Blackpool match fred sponsored by a mouldy tangerine

[strap]

I agree with this apart from the bits about the new owners. Hands tied their I'm afraid and i'm sure we will grow to like them as time goes on. I'm sure there is nothing else they could have done since they arrived.

Sack Clarke and appoint Dolan or Lambert and i'll love them forever Clarke just doesn't seem to have any method in the market, he has no managerial pedigree and I fear next season will be lost if we let this guy carry on and trust him to re-build in the summer.

I also think it was the right decision to sack Adkins.

Sadly I am might be privy to a bit more info regarding the property interests of the latest consortium than perhaps you might be. That aside, cannot disagree with your 2nd or 3rd paras.

[nailseabiscuitman]

Bftg and not really sure about some of the remarks on here. Think people are letting the players off really lightly and blaming the manager instead. The team we put out , with the right attitude, was good enough to win that game. Sadly, it appears that some of them either think we are safe and are in holiday mode, or know they won't be around next season and so what !. Gunter was nowhere near as bad as some are trying to make out, it was McCleary giving him absolutely no help at all which was where the fault lay on that side of the pitch. Knight alongside him made me nervous each time he was near the ball and the penalty was all his own work. Obita just hasn't kicked on as a fullback and if he wants to be a winger will have to learn how to beat a man and then get in a decent cross. Ake looked class but midfield was very lightweight, Norwood seemed a good buy at first but can see why Huddersfield were happy to get rid. Yak, well, just not the right type of player for our system and felt sorry for Appian. Worked hard, but never really got the type of service he would thrive on. The substitutions were spot on, so a plus mark for Clarke there. But the obvious fly in the ointment was BFC. They worked hard, put in some cracking corners, and had the man of the match in Perkins. They played for pride and probably as though a weight had been lifted from their shoulders.

[poohs pure]

When did we last win at Bloomfield Road? Stattos?

By my reckoning it's a good 5-6 years.

11 August 2001, so nearly 14 years.

A memorable trip.

Terrible weather and I lost my car keys in the Pleasure Beach; on the Sunday I blogged a hire car (despite not having my drivers licence with me) drove down from Blackpool to High Wycombe, broke into the house I was living in to get the spare keys, then drove back to Blackpool to deliver the hire car and get my car, before then driving back down to Wycombe - some 680 miles driving all in torrential rain!

Steve? That has to be you right? Tried to PM you but couldn't for some reason!

Ex Tilehurst ender, with a mate that always used to read the guardian?

[RFCUK]

No back from the game thread?

I personally thought that we were rather woeful last night, and if you were a neutral, or non-football fan, you would have struggled to guess which side was bottom of the league and recently relegated, and I'm sure if you had to chose, then you would have said Reading.

Some pretty alarming wholesale changes, for reasons I'm not really too sure of? Far too much chopping and changing from game to game. Let's try and build some confidence and consistency and kick off from there.

Our first shot on target came around five minutes from the half, straight at the keeper. And other than the (own) goal I can't remember another test for their keeper. Though to be fair, there wasn't much to trouble Feds either.

Blackpool would try and pass the ball between themselves, moving up the pitch, putting pressure on us. We would simply try the long ball up the field, and nine times out of ten it never worked out.

Zat Knight was fantastic for comedy values, I think he's the new Gorkks - an entertaining liability. Maybe the game is a little too fast for him?

Visible bickering between Pearce and Norwood, after a Blackpool player was allowed to make a decent run forward and get a shot off.

Feds - 7
Gunter - 6
Knight - 4
Pearce - 7
Obita - 5
McCleary - 6 (Mackie - 8 - instant impact)
Norwood - 5
Aké - 6
Robson-Kanu - 6
Yakubu - 6 (Cox - 6)
Appiah - 6 (Pog - 8 - worked hard and a fantastic run for his goal, starting to warm to him)

RFC Fans - 7
Referee - 4

[ladida_gunner_graham]

Feds - 7
Gunter - 6
Knight - 4
Pearce - 7
Obita - 5
McCleary - 6 (Mackie - 8 - instant impact)
Norwood - 5
Aké - 6
Robson-Kanu - 6
Yakubu - 6 (Cox - 6)
Appiah - 6 (Pog - 8 - worked hard and a fantastic run for his goal, starting to warm to him)

I wasn't at the game, so was guided by Dellor/Gooding (possibly a mistake) and the reviews in the papers this morning, but these scores seem a little on the generous side. An average of 6 across the squad? Was it a better performance than we'd been led to believe?

[Angry Shed Sex]

Well, I tried to get to the game. Left Billericay at 3:30 but just got onto the M6 at 6:15 and gave up at that point.

Opted for MK Dons/Scunthorpe instead. Scunthorpe reminded me of a lot of Reading. 2-0 down after 5 minutes. MK Dons played some good stuff. Scunthorpe didn't get a sniff and looked completely disinterested. They obviously can't wait for the season to end. I have that same feeling.

We all knew before the game that we're going to have to write off the next couple of weeks. We need the fittest squad we can get for Wembley. None of what Clarke did particularly surprised me but then he's just a bit meh as a manager.

I, like Strap, am apprehensive about our Wembley trip. I will use what I like to call the "Simod Strategy" which I deployed spectacularly successfully in 1988 which involved drinking so much alcohol I couldn't remember most of the game or the journey home.

[Eaststandman]

Yo Strap, just exactly how much time would have been sufficient for Adkins?

[Samrfc01]

Some craking Meltdowns in here.

Bluddy Hell, did anyone seriously expect us to beat Blackpool? It's exactly the sort of game that we never win.

Some people need to calm the feck down and treat this season for what it is, an absolute write off.

