustration.

If, doubtful as it is, Chris Basham stumbles across this and gives it a read, then Chris, you have my sympathy. On his 2^nd start of the season at Southampton, he put in a fantastic, battling display, was arguably Blackpool’s Man of the Match, and the game started to slip away from Pool when he was withdrawn. None of that helped him, however, when it came to team selection for Watford, as he was dropped back to the bench in favour of LuaLua, as Ollie chose to go with the supposedly more attacking line-up.

As a long term supporter of Gary Taylor-Fletcher, defending him when out of form, smug when he plays to the peak of his undoubtedly massive ability, I was as surprised as any when I found myself leaving Bloomfield Road highlighting Taylor-Fletcher’s performance as a key in why Blackpool failed to break down what, in fairness, was a fantastic defensive display in the second half from the visitors.

The most disheartening thing about Taylor-Fletcher’s poor display was his, and in fairness, a number of other Blackpool player’s failure to put their body on the line to help the team’s cause. Far too often, when the ball dropped into an area between a Watford player and a Blackpool player, it was the man in white who was ready to put themselves into harm’s way to make sure they won the ball. Taylor-Fletcher was not the only one, and it would not be fair to point the finger solely at him, and those who did should apologise on Monday morning to those who did give everything they had at all times.

Two men on the pitch who both showed exactly what it means to put their bodies on the line were in either side’s back four. In Tangerine, Craig Cathcart showed that he is maturing into one of the best central defenders outside the Premier League. Strong, to hold off the physical presence of Troy Deeney, and pace to keep up with the rapid Marvin Sordell, Cathcart covered for the worryingly out of form Ian Evatt countless times, looked composed in possession, and displayed magnificent presence of mind to allow for superb distribution.

In the Watford back line, Nyron Nosworthy put in the type of display that Ian Evatt should watch back in his attempts to regain his form. He used his physical presence to bully Lomana LuaLua out of the game, showed deceptive speed across short distances to snuff out any worrying runs by Matt Phillips and Callum McManaman, and just when it looked as though Blackpool would overrun the visitors in the second half, Nosworthy covered his defensive teammates’ shortcomings to stand tall against the Blackpool steamroller.

Pool created all sorts of chances, ones that you would normally expect to be put away by those whom they fell to. Kevin Phillips was his usual anonymous self until the ball moved into the penalty area, where he came alive, only to head over from 6 yards, having been set up brilliantly by Matty Phillips, who put in his best performance of the season by far. Through the middle, he was lethal, as he played in the role that he occupied to great effect at Sheffield United, gathering the ball behind the main striker, and causing havoc in the Watford defence by running at pace, moving the ball between his feet, creating panic. It led to him hitting the post once, just as he had against Southampton, while his general link-up play between both himself and Eardley, and between him and the strikers, was massively improved.

A clean sheet at home, however, against a Watford side who, for all of their time wasting and delaying, which is understandable considering they are a side who are not far off the relegation places, visiting a side who are challenging for the playoffs, caused plenty of problems for Blackpool, is not something to be too disappointed about. Sordell’s pace caused problems when he moved the ball wide, giving Crainey a tough time, with Kightly on the overlap, who is a fantastic player at this level. Yeates on the other wing exposed Eardley’s slight naivety, who impressed going forward rather than backward as usual, and in the battle of two of the best goalkeepers in the division, it is perhaps unsurprising that neither side managed to find a way through.

It will no doubt go down as two points dropped for Blackpool, who missed two open goals, hit the post twice, and had one blocked from 6 yards, and Holloway will again have to face questions about his team selection and substitutions. Taking off midfielders and replacing them with strikers does not guarantee more chances. Loss of possession, which occurred when Sylvestre was withdrawn, who needs to cut out his back heels that put Blackpool into trouble more often than their opponents, means that the strikers that were brought on became ineffective. Tom Ince must wonder why on earth he has been dropped after two man of the match displays against Doncaster Rovers and Nottingham Forest, when the likes of Taylor-Fletcher and LuaLua continue to flatter to deceive, certainly the latter living off his fantastic display at Leeds. There are 9 days before the Seasiders make their Boxing Day trip to Barnsley, not a place famed as one where Blackpool gain three points, and while things look good, Blackpool’s need for a genuine central striker was shown once again.

Who'd be a goalkeeper?

Who would be a goalkeeper? You put in hours of training, preparation, dedication, all in the knowledge that you are competing for just one spot in the team with any other goalkeeper at the club. If you don’t get it, you’ll be consigned to the bench, only ever getting fleeting appearances against lower league opposition in the cup competitions that your manager isn’t taking seriously.

For these reasons, it is crucial that when you get your chance on the big stage, in front of the cameras, in an important league game due to an injury to the regular number 1, you take it. Bartosz Bialkowski made his first league appearance for Southampton this season when Blackpool were in town for the lunchtime kick off, so the game was his first opportunity to impress the Southampton fans and management in a pressured situation.

The biggest problem for all goalkeepers is that any mistake that is made is massively highlighted, as more often than not, it results in a goal for the opposition. Anywhere else on the pitch, a mistake can be covered by another of the 10 players, but as the last line of defence, the performance has to be flawless, or the chance you have been given will be taken away before you can blink.

Blackpool have been the beneficiaries of goalkeeping mistakes before this season, with Paul Rachubka’s 45 minute nightmare for Leeds helping them to their 5-0 win at Elland Road. They weren’t able to take advantage of every Bialkowski error, with Matt Phillips’ low cross eventually fumbled around the near post by the Polish keeper despite pressure from Chris Basham, and no-one was able to get on the end of his ridiculous block with the chest from Ludo Sylvestre’s 25 yard piledriver.

