 | Your
Report | Your Report added at 23:40:20
We've been proud of this team throughout the season and rightly so. Unlike to what we had to endure under Magilton, Keane and Jewell players seem to be wanting to play for the shirt. Take that factor out and what else can we offer? Not much. We're really harmless and that proved to be the case today.
Yet another baffling team selection from Mick and first half brought back all nightmares of Jewell era. I wonder whether he was in the dressing room to set the team up. Except Chaplow and Varney rest of our players seemed to lack passion and we made so many stupid errors. Add to this frightening lack of quality.
We were architects of our downfall today. Our worst enemies. There was literally nothing in the game when Fryers gave the ball way and Wells duly utilised this gift.
Murphy wasted a glorious chance as after rounding Smithies their defender clear the ball off the line. Except that no threat from us.
Second goal was ridiculous too. You can see goals like that on the training pitch. Perfect header from Vaughan as he was unmarked. Shocking defending.
0-2 at half time against the opposition who have had nothing to play for. Performance brimmed with individual errors from us + terrible defensive lapses. One of the worst games from us I've ever seen.
And what did Mick do? Two changes and one of them in taking Chaplow off and leaves terrible Tabb on was astonishing as former was our best player. The only good thing was taking that horrible donkey Wood off.
Bizarrelly it was Tabb who delivered the ball to Varney that ended up with the goal. We were full of hopes but it was clear to see we sadly lacked quality. Horrible hoofing and completely unable to make simple passes that could have unlocked their defence.
Big ovation when Williams was introduced. Unfortunately he seemed unfit and not the same player we know. Unlike the first half we had a few attacking minded players in the second one but we lacked organisation and tactical thought throughout. Total chaos.
Loads of Town fans including myself were far from happy with Fryers' performance. He had a mare indeed and I'm not going to spend the time to slate him. Why? Because other players had a bad day too and Tommy Smith gets away with his long catalogue of horror mistakes since January as some people keep defending him.
The rest of defence was poor too. Chambers dear me he was shocking too. Completely useless and inaccurate even in hoofing. The day to forget for him without a shadow of doubt.
Skuse? Scared of ball, unable to make a good pass....... but he gets away with that as this is his role on the pitch isn't it?
Tabb - very poor. In the first half he kept giving away the ball every time he got it.
Chaplow and Varney - players who wanted it most today. Unwanted at their parent clubs so they're fighting to win a contract with us.
Murphy - he looks totally jaded and knackered. Really harmless except that one chance in the first half.
Sears and Wood. This is what truly annoyed me. When the f**k McCarthy is going to understand that Sears HAS TO START EVERY GAME? He's earned the place in the starting '11' yet for some reason Mick doesn't see that. What was his reasoning in leaving Sears on the bench? Huddersfield had one day less to rest than us so don't fathom why he didn't start.
As for Wood this useless donkey can go back to Leicester for me. Total waste of space and little wonder Leicester don't need him in their relegation battle. He's done literally sod all since arriving.
The conclusion is obvious after what we've seen today as WE AREN'T GOOD ENOUGH. We had a 'perfect' opponent today to play. The opponent who had nothing to play for and less time to recover after weekend games than us. Yet we lacked quality throughout to cause them real problems. If you want to make top 6 you need to be beating teams like them.
Probably everyone has a Blackpool game as an 'sure win' in their league calculators. The funny thing is that if we beat them people will keep screaming that we're back in it, we have a chance to make play-offs. The reality is that we aren't good enough no matter if we somehow get top 6 place.
It's quite depressing. We sat firmly 2nd at New Year. We knew what was required to have a chance to sustain it and now even 6th place is drifting away but I'm not surprised at all. You can't rely on dreadful hoofing all the time. 'Sometimes' we need different solutions particularly from midfielders, we need plan B and C. |
| Your
Report | Cardiff City v Reading Your Report added at 15:42:47
Late report from me as I was busy last night.
This was kind of a win you'll never forget. Utter horror with happy end. Games like this stick in your memory for ages. You'd never anticipate that while watching first half. It was so, so dreadful from us. Depressive hoofball and we carried no threat whatsoever. There were some hopes though for better things prior to the game when we found out our line-up. With Tunnicliffe being moved into the middle and Tabb being placed on left wing we expected much better display.
Blackpool central backs Broadfoot and MacKenzie were a bunch of lethargic and sluggish donkeys so it was really frightening that we were unable to make a threat. Edwards didn't offer anything as a right winger but he had also no support in Skuse at all. The latter played as a right back in the first half and his contribution reminded me Tom Eastman playing in the same position under Keane which is being placed in the same line with central backs with total lack of intention going forward.