Oh and to those calling for Clarke to be sacked already, you really need to re-evaluate your life.

[tee peg]

The highlight of this season will be the pre season tour in the Far East.

[Rollerbob]

Some craking Meltdowns in here.

Bluddy Hell, did anyone seriously expect us to beat Blackpool? It's exactly the sort of game that we never win.

Some people need to calm the feck down and treat this season for what it is, an absolute write off.

Oh and to those calling for Clarke to be sacked already, you really need to re-evaluate your life.

This. Mainly that last sentence.

[Millsy]

Yes this season is a total f**kup and yes we are utter sh*t. I'm not defending anyone. But let's get some perspective here.

Did we seriously expect half-arsed players playing out a pointless season with only the upcoming drubbing at Wembley to look forward to to suddenly come out all guns blazing and demolish a pressure free relegated side at home?

Our season has been an utter failure. Fans know it, players know it. Not even sure why I bothered to listen last night. But don't blame the team at all for being sh*t when, to be fair, they've been sh*t all season. Why the sudden outcry by BBCRB and some fans?? Truly perplexing.

[International Royal]

First away game for a while. Short trip from the Lake District.

Terrible game and first doubts on Clarke. I realise the limitations imposed on him and what he took over. However, this was dire. This squad needs major surgery, the basics are poor. Get rid of the wasters. Clarke's reliance on old pros is another concern. Knight is non league standard. Akubu is overweight, slow and past it.

The better players have been the two on loan from Chelsea, I suppose that's a good thing.

Most irritating is our regular under performers. They need sorting out or shipping out - Cox, HRK, Blackman, Obita (never a left back in a million years), Norwood, Kelly, Pog, Akpan - that lot and a few others need to go. How many good games have the lot of them really had? The thing that irritates most is that lot probably think they're pretty good. How come we're 19th if that's the case?

The FAC has masked how bad we really are. I hope Clarke is the man to fix it. My first doubts are beginning...

[Snowball]

It's not really a surprise that Blackpool played with freedom
- it's common that relegated sides start to play a bit.

We sent a weakened side and when it looked like we might
get nothing, the manager made changes and we equalised.

IMO he did a perfect job, got the needed point, rested a few.

Knight may not have been great shakes (not played a lot recently) but
he allowed Hector to miss a game. Job done.

[leon]

Yes this season is a total f**kup and yes we are utter sh*t. I'm not defending anyone. But let's get some perspective here.

Did we seriously expect half-arsed players playing out a pointless season with only the upcoming drubbing at Wembley to look forward to to suddenly come out all guns blazing and demolish a pressure free relegated side at home?

Our season has been an utter failure. Fans know it, players know it. Not even sure why I bothered to listen last night. But don't blame the team at all for being sh*t when, to be fair, they've been sh*t all season. Why the sudden outcry by BBCRB and some fans?? Truly perplexing.

I would expect them to be improving and I would expect them to play with some commitment. This isn't happening.

[Ian Royal]

Yes this season is a total f**kup and yes we are utter sh*t. I'm not defending anyone. But let's get some perspective here.

Did we seriously expect half-arsed players playing out a pointless season with only the upcoming drubbing at Wembley to look forward to to suddenly come out all guns blazing and demolish a pressure free relegated side at home?

Our season has been an utter failure. Fans know it, players know it. Not even sure why I bothered to listen last night. But don't blame the team at all for being sh*t when, to be fair, they've been sh*t all season. Why the sudden outcry by BBCRB and some fans?? Truly perplexing.

I would expect them to be improving and I would expect them to play with some commitment. This isn't happening.

I also don't see the point in resting players in the easiest game with two still to go before Arsenal. Coz, you know, the strategy had worked so well against Watford and Huddersfield too. And if you are going to rest players and not give a toss about the result, play the bloody academy lads!

[RoyalBlue]

It's not really a surprise that Blackpool played with freedom
- it's common that relegated sides start to play a bit.

We sent a weakened side and when it looked like we might
get nothing, the manager made changes and we equalised.

IMO he did a perfect job, got the needed point, rested a few.

Knight may not have been great shakes (not played a lot recently) but
he allowed Hector to miss a game. Job done.

Who decided that it was just a point we needed? Even if we are safe fom relegation (mathematically not the case yet) Clarke publically stated that he wanted a strong finish to the season and to finish as high up the table as possible. He also stated that he would pick a team that could win at Blackpool. So rather than job done, it was a case of job cocked up, and by no means for the first time either. And why the hell did Clarke go for and now persist with has beens like Yakubu and Knight. There was a very good reason why Reading Football Club, kings of the low payers/cheap signings, were able to secure their services - no one else in their right minds wanted them!

[Platypuss]

SC on playing Knight over Cooper:

The incident was not the only difficult moment during the game for the former Fulham defender, but Clarke was quick to defend his performance following the stalemate.

“It wasn’t only Zat who had the misjudgments,” he said.

“I don’t know if you noticed but the ball seemed to go off in a lot of strange directions. It had a lot to do with the surface.

“I thought in the second half Zat was strong, he was determined and put in some great challenges.

“He hasn’t played much football recently and I thought this was a good game to play him.

“I could have played young Jake (Cooper) but I felt on that surface it could have been a nervy night for a young kid so I went with two experienced centre-backs.

“And with the exception of the first five minutes I thought we defended well.”


Why Karacan got no game time at all is very strange indeed, though.

[sandman]

Yes, why didn't the guy who has had serious ankle and knee injuries didn't play on that pitch? It's a mystery that may never be solved.

[Platypuss]

Yes, why didn't the guy who has had serious ankle and knee injuries didn't play on that pitch? It's a mystery that may never be solved.

Why put him on the bench then?