Indeed, was defensively where Blackpool were most impressive. Since the final whistle, Ian Holloway has admitted that Chris Basham’s inclusion was to combat Southampton’s playmaker-in-chief Adam Lallana, a job which the man making only his 4^th start for Blackpool since his million pound move from Bolton last summer did magnificently. Lallana was stifled to good effect, only getting any kind of time on the ball when dropping deep, as Blackpool kept their shape with Basham’s fellow midfielders Sylvestre and Barry Ferguson sitting deeper than accustomed to.

The slightly more defensive outlook from those two allowed Basham to roam forward more, which he showed he has an aptitude for, regularly causing problems as the extra man when Blackpool managed to work the ball into wide areas, which led to both goals. The first, a dynamic run from the ever improving Matty Phillips, feeding the ball wide to Callum McManaman, whose trickery and pinpoint cross picked out Basham at the back post, who beat the offside trap to nod in what was then the equaliser.

It was the goal that cancelled out the worst moment of the match as far as Blackpool were concerned. Poor communication between Gilks and Eardley, who received the ball facing his own goal, led to the right back losing possession. As soon as the pressing from the high line of Southampton arrived, Eardley had nowhere to go. Lallana poached it, as Guly cut off the return ball to Gilks, and Southampton showed patience as they worked it across the area, as Cork declined the chance to score, instead teeing up Lambert, who darted back inside the retreating Crainey, before his shot took a huge deflection off Cathcart and into the net, completely wrong footing Gilks.

It looked set to get worse before it got better for Blackpool, as they stood off Guly, allowing him to play a delicious chipped through ball between the static Evatt and Eardley, picking out Lambert, who was about to celebrate his second, only for Gilks to pull out a fantastic reaction save to tip it over. This passage of play where Blackpool on the verge of being swept away by the wave of Southampton attacks eventually ended with Basham’s equaliser, the midfielder himself looking as surprised as anyone.

The ten minutes between the Blackpool goal and half time was some of the most impressive football that Blackpool have played all season. The so called impenetrable Southampton midfield and defence were being breached regularly, as Blackpool’s one touch football and neat triangles found space for the wingers, as Matt Phillips nearly sent Pool in at half time level after his surging run led to a low 20 yard shot with smashed against the base of the post with Bialkowski beaten.

The message at the break had to be “More of the same.” Pool had dominated the last 10 minutes of the first half, and set up in the second half to do the same, and the wide areas led to their second, although there was a major slice of luck. McManaman cut inside, at pace, scaring the back four, and his run into the penalty area deserved better than the tame shot that it ended with. Thankfully, Bialkowski obliged by pulling off what can only be described as a “Taibi”.

The first hour was clear proof that Southampton are not untouchable at home. Blackpool pressed high up the pitch, caused problems in possession, strangled the play in midfield and gave the home side no time on the ball. They silenced the crowd, who were surprisingly quiet for a team that have won their last 20 at home, and only got interested when they could get angry at the referee.

The substitution that changed it, however, was the removal of Basham, who clearly lacked match fitness. He began to tire, Lallana began to find more space, and Basham had just been booked for a rash challenge, caused by being just behind play, most likely due to fatigue. The replacement, instead of the expected Martinez, who could continue where Basham left off to a lesser extent, was LuaLua. There was a sense of do or die about the change, Holloway saying that Blackpool will either get the third goal to clinch it, or concede the equaliser, and the latter is exactly what they did.

The manner of the goal that eventually arrived in the 93rd minute was very similar to a chance that Southampton had spurned moments before. An angled cross from the right, drifting away from Gilks, which Guly had headed over, this time floated over the back four to Lambert at the back post, where he had dropped off Eardley, who, along with Crainey, had been caught inside far too often throughout the game, for the big number 7 to nod past Gilks. Barry Ferguson, however, was the guilty man, failing to move out of the defensive position quickly enough, playing Lambert and Guly onside.

Despite late worries, including a magnificent Crainey challenge on De Ridder when the winger was away on the right with options square, Pool held on for the first away point taken from St Mary’s all season. It was, overall, a very pleasing performance. Basham showed there is life in the Blackpool midfield without Southern, who will have to work hard to regain his place upon his recovery. The back four needs strengthening. Even with Baptiste’s return soon, the way forward is for him to partner Cathcart in the centre, with a new right back. Eardley is dynamic going forward, but struggles defensively, and for the formation to work, it needs a full back on both sides who is strong going towards his own goal. We have been blessed with one in Crainey, we need another to partner him. Midfield looks strong, if not a little short on cover with the loss of Shelvey, and the addition of a striker to rotate the options up front will give Pool a strong squad to challenge.

Shelvey-Reds Confused Too.

To say that Blackpool were disappointed at the news that Jonjo Shelvey would be recalled by Liverpool after the injury to midfielder Lucas is an understatement. Shelvey was the Seasiders’ second top scorer this season, despite only playing from October onwards, with 6 goals in 10 games, including a 35 yard free kick on debut against Bristol City, and a memorable hatrick at Elland Road in an incredible 5-0 win. Disappointment, tinged with confusion, as the fans who watched him every week can clearly state that Shelvey is completely different kind of player, and not the kind who can slot into the role left by the Brazilian.

It seems that the confusion is shared with those on Merseyside, with Liverpool fan Al Cannon saying “It's difficult to see why Dalglish decided to recall Jonjo when he was making such quality progress at Blackpool and flourishing in an attacking role, simply to cover for Lucas who plays in a much more defensive role. I can only imagine that Shelvey must boast decent defensive qualities that haven't been tested as yet in the Premier League. The decision to recall him may appear to have been a necessary one now after Spearing's recent 3-match ban.”