Tunnicliffe had a real chance to score after 20 minutes, his shot went wide though. Yes there was a deflection but Tunnicliffe still should have scored.
That was our solitary opportunity in very poor first half from us. The goal we conceded was disgusting from our point of view. Utterly careless defending. Their midfielder had a Skuse's 'permission' to make ideal cross into the box and Dobbie had a freedom of space. Easy simple header and you won't find that kind of defending in lower leagues let alone Championship. Disgusting defending which summed us up in the first half. Abject, poor, real despair. One of the Town fans I spoke with at half time cried for Taylor, Hunt and Wordsworth to come on in order to start attacking. It was a typical Town from recent weeks. Defensive approach with little threat. Such poor and despairing was it some Town fans around me were taking a piss by urging our players to hoof.
Two changes made by Mick at half time. Hyam finally taken off, 4-3-3 in the second half with McGoldrick moved back into the midfield, Skuse back into the middle too whereas Edwards was playing a right back.
First 15 minutes of the second half were a bit better from us albeit only one chance where Chambers' header went close. As the game went on we were getting better and better. In Tunnicliffe and particularly McGoldrick we had a pair of real accelerators. How different it was to watching Hyam-Skuse combination in last many, many weeks. McGoldrick was an artist and creator of our equaliser. Long run with the ball, fend their defenders off then passed the ball to Nouble who went into the box and scored.
Not only did we have a positive change in midfield we also had a pace in Taylor and Nouble. Really new good looking Town team.
It was 50-50 game after our equaliser. We never sat back and defended the draw. We were lively, adventurous and that is what I was crying out for ages. Attacking spirit.
Berra went off injured after 71 minutes replaced by debutant Hunt. The latter went to play as a left back perhaps for the first time in his career and young Mings moved into the central defence.
6 minutes towards the end Taylor scored his first goal for us from edge of area. Huge joy among Town's 600 travelling army.
Moment later a few boos from them as Chopra came on the pitch.
Final few minutes were so nervy and nail-biting. 90 minutes passed and cries from our end to the referee to blow his whistle off but the real drama was still coming.
One of the last desperate Blackpool attacks brought them an equaliser. Yet again mistake of our defenders as Davies was completely unmarked. Real resignation in Town end. Everyone was in desbelief. I never heard any swearings as the silence was stunning. Real kick in teeth as our first away win was gone. A few Blackpool fans approached our end with their fists hitting an air.
Surprisingly there was no resignation from Town players and they came back to attack with few seconds left. Hunt's impressing shot was headed for a corner by their defender and that was it I thought. Then from the corner and Taylor's pass Murphy headed in and total madness in our end. Moments you relish which will remain in a memory for a long time.
For me that goal and circumstances of the win were a perfect revenge for last seasons 0-6 defeat at the same ground. The horror which I had also witnessed.
The conclusion is obvious for me. If Mick sticks with an attacking approach from second half then we'll make a progress and have every chance of achieving top 6. If he returns to boring, defensive displays with Hyam-Skuse stuck in 4-4-2 then mediocrity is going to continue.
Hyam??? Hmmmm...... not going to slate him as he's not a bad player but he isn't suited to attacking system. He's the wrong player if we're going to attack. Yes he was a regular in Micks recover mission last season but we no longer need to play cautiously like we did last year as we are nowhere near relegation worries. Last season went for good and we have different targets this time. If we're to play defensively then he's spot on for that. Otherwise he isn't suited. Even though he didn't play too badly in defensive aspect he still kept slowing down our every attempt to go forward or he hoofed pointlessly. He was replaced after half time. Myself and a few other people were calling for him to be dropped for many weeks and we saw a perfect answer in the second half. An acceleration and speed in McGoldrick and Tunnicliffe.
No acceleration in Skuse though but he had other duties to do as a midfielder.
What else can I say? We've got to do everything to extend Tunnicliffe's loan beyond January as not only does he offers a pace in midfield he also seems to be hungry for each ball.
Mick please please please !!! Forget the approach from last weeks. We have the players who could do a good job in midfield/attack. Taylor could become a gem for us. Perhaps he could do a wide job. Likewise Hunt.
Tom Ince had a really quiet day yesterday given his standards therefore Mings wasn't really tested. Given his age and lack of experience he had a reasonable game.
Taylor and Nouble gave us a pace upfront in second half. The latter had been heavily criticised even by myself prior to yesterdays game but he worked well, chased every ball and his contribution was second to none.
Unimaginable thriller. You've got to see it to believe it. Really memorable game with such magnificent end. It will certainly be placed in a 'gallery' of memorable games. |
| | Mach_foreignBlue
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