[Archived] Blackpool vs. Blackburn Rovers- Saturday 26/10/13 3pm.

[FGS5635]

Nearly all our midfield and strikers have had stick at various times this year. We cant play that killer ball, we cant unlock defences, we cant hold it up, bowyer got his tactics wrong bla bla, but our glaring issue is we simply cant keep clean sheets. Until that improves it doesn't matter if we have dunn, rochina, shearer or tugay. We simply have to concede less somehow.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

Nearly all our midfield and strikers have had stick at various times this year. We cant play that killer ball, we cant unlock defences, we cant hold it up, bowyer got his tactics wrong bla bla, but our glaring issue is we simply cant keep clean sheets. Until that improves it doesn't matter if we have dunn, rochina, shearer or tugay. We simply have to concede less somehow.

A decent referee would help - love to see that first penalty again.

[thenodrog]

Firstly it was a disgrace to get into the stadium almost 10 minutes after kick off considering that I got there at 2.50. Everyone had to queue around the block to have their tickets checked by a couple of stewards, and then go in and use a further electronic turnstile.

I spoke to people who went and who complained bitterly about that. Just 4 turnstiles and individual body searches causing people who turned up in good time missing a significant chunk of the match is a case for a letter of complaint to the relevent authorities and a cc to both clubs accompanied by a demand to Blackpool FC for a partial refund. Blackpool knew full well how many tickets they had sold, couldn't cope and didn't provide adequate facilities.

Unfortunately they probably don't know any different cos I found out many years ago that queuing is the norm in that hellhole.

[FGS5635]

A decent referee would help - love to see that first penalty again.

2 clean sheets in 13 games isn't down to referees though

Dingles have 7 in 13 which shows what their success is built on

[thenodrog]

I didn't see Best getting booked at all, I'd think there will be consequences to the tunnel brawl though.

Won't that be a police matter? My understanding is that the ref's responsiblity begins and ends on the pitch.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

I haven't read the thread but just having got home, today was appalling all round for me.

Rovers for me were generally garbage. I'm beginning to have a general rethink with regards to Kean and Rhodes.

Blackpools' second goal was a shocker from a defensive and Kean perspective. Narrow the angle? He needs to buck up!

Rhodes was atrocious again today for me. I've supported him to the hilt previously but he does need to up his game and contribute much more if he has serious aspirations to be a good 'un.

The day in a shithole was just that and the train journey home did nothing to reaffirm a positive belief in the human race!

So much for previous positive thinking!

Rhodes is a goal scoring machine - and offers little else - it has always been the case, and is one reason why I have always wondered whether we would be better off (from an overall team perspective) selling him (a difficult decision for any manager - as the most difficult thing in football is scoring goals).

Didn't think we were garbage - on the whole I thought we looked the better team - this playing against a team with a good defensive record, who are currently higher in the table than us. We lack a cutting edge at times - but I think you have to give some credit to a well drilled, physical Blackpool defence (any team playing with 10 men behind the ball - at home ! - is going to be difficult to break down).

Funniest thing I heard - was a reporter on Radio Wave (Blackpool local radio) - saying how Blackpool should have won - and were the better team thoughout (made me laugh anyway).

[thenodrog]

Rovers for me were generally garbage. I'm beginning to have a general rethink with regards to Kean and Rhodes.

Blackpools' second goal was a shocker from a defensive and Kean perspective. Narrow the angle? He needs to buck up!

Rhodes was atrocious again today for me. I've supported him to the hilt previously but he does need to up his game and contribute much more if he has serious aspirations to be a good 'un.

I'm not. I'm not being smarmy but their failings are there for all those to see who haven't got blue and white specs welded to their faces..

[arbitro]

One thing that stood out was how appalling Scott Dann is with the ball, he either hoofs it forward or plays a hospital pass to one of the midfield, complete donkey. I'd play Hanley and Killganon when he's back.

And yesterday he was dominated in the air by Fuller. I wouldn't expect a centre back to win every aerial challenge but Dann was poor yesterday.

[thenodrog]

I was sat in the Blackpool end where the DJ incident happened, Best was only on the pitch to drag Campbell away and stop him getting into further trouble. The whole thing was started by the Blackpool defender, but admittedly Campbell reacted, but he didn't have much choice.