As for Shelvey’s near future, it has been expected that Liverpool will sign midfield cover for Lucas in January, and Cannon believes Shelvey could be available again for the Seasiders should they do so. “I don't see why he shouldn't be allowed back to Blackpool if Liverpool do sign cover, he looked fantastic for Blackpool and it'd boost his confidence to continue there playing regularly, as opposed to temporarily rotting on the Liverpool bench. As for who we could bring in, Stilian Petrov is an experienced and assured midfield general who is the fulcrum in an inferior Aston Villa side, he could be tempted by a move. The Brazilian midfielder Jadson would be an interesting move, he has won many honours in Ukraine and could be persuaded to England for a new challenge”.

The obvious link between the two clubs is Liverpool’s current playmaker, and Blackpool’s former hero, Charlie Adam, who made the switch to Anfield in the summer after a year of impressing in Blackpool’s Premiership campaign, and when asked how the midfielder was getting on, Cannon was careful with his praise.

“Comparisons to Xabi Alonso are exaggerating his ability, although Adam was Blackpool's answer to Steven Gerrard prior to him moving to Merseyside. Adam has started his Anfield career brightly; however people are too quick to lavish praise on him at times when the passing that he's so renowned for can be a little inconsistent at times. Adam displays flashes of brilliance and has been a very useful addition to the Liverpool squad, and we will be able to give a more in-depth view later on in the season.”

It seems as though Adam will have to compete with Shelvey in the future for his place in the Liverpool side, with the Anfield club certainly seeing a big future for the unmistakable playmaker. “Liverpool are most effective when they play with Suarez upfront on his own with support either side of him and with a player in behind,” said Cannon. “I have no doubt that in the future Shelvey could fit in nicely into either of these roles with his attacking ability. I would personally be interested to see how he fares playing "in the hole" behind Suarez”.

For the season ahead, Cannon is optimistic, but realistic, knowing Liverpool don’t have to squad to compete with the main heavyweights. “If Liverpool continue to drop points against opposition that they should be taking three points then they will undoubtedly finish outside the top four, possibly 5th or 6th. 

"If Liverpool manage to get into a good stride and build a decent run of form through the festive period and beyond then it will be a tight battle for the top four between a number of clubs including the Merseysiders.” One thing is for sure, Shelvey has his work cut out getting the same game time at Anfield as he got at Bloomfield Road.

Troubling Times at Deepdale

The words “Grim Reaper” summons a clear and obvious image. A figure, in a hooded, black cloak, carrying a scythe in one hand, a roll of parchment in the other, bearing the names of the damned. Ask a football fan who they see when they hear those two words, and one man springs to mind. Former Leeds Utd, Barnsley, and Cardiff City chairman Peter Ridsdale has a list of clubs on the CV that he won’t want a reference from, so when he rocked up on the Deepdale doorstep at the request of owner Trevor Hemmings, you could be forgiven for adding Preston North End to the list of clubs who would soon be crying out for aid.

His work at Plymouth Argyle, however, gives hope to those of the Lilywhite persuasion. Saving the Pilgrims from certain doom, he kept the club afloat long enough to bring in new investment to see the club through what will surely be the worst of the Home Park club’s problems. When asked if Ridsdale can repeat the same feat at cash-strapped Preston, who have recently announced are losing £750k per month, season ticket holder Jacob Thompson has his doubts.

“He has already set his stall out to cut costs, which can be done. I'm just worried about the ability and size of the squad when all the better players and high earners go and we replace them all with kids if that is what happens. Hopefully the only way is up.”

Certainly Preston fans could rightly feel, as Thompson puts it, “Devastated”, when the news was first announced, and there seems to be a number of Preston fans who aren’t ready to give the new chairman a chance to allow things to improve.

“When they put a brief video announcing him as chairman on the big screen at half time against Chesterfield, the majority of fans booed him!” Thompson revealed, showing Preston fans are nearing the end of their patience with the financial side of the club after the slump in the last 18 months, but according to Thompson, the finances are not the reason that the Deepdale club are struggling.

“At the moment it isn't lack of investment letting us down. The squad we have is good enough to be top 6 or top 2! The likes of Hume and Coutts would walk into all sides in the division and probably at a higher level. It says it all when Darel Russell can't even get on the bench for us, but goes on loan to Charlton who are top and gets straight in the team, and is part of the team that ends Huddersfield Town’s 50 game unbeaten run.

“The main problem for us is poor management. Square pegs in round holes. We signed a left back who never plays. Our only left winger plays at left back. On left wing we have a player with no left foot! And Coutts, probably the best CM in the league is stuck out wide on the right while the likes of Alexander, Ashbee and Nicholson who are past it our played time after time in the middle after many poor performances.

“Brown keeps on playing good players out of position, and it is becoming frustrating for the fans. He brought in Nathan Doyle, a central midfielder, on loan from Barnsley and played him at right back even though he had two on the bench. Of the 5 permitted subs, he regularly has 3 defenders, leaving space for only one attacking player doesn’t allow us to change our game plan if things aren’t going well.  We have a batch ofpromising youngsters like Adam Barton, George Miller, and Bailey Wright to mention a few, and they haven’t been given an opportunity, despite the fact that they play in the positions that we have been struggling in all season”.

If this is to be believed, it is not the boardroom where the main problem is. Preston’s problems lie firmly on the pitch for the moment, with the manager looking like the fans’ main cause for concern. With the large number of solid managers, known for getting the job done on a small budget currently available at this level, could Phil Brown’s days at the helm of Deepdale be numbered?

