On Wednesday we play a game against a side i expect to be in the bottom eight. Imo others will be Brum, Hudders, Coventry, Wigan, Hull,Cardiff and possibly Reading. These are the games we need to get something from especially at home and i think we can edge this one.
Blackpool are currently in the top eight but are inconsistent. The table is very tight with four points separating 7th from 22nd position. Our home form has been strong and has to be if we are to have any chance of survival. Our defence of Hall,Wood and Humphreys looks like the preferred one and has been good. At Sunderland it was a changed back three that let the goals in i believe. A lack of creativity and fire power up front will always be our undoing as the season progresses. It looks like we have no natural goalscorer so the midfield have to score some. Wood has scored four and has been magnificent and will always be a threat from set pieces and corners.
I am going for a 2-1 win tonight but wouldn't be surprised if it was goalless. In Cuffy, Bramhall and Ogbene we have pace in the side. On a night like Wednesday i would play all three and get Blackpool pushed back. We can always bring Harding and Ferguson on if the two wide men tire. These are the games to get the handbrake off and go for it. Blackpool have not the quality offensively like Watford and Sunderland have, nor many others in this league
If we continue with the same level of performance from the previous home games we should be in for a positive result. Nothing to fear and a game i fancy us in.
May be a bit of a blessing going into this one a bit fresher having not played Sheffield United and perhaps escaping a bit of a thumping (for now anyway) as they are very good at home and we never beat them!
It's funny how labels stick. Reading a Blackpool forum, we are expected to be big and physical (although we must have the smallest front five in the division) and we are the sort of team that Blackpool like everyone else think they ought to be beating (despite us having lost one in seven in the league).
For no particular reason I think we will win it by the odd goal. Washington to get a goal his efforts deserve.
Excellent. There is a growing belief that we can compete in this division - and I mean amongst the playing staff as well as the supporters. Confidence is crucial and you can almost see the players relaxing and improving before your very eyes. The league table looks incredibly tight and it is still early days but realistically this start is as good as we could have hoped for. The big risk now is that one of the bigger clubs who panic and sack their manager (the likes of West Brom and Middlesbrough might be getting ready to squeeze the trigger if things dont improve) might come in for our manager. His stock must be very high.
A great result against a toothless Blackpool. They started better and had a couple of half chances in the first ten minutes. After that they never threatened our goal. I thought Barlaser just inched the Mom with Wood and Harding close. Wiles and Rathbone worked tirelessly in midfield and won most second balls. Washington had an off night and i feel he needs to get in the box more. You cannot knock his work rate though. Is Kelly the poacher we lack?. He certainly took his chance with aplomb as he did at Gillingham last season. Would still start with Washington and Ogbene but Kelly is pushing. If we do play Kelly from the start let's hope we don't resort to hoof ball aka Smiths reign.
I agree with Smiler about the start and see the players much more confident with the ball at their feet than last time we were in this division. I still think clubs like West Brom and Middlesboro feel they need a bigger name than Warne if they are to change managers.Thoroughly enjoyed last night as i am sure most fans did. Our squad looks much stronger this season in every area bar strikers. I hope we can get goals from all over like we currently are to keep us in this division.
Already seeing the changes and rectifying of mistakes from previous years. We are much more comfortable on the ball and feel more in control of games. Each win previously felt like we were clinging on for dear life but not this season. In years gone by we'd have shut up shop and hung on for a 1-0 but we feel like a different animal this time.
That was one of the most controlled / professional performances we have put in at this level for a very long time.
If Kelly has a little bit more self belief he will score goals , despite his large build he isn't a target man but more of a poacher / goal scorer.
I applaud the management and scouting team for getting Kelly in. They clearly saw potential and took a bit of a punt on him. He is still a bit raw but has got something about him, as they say, and seems to be an instinctive finisher. He also has a decent first touch and he looks much leaner than when he first came in. Exactly the sort of player we need to keep looking for. I also agree with Whiston that Washington could do with getting himself in the box and between the posts more, but there was an element of him 'softening up' Blackpool last night with his constant worrying and marrying of their back line. I think most fans see and appreciate that. I couldnt really care less if he doesnt score another goal all season as long as he plays his part in us getting more than fifty points!