I wasn't impressed with the rovers players reactions, to a man they hid away from it. (Apart from best) It's no wonder we were totally out muscled al game by their defence we've no steel in the team.

I call it displaying maturity and professionalism. The result is more important than DJ Campbell having a ruck with a few opposing players. It's only the equivalent of a primary school playground spat, no one ever gets hurt cos no one ever lands a punch or a boot.

Have you considered that whilst Campbell got sent off but if things had really kicked off and Best had stayed away then Bpool could easily have been down to 9 or even 8. Alternatively if our players had got involved then we too could have been down to less than 10. It's not rocket science.

[arbitro]

They never do fight though do they? It's all just handbag swinging by a bunch of overpaid puffs. if rumours are correct the days of Todd seeking retribution in the opponents dressing room after the match and the likes of Billy Whitehurst scrapping for recreational purposes and Tommy Smith bouncing in his own club in Livvie are long gone.

In refereeing over 1000 games Billy Whitehurst was without doubt the toughest player I came across. I saw him do something to himself once on the pitch that brought tears to my eyes.

[AggyBlue]

Haven't had a problem at Blackpool before but I parked up at 2pm on one of the nearby car parks. Walked straight to the ground from there but didn't get on until 20 minutes into the game. Huge queues at the car park ticket machine and a humongous queue at he turnstiles (shades of Carlisle many moons ago).

Not much between the teams, all we need is consistency and clean sheets (as someone else has said) and we could be up where Blackpool are.

[den]

Nearly all our midfield and strikers have had stick at various times this year. We cant play that killer ball, we cant unlock defences, we cant hold it up, bowyer got his tactics wrong bla bla, but our glaring issue is we simply cant keep clean sheets. Until that improves it doesn't matter if we have dunn, rochina, shearer or tugay. We simply have to concede less somehow.

One of the biggest reasons we don't keep clean sheets is because we don't keep possession for long enough. That's what the whole discussion about Rhodes's shortcomings is all about. There are others just as responsible admittedly, but if the other team have more possession, they're likely to score goals. Every team member is responsible for defending, not just the back four and keeper.

[arbitro]

Won't that be a police matter? My understanding is that the ref's responsiblity begins and ends on the pitch.

There appears to be some confusion about Best yesterday. From afar I definitely saw him cautioned by the referee but after that I didn't see him in the bench. If he was taken away by the police that would have been for a civil matter. Normally the police will stay away from player misconduct and let the officials deal with it. And we could have done with Best on the pitch instead of putting the hapless Dann as a striker.

[thenodrog]

Kean is nowhere near as good as Robbo. One clean sheet all season suggests that we have serious defensive problems. No one to bark instructions, lack of quality in front of back four. Basics need to be sorted if we are to challenge for top 6.

He is the first port of call to be replaced.

btw I'm at a loss to comprehend this but can anybody explain the logic of the numpty pack switching seamlessly from driving MGP out to now trying to do the same with Jason Lowe ............. whilst Kean remains in the sticks? I've no doubt Freud would have had a field day analysing their actions.

[FGS5635]

We haven't had a clean sheet away from home in the league since Eric Black was in charge

That is a quite staggering stat

[thenodrog]

I wouldn't disagree with that although I do wonder how long Robinson has been suffering from back problems. For me Robinson's greatest weakness is his near post - he concedes far too many goals in that area. Having said that, I do believe that we need to find an alternative to Kean if only to keep the lad on his toes. I suspect he knows that Eastwood is unlikely to shift him and although we have a very promising young Spanish 'keeper, the lad is too young to put in the first team. We really ought to have paid £1 million for the Polish lad we had last season rather than taking Eastwood on a free. Blackpool's second goal today was really very poor - although the outfield players hardly covered themselves in glory in the build up to the goal.

From what I've seen recently Kean is having a crisis of confidence in his ability and his team mates are having a crisis of confidence in him! He badly needs to be taken off the front line until his confidence can be repaired. Problem is we dont appear to have a valid option.