The enigma of Matt Phillips

There haven’t been many players in Blackpool colours recently who have split the fans opinion quite as much as Matthew Phillips. Most players normally divide the fans when they have left the club, with the likes of DJ Campbell creating hostility amongst the ranks of Blackpool supporters as to whether or not he will be looked on favourably for his efforts in Tangerine, or anger with regards to the manner of his departure. For others, read Peter Clarke, Wes Hoolahan, Kaspars Gorkss, Charlie Adam.

For Phillips, however, the fans debate seems to be squarely aimed at whether or not he should be given the run in the first eleven that Ian Holloway is giving him. Certainly, during his loan spell at Sheffield United, which yielded 5 goals in 6 games, including a brace in a 4-2 win at Deepdale, the Tangerine masses were questioning why Phillips was being allowed to ply his trade elsewhere while his parent club were struggling for results.

Phillips, along with Billy Clarke, returned filled with confidence, but also with heightened expectations from those who looked purely at the stats. He started brightly, setting up Jonjo Shelvey’s late equaliser at Middlesbrough in his first appearance back in a Blackpool shirt. He has since started every game, and only a fool wouldn’t realise that Phillips is slowly readjusting to the system that should suit him down to the ground.

Those who agree with Holloway and think he should remain in the starting eleven will say that at times he is unplayable. He caused mountains of problems for the best defence in the country when Blackpool visited Manchester City last season, almost earned a point single-handedly in the controversial defeat at Aston Villa, turned the game at Sunderland in Blackpool’s favour with a series of jinking runs, and who can forget his magnificent goal with his first touch on debut against Blackburn Rovers.

But there is a counter-argument, which is played out regularly among the fans, which says that those flashes of brilliance have to be complimented with consistent displays, and when not playing well, still contributing to the team. However, in the first half of the season, while Phillips has been at Bloomfield Road, he hasn’t produced. Being too occupied with defensive work to become an attacking threat, almost scared to run with the ball, and when in on goal, can be counted on to fluff his lines.

There is, however, cause for hope. Phillips is undoubtedly one of the best prospects outside the top division, and there is no doubt that if he does fulfil his clear and massive potential, then international honours will be a part of Phillips career. He needs to improve his end product. Far too often his final ball isn’t good enough, and when given the chance to score, he will tend to either try and leave it to someone else, or make a complete mess of the chance.

Great things can be expected of Phillips between now and the end of the season, and even beyond then, as he is showing signs that he is beginning to settle back into the side at Bloomfield Road. Against Reading at the weekend, he used his pace to good effect, giving aging full back Ian Harte a tough time, albeit not as tough as he could in the first half, before being switched to a more central role in the second half, closer to the position he played at Sheffield United, which allowed him to get on the ball and cause mischief.

It was that mischief that led to the Seasiders’ winning goal on Saturday. Phillips gathered possession just outside the centre circle in his own half, made himself some space to run at the Reading back four. Shaun Cummings backed off, allowing Phillips to move towards the edge of the penalty area, despite anger from Phillips’ critics for not releasing Callum McManaman, waited, before playing in McManaman in for the on-loan striker to score.

Phillips is learning, and is growing in confidence, which is something that he clearly thrives on. The experiment of turning him in to a wingback last season did not work, although it has given him a defensive perspective which helps Neal Eardley with his job, allowing him to drive on down the line, knowing that Phillips is quick enough and good enough to cover him. To get the best out of him, it seems, you have to allow him to stand out wide, feed him possession and let him terrorise his full back. During games in the Premiership last season, he hugged the touchline and caused problems cutting inside. This season, Holloway seems to be giving him more responsibility on the pitch, and it could well be taking away from his natural game. 

Hard earned point.

Betting, they say, is a mugs game. The bookmaker will always end up making more money than they lose. The sheer weight of people who put stakes on will cover for the small number that will win on their hunch. The problem for the bookmaker is if something happens that has huge odds, they are going to be giving out large sums of money, costing them more than if the small odds that had plenty of bets on it would do.

So when Stephen Crainey beat the offside trap down the left hand side and finished with the outside of his left foot like a veteran striker, local bookies could have been forgiven for cursing their luck. Even for Crainey to score at any time will have been at least 25/1, and in putting Blackpool on level terms, he scored his first goal in over 4 years.

It was only his second goal in Blackpool colours, his first coming in just his seventh game, a well struck free kick against Sheffield United in 2007, so when he broke free of Stephen Carr and found himself one on one with Boaz Myhill, he could have been forgiven from suffering from a crisis of confidence, but instead, he let Lomana LuaLua’s inch perfect through ball run across him, and guided the ball into the bottom corner, to the delight, and surprise of everyone in Bloomfield Road. The club itself couldn’t believe it was Crainey, giving the goal to Jonjo Shelvey originally, and Crainey himself, who can’t exactly have a plethora of celebrations ready to go, and just strolled over to the South Stand with his arms in the air.

LuaLua was again involved in Blackpool’s second. His neat interplay with Shelvey on the edge of the penalty area led to the loanee teeing up Neal Eardley, who also doubled his Blackpool account after his free-kick against Everton last season, with a magnificent right-footed strike, curling away from Myhill and into the top left corner. Eardley since has dedicated his goal to his former national team manager Gary Speed, whose tragic passing this weekend has affected the world of football.

For all of Blackpool’s neat build-up, however, Craig Cathcart was missed at the back. He brings a calming influence to the back four, both in possession and when on the back foot. His marking and football brain would have prevented both goals, the first where Ian Evatt stopped forward to close the man in possession, leaving Marlon King onside, and clean through, to score, and Evatt was at fault again for the late equaliser, not learning from his mistake moments before, allowing Zigic to get a run on the defence,  as he got in front of Evatt to score.

