Comments on: Toon’s Blackpool reality check – reaction.

By: Micky Toon

Micky Toon — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 09:37:13 +0000

I look at this result this way, we weren’t going to go the whole season unbeaten. As long as we can keep up our home record and take points here and there from away games, we should be ok.
I still find some peoples reactions to this result as quite incredulous. Braying that we were beaten by a team like Blackpool. We are better than this, etc..
We aren’t better than this. We are a Championship side because we got what we deserve. We weren’t good enough to stay in the top tier, so we were relegated. Get over it and stop thinking that we somehow deserve to be a top six PL team.

By: bowburnmag

bowburnmag — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 08:51:01 +0000

UTD111 – meant to say I agree about Smudge. I’m glad he’s proving people wrong. He’s a good kid, if a little hot-tempered. I genuinely thought we’d all be better off if he went, although I never slated him. But he’s proving me wrong too.

By: bowburnmag

bowburnmag — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 08:49:35 +0000

UTD111 – I don’t like criticising Butt, because I think he’s an honest bloke and a good professional, BUT (not Butt), his form has dovetailed since the beginning of last year and his legs have gone a bit.

knocky – ah aye, it sounded like were sh*te and no mistake. I’d also not advocate the likes of King, though Harewood might be a decent option on the cheap. We definitely a little fella upfront and to be fair, someone with the creativity of Reid (preferably one looking as fit as he is now) would be a godsend. Who though?

By: UTD111

UTD111 — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 08:47:40 +0000

Yup Batty – we lost the protection, the commitment and the inspirational leadership to the other players….

I don’t think we’re capable of playing that defensive formation without Smithy….but given Hughton’s obsession with the likes of Geremi and Butt, I don’t think he’s capable of putting out an attacking team.

Booger!!

By: batty

batty — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 08:42:07 +0000

UTD111 aye we missed smith playing just in front of the back 4

By: knocky

knocky — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 08:37:38 +0000

BBM -I agree that we do need reinforcements (a quick goalscorer to feed off a big man is a must) but we had enough in the squad last night to perform better than we did. Surely Lovenkrands could have done a job upfront for an hour or so. There’s no point bringing in players like Harewood or King, we have younger options who are similar already. A mate of mine from Birmingham said that down there, there were rumours of us being interested in Kevin Phillips – shock, horror!!!
That’s not a bad shout – alright not him but that type of player. And maybe an Andy Reid type. We have created nothing in terms of chances in recent games. Note I say these type of players and not actually the current/past unwashed versions.

By: bowburnmag

bowburnmag — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 08:12:40 +0000

When I say “forward” I probably actually mean attacking/forward players.

By: UTD111

UTD111 — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 08:12:12 +0000

It was actually a 4-man midfield – as Butt is so useless, he just puts pressure on his own team. He’d be better off standing still and eating a pie, and trying not to get in the way.

No Smith=No protection for defence=big probs

Simples!

By: bowburnmag

bowburnmag — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 08:12:08 +0000

knocky – So when I say strength-in-depth in the context of having forward players to prevent the need for defensive tactics, would it still be irrelevant? My point being, we can’t alternate because we don’t have the bodies. We play a defensive formation now a) because he’s reluctant to play the big fellas together b) even if he wanted to, two of them have been injured the last few games. To me we are crying out for strength-in-depth to provide options that would allow us to go out and attack the likes of Blackpool.

By: knocky

knocky — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 07:55:48 +0000

Like most did not see the game but by the sounds of it we were well beaten, particularly in the first half. Please don’t use the excuses of lack of depth, quality or injuries to key players. Blackpool and most of the other sides in this division all have the same limitations (without the expectation). Last night we used a negative 4-5-1 system as if we were playing a top 4 premiership side. The idea supposedly would be to stop the other team creating and then catch them on the break. In the first half we ‘only’ allowed them 12 shots on target and had to thank Harper for keeping us in the game. Jimmy Armfield commented on how well Carroll was doing but that he lacked any support and we surrendered possession to Blackpool far too easily. Playing up front on your own is a thankless task for even the most experienced forwards, never mind 2 youngsters learning their trade and one just back from injury the other from a long summer of football with little or no break from last season. All pre-season we played Nolan off the front man. Its a position which suits him and he has an eye for goal, but in our last 2 games we have played Guthrie in the more advanced role??? Guthrie is, along with Barton, our most creative midfielder, with a decent pass and vision when playing deep and more central. Barton playing wide left or right is a waste. He is not involved enough and is never going to run past the full back and put a cross in. Barton and Guthrie should have played in centre midfield, with Taylor wide right and Lovenkrands/Lua Lua on the left and Nolan supporting the front man. We had absolutely no pace on the field last night until too late and these negative tactics almost force the opposition to come at you. Our squad, whilst I would welcome 2 or 3 new additions, is stronger (as in quality) and as big as most of the teams we will come up against this year.
One other thing, if players are tiring and we need fresh legs why do we always take off the younger players. Again last night it was Guthrie and Taylor. Is CH afraid to upset some of the ‘leaders’ by giving them a rest?