To me, kean has seemed nervous rather than complacent. I am never confident that he is going to make a save or claim a cross and i don't think he is. But he is young for a keeper and i expect his decision making to improve. Robbo is not the answer in my opinion - anything hard and low was in

On another point i am not chuffed about the little groups within our team. For example best getting on well with dj but clearly not rhodes. If rhodes and best played close together then, like we had with gallagher and sutton, best could provide some useful knock downs for rhodes. As it is they play so far apart that the efforts of one rarely create for the other. It's like2 lone strikers. Generally i think best lacks maturity and intelligence as well as ability. Shame we are stuck with him

Blackpools goal was soft and low.

btw Re: your last point rumours abounded that Shearer and Sutton weren't exactly best of pals.

[Jock]

In refereeing over 1000 games Billy Whitehurst was without doubt the toughest player I came across. I saw him do something to himself once on the pitch that brought tears to my eyes.

Big Billy didn't think much of his team mate Andy ' i'm Burnleh ' Payton.

Whitehurst used to fight gypsies for abit of extra cash.

[chaddyrovers]

here are some pictures of incident between DJ and 3 Blackpool players. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2477362/Blackpool-2-Blackburn-Rovers-2--match-report-Last-gasp-goal-hands-point-10-man-Rovers.html

these pictures shows that Blackpool show have had 2 players sent off at least

[thenodrog]

One of the biggest reasons we don't keep clean sheets is because we don't keep possession for long enough. That's what the whole discussion about Rhodes's shortcomings is all about. There are others just as responsible admittedly, but if the other team have more possession, they're likely to score goals. Every team member is responsible for defending, not just the back four and keeper.

Exactly and the case for the prosecution was given totally on MoTD by Robbie Savage who was criticising Crystal Palace's Maurouan Chamakh for the self same reasons that we criticise Jordan Rhodes. One could have used Sav's voice over and run a video of JR's performances. Sad thing is that Rhodes's weaknesses are so so easy for him to work on and improve.

[FGS5635]

Sad thing is that Rhodes's weaknesses are so so easy for him to work on and improve.

That's what frustrates me with Rhodes as he hasn't improved in them areas since being at rovers. He holds defenders off fine in the penalty area when their is a chance of a goal, yet he's pushed off it with ease in general play

[Tom]

I think if you replaced Best with Dunn or a more popular player he wouldn't be getting the same abuse

I remember Jason brown once getting invovled to help out Pedersen at Newcastle Habib Beye I think it was looked terrified

[Hasta]

He is the first port of call to be replaced.  

 

btw I'm at a loss to comprehend this but can anybody explain the logic of the numpty pack switching seamlessly from driving MGP out to now trying to do the same with Jason Lowe ............. whilst Kean remains in the sticks?  I've no doubt Freud would have had a field day analysing their actions.

Noone has mentioned Lowe on here. Although now you have, why did he just back off and let the guy shoot for the 2nd goal Needs to close down quicker. I highlighted this flaw after the charlton game.

[JAL]

And yesterday he was dominated in the air by Fuller. I wouldn't expect a centre back to win every aerial challenge but Dann was poor yesterday.

Maybe the time has come for GB to stamp his mark on the team and drop the hapless over rated Scott Dann for the next game especially after hes cost us a goal against Charlton and now Blackpool plus others.

[Amo]

According to someone who won't be named Sparky Marky, Best and Dann are our strongest players in their respective positions. The mind boggles.

[rovers11]

Rhodes is a goal scoring machine - and offers little else - it has always been the case, and is one reason why I have always wondered whether we would be better off (from an overall team perspective) selling him (a difficult decision for any manager - as the most difficult thing in football is scoring goals).

Didn't think we were garbage - on the whole I thought we looked the better team - this playing against a team with a good defensive record, who are currently higher in the table than us. We lack a cutting edge at times - but I think you have to give some credit to a well drilled, physical Blackpool defence (any team playing with 10 men behind the ball - at home ! - is going to be difficult to break down).

Funniest thing I heard - was a reporter on Radio Wave (Blackpool local radio) - saying how Blackpool should have won - and were the better team thoughout (made me laugh anyway).

I actually agree with you about Rhodes. Absolute quality goalscorer but literally offers nothing else. Bit like a Darren bent type player. Does nothing but will score you a goal. Whenever the ball gets played up to Rhodes he loses and we are on the back foot. If we got £10m-£12m I would be very tempted to sell. Buy someone like becchio for £3m and lot less wages; a player that can score 20+ goals in this league and offers much more in terms of all round play. I'm not convinced a prem team will pay £10m+ for Rhodes.