A point, however, against a team who will undoubtedly be in and around the promotion picture come May, is not a disaster. Birmingham’s position outside the top 6 is false, as they have 2 games in hand on most around them due to their Europa League exploits. They have a fantastic manager at this level, who knows how to get teams into the top flight, and a squad filled with talented players. There will no doubt be a sense of it being two points dropped, however, due to losing a lead late on at home, and having plenty of chances to kill the game. Barry Ferguson’s desire to score against his former club got the better of him as he shot wide when Taylor-Fletcher was better placed, before Taylor-Fletcher’s spectacular volley from a moment of genius by LuaLua to play him in was denied by the offside flag. The less said about Matt Phillips’ chance that was squandered after half time, the better.

Despite Blackpool’s injury problems, with Cathcart joining Southern and Kevin Phillips on the sidelines, Blackpool posed a significant threat to a side who have serious pace and ability out wide in Burke and Beausejour, strength in midfield from Fahey and Elliot, and quality up front in Adam Rooney and King. Birmingham were good value for their point, as they caused countless problems on the break, defended well for the majority of the game, and it was only thanks to the reflexes of Matt Gilks that the visitors were not out of sight.

Leicester away on Tuesday night is another important game, as they all seem to be in the run towards Christmas. They will pose a different threat to the one posed by Birmingham, with pace up front from Beckford and Nugent, technical skill in midfield from Paul Gallagher and Richie Wellens, and momentum from their new manager. Blackpool will have to be at their very best to pick up anything from the King Power Stadium. 

Momentum, momentum, momentum.

In both of Blackpool’s promotion seasons in the last 5 years, the most important thing that they managed was the momentum they garnered by stringing together good performances back to back. In the relegation season from the Premiership last season, they were unable to put wins together, only winning back to back games once, with remarkable wins away at Stoke City and Sunderland. After the euphoria that surrounded the resounding thrashing of Leeds United on Wednesday night, the visit of Millwall was certain to be a serious test. The Lions were coming into the game on the back of scoring 10 goals in their last 3 games, only conceding 1 goal in the process. They possessed the Championship’s in form striker in Darius Henderson, who is finally starting to prove his potential as a goal scoring target man.

Blackpool, however, seem to be close to stumbling across their best starting eleven. In my opinion, the fact that the massive improvement in the side since the Burnley debacle last weekend has occurred when Ludovic Sylvestre returned to the midfield three is no coincidence. The nearly forgotten Frenchman has slotted into the team almost seamlessly, providing Barry Ferguson and Keith Southern more license to move forward in possession, whereas with Jonjo Shelvey, both have had to sit deeper to cover for him, and when on the ball, Sylvestre is capable of beating a player, picking a pass, and moving forward with purpose. Also capable of being strong in the tackle, Sylvestre could be proof that the man needed to cover for the loss of Charlie Adam may have been at the club all along.

The main fear that Blackpool were likely to face against the in-form Millwall was their undoubted physical presence, a problem heightened by the fact that Ian Evatt picked up his fifth booking of the season against Leeds, ruling him out. Alex Baptiste moved to his preferred position in the back four as part of the central pairing, and the more attack minded Neal Eardley returned at right back. The lack of Evatt’s power and height at centre back, Craig Cathcart was charged with being the enforcer in the defence. Lomana Lua-Lua kept his place after his impressive display on Wednesday night, as Ian Holloway left his front three interrupted, as Shelvey continued in his new position on the right hand side of the forward line.

In what was billed as a physical encounter, it was the pace of Millwall that Blackpool first had to be wary of, as Liam Feeney caused Crainey and Eardley problems down both wings, but after negotiating the early pressure, Blackpool started to impose themselves on the Millwall midfield, both Brian Howard and Nadjim Abdou struggling to deal with Sylvestre and Southern breaking from midfield, the latter twice finding space in the final third to get shots in on goal, one flying over the bar, the other drawing a good save from Lions’ keeper David Forde, as he parried the Blackpool stalwart’s left footed drive wide. From the resulting corner, Forde was lost in the crowd of players, and Southern powered another effort on goal as he rose above his marker, only to see full back Jack Smith clear off the line.

With Lua-Lua and Callum McManaman causing problems with their pace and trickery, Blackpool looked a constant threat on the break, and it took another Forde save to deny the Congan a third goal in a week after his incisive run from the right resulted in a step over and a left-footed, rising drive which was tipped over. Blackpool’s back four were solid, allowing Henderson to receive the ball with his back to goal, and forced him away with their almost patented high line, allowing Southern and Ferguson to drop back and win the ball.

For all of their good play in the first half, Pool couldn’t break down a very organised Millwall side, who gave the kind of display that can always be expected from a Kenny Jackett team. Well organised, not afraid of the tackle, and always ready to give 100%. Indeed, they could have gone in at half time in front, but Henderson’s back post header from 6 yards was magnificently saved by Matt Gilks.

After half time, The Seasiders continued to press to go for the goal they probably deserved, though Ian Holloway can’t have been too impressed, hauling Keith Southern off just before the hour, bringing Kevin Phillips on, moving Jonjo Shelvey back into the midfield, with Lua-Lua out wide, and it paid immediate dividends. The game’s first display of real quality put Blackpool into the lead. Callum McManaman fed Phillips, who shimmied, spun, and let fly all in one movement, from the edge of the penalty area. Forde’s dive was purely for show, as he waved the ball past him into the top corner.

‘Pool looked to try and push on, but it was Millwall who carved out the chances late on, with both Brian Howard and Liam Trotter being denied by a combination of Gilks and Baptiste, but in the end Mr Haines blew the final whistle to give Blackpool another 3 points, making it 2 wins, 6 goals scored and none conceded since last weekend. Back into the top six, and starting to look like a confident team again, Holloway will be thinking about where to strengthen to continue Pool’s hopes for a playoff finish.

Away nights like these...

While listening to the commentary on Leeds United Vs Blackpool last night on the home side’s radio station last night, it struck me as being one of those nights that only a blessed few are fortunate enough to experience. Be they those who go to every away match, rain or shine, in the fervent hope that their team can produce the kind of display that they have proved they are capable of, only to leave the ground at full time disappointed 99% of the time, but can’t stop themselves from paying big money to make the next long trip, because this one might just be it, or the exiled few, there because it is one of few games within reach of where they are based.

Sadly for me, I was unable to witness the incredible scenes at Elland Road on Wednesday night. Blackpool, Little Blackpool, went to the mighty Leeds United, to a ground which staged a Champions League semi-final less than ten years ago, and inflicted their worst home defeat in over 30 years. I sat, in a kind of trance, as I listened to Jonjo Shelvey complete his hatrick with Blackpool’s fifth, thinking how good it would be to be a part of the Blackpool fans, and that the experience being had by those in the away section must be something similar to the ones I experienced in the corner of The City Ground about 18 months before, when DJ Campbell scored his third of that amazing night to clinch Blackpool’s place at Wembley.

It will be interesting to ask those who were at both which one they think was better, but for me, football will never get any better than Nottingham Forest away in the playoffs, and in a way, knowing I was there that night made up for the fact that I couldn’t get to Yorkshire, because I know that many Pool fans were not able to attend that night in Nottingham, and I was one of the very fortunate few.

For all of Blackpool fans’ delight after last night’s proceedings, which saw the Seasiders rise to 8^th in the Championship table, 2 points outside the playoffs and leapfrogging their opponents, who dropped to 10^th, there is the horrible feeling on the other side, and it is impossible not to feel dreadfully sorry for the man who only managed 45 minutes last night in the Leeds United goal. Paul Rachubka served Blackpool magnificently for 4 and a half years, 3 of which were served as the unquestionable number 1. His arrival at the club, under his current manager at Leeds, Simon Grayson, coincided with Blackpool putting together second half of the League 1 season that would lead to their return to the second tier of English football for the first time in 29 years.

Rachubka will be hounded in the Yorkshire press and on every Leeds Utd message board, with some saying he is the worst player to ever pull on the colours of the famous Elland Road side, but the fans that are making this kneejerk reaction must realise that judging a player after 3 and a half games, after coming in for a goalkeeper in Andrew Lonergan who has made an excellent start to his Leeds career, is incredibly harsh. Rachubka has never been good under the high ball, but in the past he has made up for it in quality shot stopping. A goalkeeper who won Player of the Year at Bloomfield Road after almost singlehandedly keeping Blackpool in the Championship in 2008 does not become a bad player overnight.

If Leeds fans are looking for the problems that led to their heavy defeat last night, they should start with their midfield and defence. The 8 players in front of Rachubka gave Ludovic Sylvestre as much time and space as any player, let alone one with the quality that Sylvestre possesses, could possibly need to pick out Jonjo Shelvey with a glorious pass with the outside of his right foot, and after Rachubka had parried the on-loan Liverpool man’s shot, an unfit 30 year old Lomana Lua-Lua was faster to the ball than both of Leeds’ static centre haves to tap into an open goal.

The only goal that the blame does firmly lie at Rachubka’s feet for is Blackpool’s second. An innocuous, looping cross from the Blackpool right took a deflection, sending it sky high. It is the kind of ball that goalkeepers practice catching day in, day out in training. Tom Lees even made it easier for the American by holding off the nearest Tangerine shirt to give Rachubka all the space he needed to gather, but he inexplicably fumbled the ball straight to Lua-Lua, whose instinctive shot was magnificently palmed wide by the unfortunate Lees, earning Blackpool a penalty and Lees a straight red card.

Lees was understandably upset, and took so long to remove himself from the pitch that the referee allowed Shelvey to take the penalty without realising Lees had yet to extract himself from the playing area. Shelvey was away celebrating when Mr Roger East called him back to take it once again. Shelvey stuck to his guns, and found the inside netting of the right hand corner, giving Rachubka no chance whatsoever.

Just when Pool fans everywhere thought it couldn’t get any better than that, it did. Lua-Lua was given a criminal amount of space just 20 yards from goal, and he gleefully let fly, only for Rachubka to parry once more. Shelvey was on hand once again to move beyond the stricken keeper and roll the ball into the empty net, in front of a stand full of furious Leeds fans.

Mr East finally put Rachubka out of his misery by blowing the half time whistle, saving him from more abuse from his own fans behind his goal, and according to those present at the game, Rachubka gathered his towel, and left the pitch in tears. One can only hope that Rachubka recovers from the horror show that he suffered in the first half, as he does have enough quality in his game to be a good Championship goalkeeper.

Grayson was left with a difficult conundrum at half time. Withdraw Rachubka, bringing on an 18 year old for his professional debut, saving the American from more pain in the firing line, but with the problem of possibly ending any chance of recovery, or send him out to try and prove the masses wrong, the game already as good as over, and hope that he can salvage some pride. Grayson plumped for giving Alex Cairns his first team debut.

There was very little that Cairns could do about either shot that beat him in the second half. For 25 minutes, Leeds came out with fire in their bellies, and made it as difficult for the visitors as they must have prepared for before the game. Blackpool fans of the last 20 years must have been wary of a comeback, as stranger things have happened, and will have hoped for another goal to ease the nerves.

The goal arrived, and it was without doubt the goal of the night. Barry Ferguson found space in midfield and played one of the passes of the night, inside the full back who was tracking Lua-Lua’s run, who then took a couple of touches to get inside his man, before firing a quite exquisite strike from the edge of the penalty area into the top right corner, before celebrating with a somersault in front of the Pool faithful.

Lua-Lua left the pitch, along with Callum McManaman, to a standing ovation, as he was replaced by Tom Ince, with Bogdanovic replacing McManaman, and Angel Martinez getting the chance to impress in what was a magnificent midfield display by the Seasiders, thriving on the extra creativity and forward nature of Sylvestre, making his first start of the season. Martinez replaced Southern, who proved to Leeds fans that they maybe should have taken the chance on him when they were linked with him last season.

The man known simply as Angel then tried to rival Ferguson in the passing stakes, as he split the Leeds defence with a quite magnificent through ball to Shelvey, who gleefully swept home his third, to send the Pool fans into dreamland, as they, as Ian Chisnall so gladly put it, went nap. Holloway got it spot on from the start, which has been something of a rarity this season, and hopefully he can resist the temptation to tinker against Millwall. Certain things will be taken into account, such as whether or not Lua-Lua can start two games in 4 days, whether Gary Taylor-Fletcher is ready after his back injury. Ian Evatt will be unavailable due to suspension, so the defence that was so solid despite their shambolic display at Burnley, will have to be broken up at the weekend.

The most important thing that Holloway must stick to, in my personal opinion, is the midfield 3 of Keith Southern, Barry Ferguson and Ludovic Sylvestre. All are defensively astute, which allows each of them to have freedom going forward, safe in the knowledge that those behind them are capable. The addition of Matt Phillips and Billy Clarke when they return from their loan spells can only aid the front three, adding pace and form, putting Blackpool in a good position ahead of a tough Christmas schedule.

Turf Moor Halloween Horror Show

For a team to be successful at any level of football, it needs to have a player who is capable of scoring goals on a regular basis. In the Premiership, the likes of Wayne Rooney and Robin Van Persie are seen as two of the best players in the world, as they are capable of scoring goals that can change games, and change seasons. However, if you ask these players why they are so successful, then they will usually say that it is down to the other players on the pitch, and their hard work, which allows them to be the ones who grab the headlines.

If you drop down to the Championship, you won’t find many better natural goal scorers than the one currently occupying the Blackpool number 9 shirt. Kevin Phillips’ 6 goals in the Championship this season in Tangerine have moved him on to 260 professional goals, in a career moving into its 18^th year, starting at Baldock Town in 1994, which has seen him named as the only Englishman ever to win the European Golden Boot after his incredible efforts in the 1999/2000, which saw him become the second man to ever score over 30 goals in a 38-game Premiership season.

During Saturday evening’s game against Burnley, however, Phillips was a clear example of a striker starved of the creative player that makes the whole team tick. The absence of Gary Taylor-Fletcher, a late withdrawal with a back injury, showed just how good a player he is. Taylor-Fletcher, who is a vast improvement on the player that arrived at the club as a striker turned right midfielder under Simon Grayson when Pool first reached the Championship, has since returned to the middle due to his lack of pace, and it has led to him becoming one of the first names on the team sheet, as he continually weighs in with important goals, sometimes spectacular, and has the football brain capable of unlocking the tightest of defences.

He is the complete embodiment of what the Blackpool resurgence over the last ten years in one player. Released by Leyton Orient in 2002, he has undergone a career transformation. A good spell at Huddersfield led to a move to Blackpool in 2007, and he has become an integral part of the Seasiders’ plans going forward. His recent move back into the midfield, albeit in a central role, has led to a strong presence in midfield that has also allowed for pace on either flank to compliment Phillips in the centre.

Any Blackpool fan who sat through the torturous 90 minutes at Turf Moor on Saturday will agree that Taylor-Fletcher was a massive miss. He brings a forward thinking, optimistic approach to the forward line, and a desire that spreads throughout the team of a player who knows that this level of football seemed a world away when he ploughed along in the lower leagues at the turn of the millennium.  There was no invention, a lack of pace due to the seeming inability to bring Tom Ince into the game, and as the ball took so long to reach him, whenever Ince did manage to get onto the ball, he was crowded out by the Burnley defence, who, to their credit, negated Blackpool’s strengths quickly.

Blackpool were outfought, outplayed, and outclassed by a Burnley team who hardly had to move out of first gear. The selection of Brett Ormerod ahead of Callum McManaman, who was so impressive last weekend against Nottingham Forest, furrowed many a brow in the away end, but this was nothing compared to the desperate attempts to work out why Ormerod, standing at a mere 5”10, was the target of every long ball played by Blackpool for the 73 minutes that Ormerod spent on the pitch.  Ormerod failed to win a single header against Andre Amougou and David Edgar, both of whom are extremely powerful, and deceptively quick.

The midfield was anonymous. Barry Ferguson struggled to keep up with the pace of the game, Keith Southern put in his usual scrapping performance, and there is certainly a place for him in the side, but Burnley were never threatened, and Jonjo Shelvey was yet again anonymous, only making any contribution to the game on 2 occasions, one for his excellent goal in the 93^rd minute, and the other a dreadful tackle in the first half, with his studs up, which should have resulted in him being shown a straight red card.

Matt Gilks was, in all honesty, powerless with all 3 goals, with the only possible complaint being the positioning of the wall for the Wallace free kick, but the strike would have beaten any wall, no matter where it was placed. The main concern, for me, would be the centre half pairing. Charlie Austin and Jay Rodriguez are not a particularly large centre forward pairing. They are capable of holding their own when asked to perform the physical side of the game, but Ian Evatt and Craig Cathcart should have been able to deal with them. Cathcart failed to win a single header all game, and Evatt was easily manoeuvred around the pitch by Austin, who showed Blackpool exactly what they could have had, if they had shown genuine intent when he was available at Swindon.

What should genuinely worry Blackpool fans is that there was a sense that there was no passion behind the shirt. There was a lack of desire and passion to perform on the big day from the men who have been the physical incarnation of team spirit under Ian Holloway. A lot of work needs to be done in a long space of time, and Holloway needs the fans to back the players to the hilt if they are going to get out of this current slump.

Forest at Home-3 points dropped.

The idea of introducing a player who is a bit of an unknown quantity into a game is always a risk. As seen at the highest level, with Manchester City introducing Mario Balotelli into a far greater first team role than the one he occupied last season. Balotelli, however, is a player who has proved he can succeed at that level, as he showed again in the Manchester derby this weekend, giving more evidence to support that he is one of Europe’s finest talents when his mind is in the right place.

There is an argument that wholly supports the idea of trying someone who isn’t known. There is no possible way that Steve Cotterill or anyone at Nottingham Forest could have possibly set up plans to deal with Gerardo Bruna, so when he was named on the substitutes bench, it looked like a decision that would draw a few gasps when the team sheet is first mentioned, but then make more sense as people worked it out.

The problem is, for the gamble to work, everything needs to work out and sit perfectly in the youngster’s favour, especially with someone making his debut in English league football. Add in the fact that Bruna was schooled at Real Madrid, not known as a place where young players are taught the rough and tumble style that many teams will apply to their game when they visit Bloomfield Road this season, and that the man he was replacing is the current darling of the Blackpool fans, and it becomes a pressure cooker for a young Argentinean with no first team experience. Then add that Nottingham Forest had just broken a spell of Blackpool pressure with what proved to be the winning goal, and that there was only 7 minutes for Blackpool to come up with a response, and it is quite a difficult position to be in.

It is difficult not to feel sorry for Bruna. He will be the public face of the fan’s bemusement at yet more strange substitutions from Ian Holloway, who took off 2 of Blackpool’s better players on the day in Tom Ince and Callum McManaman, the former in particular causing a mountain of problems on the right hand side, causing Forest full back Chris Gunter, supposedly one of the best full backs in the second tier of English football, although it is possible Gunter picked up a slight hamstring injury in the second half, and replaced them with 2 players with a grand total of 7 career professional appearances, all of them belonging to Craig Sutherland.

The addition of fresh legs to an attack slowing down after a long day’s work was the reason given by ‘Ollie’ in his radio post-match interview, yet the simple solution to this would surely be to replace the older, slower legs, such as Gary Taylor-Fletcher and Kevin Phillips, who, despite his fantastic goal just before half time, had a poor game. Chances that you would normally expect Phillips to gobble up without thinking twice passed him by, including failing to convert an Ince cross-shot into the net from a yard out with the goal at his mercy, and a golden chance late on from just inside the penalty area which he only managed to locate the upper echelons of the South Stand. Taylor-Fletcher, despite all of his efforts, failed to produce a final ball at crucial times, and though the stats will say he has come out of the game with an assist to his name, even Taylor-Fletcher must agree that Phillips had a fair bit to do when he gave him the ball.

It would be cruel to lay the blame of the defeat at the feet of Bruna, who did show glimpses of talent, though his keenness only to use his left foot may be his undoing at this level, as there were many areas of the Blackpool side that were found wanting by a Nottingham Forest side who were willing to get their hands dirty if it meant retuning home with all 3 points. The set piece demons have returned, both goals coming from basic routines. The first goal coming from a fairly standard, floated cross from McGugan at the corner, and a free header for Wes Morgan at the back post is a clear sign that we missed the physical presence that Ian Evatt brings to the back four, and switching off at a simple throw in is unforgivable, especially when your opponents have someone as deadly as Radoslaw Majewski, who can find the net from literally anywhere in the final third, as he has shown a number of times since arriving in English football 2 years ago.

But before I am criticised for whinging about what was, in all honesty, a vast improvement on recent displays, I will say that there are big positives to take from the game. Gilks proved once again that he is one of the best shot stoppers in the division, though he could do with learning from Lee Camp on the distribution front. Eardley is improving all the time, no matter how many times he is moaned at for being sat too deep. These moans coming from the same fans that were furious whenever he was forward last season, saying he was too naïve, but Eardley’s main weakness when he first joined the club was the defensive side of his game. This, it is clear to see, is improving all the time, and when he finds the right balance in his positional play, which, in all likelihood, will need to involve him adding a yard of pace, to allow for defensive covering and beating his man down the line.

The midfield painfully missed Keith Southern’s presence. For weeks it has seemed that Ferguson and Southern cannot function in the same midfield, but a more succinct diagnosis would be that the midfield cannot function without Southern. It lacked bite, drive and pace, which Southern adds. Shelvey looked lost at times, looking to play the pass too quickly at others, picking completely the wrong pass the rest of the time. He looks devoid of confidence after being such a non-entity at West Ham, which the rest of the team has recovered from far quicker than Shelvey has, but it is clear there is plenty more to come from him.

As mentioned, Taylor-Fletcher and Phillips were both off their best, but Ince and McManaman out wide caused problems all game, McManaman’s raw pace and Ince’s trickery in possession providing a constant threat, but Forest had an answer for the majority of what was thrown at them.

All in all, Blackpool will play a lot worse than that this season and win, let alone pick up the point that they probably deserved. For proof of this, see last Tuesday night against Doncaster Rovers. What should please Blackpool fans is that they are still within touching distance of the playoffs, without really putting in a performance worthy of a playoff finish at the end of the season since the opening day at Hull. As is always said, the sign of a good side is to keep picking up points when they are not playing well.