Blackpool 2 – 1 Liverpool

Posted on January 13, 2011
Filed Under Blackpool FC, DJ Campbell | Leave a Comment

Wow, another great result and this time at home! It’s an amazing feat to beat Liverpool twice this season, even with Liverpool’s problems over the past 6 months. Not only was it great to beat Liverpool twice but last night was much needed home win, the first time this season we’ve come from behind to win and three points from a game-in-hand.

The returning Elliot Grandin added shape to our side and we looked much more in control in midfield even with Liverpool matching up 5 players in midfield.

It certainly allowed Gary Taylor-Fletcher to be much more effective in his role and he took his goal brilliantly. It was also great to see Fletch celebrate by honoring Richard Butcher his ex-teammate who passed away recently.

It was a relief to see use getting back into the game with Fletcher’s goal after conceding early on. A few times this season out heads had dropped after conceding the first goal of the game. It was a great strike by Torres, but once again our shape on the left side wasn’t great with Crainey exposed and out of position.

Once the equaliser went it there was only going to be one team winning the match. DJ should have grabbed a goal in the first half but was in the right place in the second half to secure the winner. His 7th goal this season and his 5th in as many games, he’s on fire at the moment. Once again his goal was a strike in the box, no time to think, which seems to suite him rather than 1 on 1 situations.

As the dust slowly settles focus has to be on the next match following up this result with another win against one of the bottom teams. West Brom will be tough test, this time around we’re not going to be given a two man advantage, and the Albion are desperate for a win after 5 defeats on the bounce.

What ever happens this weekend, this will be a week to remember!

Sunderland 0 – 2 Blackpool

Posted on December 28, 2010
Filed Under Blackpool FC, DJ Campbell | Leave a Comment

Wow, another amazing performance and win number 5 of the year on the road. With 17 played we’re on 25 points. For anybody at the game today or able to see the stats you’ll see we rode our luck a little, a few great saves from Richard Kingston and a few misses from Gyan & Bent.

The enforced change to bring on Matty Phillips ended up being a great move with him winning the corner and putting in the cross for the second. He also had an amazing run in the first half wich nearly resulted in a goal for DJ.

And how well did DJ play, grabbing two goals but also creating our two other efforts on goal. He’s really coming into form now with three goals in two games. I do love the bite the badge celebration, it’s the new way to kiss the badge!

Soccer - Barclays Premier League - Sunderland v Blackpool - Stadium of Light

As for a man of the match today there was too many to choose from, Kingston, Evatt, Cathcart, Crainey, Vaughan, Sylvestre and Campbell all having storming games.

We now have three full days till the City game, then too many games in too few days. Here’s looking forward to it!

Pool 2 – 1 WBA – A win’s a win!

Posted on November 3, 2010
Filed Under Blackpool FC, Charlie Adam | 3 Comments

It was a strange feeling at full time on Monday night, relief at getting the first home win of the season but also a slightly unfilled feeling from anther performance that lacked in comparison with other games this season.

Charlie Adam celebrates goal

It might have been slightly different performance if West Brom had kept 11 men on the park but  I’m not going to complain against playing 9 men.

No analysis on the match this week instead head over to UpThePool, Tangerine Dreaming and Zonal Marking who have sliced and diced the stats about to conclude…

What’s important to remember is a win is a win, three points in the bag, points on the board etc etc.

Lets hope for a slightly better performance against Everton next week!

A one man team?

Posted on October 25, 2010
Filed Under Blackpool FC, Charlie Adam | Leave a Comment

Not the greatest of results at the weekend and not the greatest of performances. Things just didn’t click, that might have been our tactics, Birmingham’s formation or the players just not turning up. One player who just couldn’t get going was Charlie Adam.

Comparing Adam’s Saturday performance to his master class at Manchester City, he only managed 17 successful passes before going off with an ankle injury.

Vs Manchester City
Total passes 56
Successful passes 49
Successful passes 6
Assists 1

Vs Birmingham
Total passes 19
Successful passes 17
Successful passes 2

He did however manage two shots against Birmingham, one wide and one on target. Against Manchester City he fired three shots wide and one on target which Joe Hart tipped over the bar.

What was interesting is that Birmingham lined up with two upfront, Zigic and O’Conner, with Helb just behind the two thus occupying the space Adam normally operates in. As a result we can see Birmingham won their fair share of tackles in the Blackpool half. O’Conner made 10 tackles winning 3, while Zigic made 9 tackles and won 7.

What we really needed on Saturday was a player to get hold of the ball in the middle, pass it about, make a few runs. Many were calling for the introduction of Grandin. We could have done with Barry Ferguson who made 63 passes, all successful.

After Ollie’s praise for McLeish’s tactics it will be interesting to see if other sides try a similar formation.

Pool 2 – 3 Manchester City

Posted on October 17, 2010
Filed Under Blackpool FC, Charlie Adam, Craig Cathcart, DJ Campbell, Elliot Grandin, Gary Taylor-Fletcher, Ian Evatt, Luke Varney, Marlon Harewood, Matt Gilks | 4 Comments

To have an overriding feeling of disappointment after a 3-2 defeat to Manchester City shows us how far we’ve come and the quality of today’s performance. There’s also an overriding feeling of pride for the team and the club again for matching up to a team that cost over 100 times more and get paid many thousands more. It shows that money isn’t everything.

In the end as one City fan on the train home put it “Silva was the diference…”, which promoted the reply from myself, “yes and the other £300 million pounds worth of players”. That bit of class and ability to get efforts on target proved the difference.

The starting 11 was the same as the Liverpool match with Cathcart and Gilks recovering from knocks. We started really well in the first half but City had the real 1st chance when Gilks tipped a Johnson shot over the top. After that it was a case of us trying and then failing to hit the target with Varney, Adam and Campbell all having great chances test out Hart, who had a great reception on his return.

We carried on in the second period as we had started and could…should…maybe had a goal from Gary Taylor-Fletcher but for a flag happy lino. Watching a couple of times more, it looked like the lino was keeping his flag down until Grandin reached for the ball. That should have been irrelevant as DJ Campbell should had hit the back of the net 1 on 1 with Joe Hart.

Tevez who had been quiet all first half then popped up to flick the opening goal, I’m sure standing a yard off side helped him to get infront of Cathcart. Marlon grabbed the equaliser from a cracking ball in from Charlie Adam, a deserved goal.

Glad All Over had just finished and then Tevez grabbed his second, once again Ian Evatt being fouled / knocked off the ball to loose possession. Thats happened a few too many times now, Fulham’s first goal was the same when he was bundled over in the run up to the goal.

Silva grabbed a great third jinking past two of our defenders and slotted into the far corner giving Gilks no chance, no complaints. Our second made the score reflective of the performance and good to see another goal for Fletch, and assit for Varney.

The initial disappointment tonight should turn to pride over the coming days, we once again impressed and surly won over the neutrals watching on Sky. Hopefully we’ll get some more points on the board next week at Birmingham so we don’t have to look over our shoulders for another week!

Liverpool 1 – 2 Blackpool FT

Posted on October 3, 2010
Filed Under Blackpool FC, Charlie Adam, Craig Cathcart, DJ Campbell, Elliot Grandin, Gary Taylor-Fletcher, Luke Varney, Matt Gilks | 6 Comments

Wow, we managed to hang on in the second half and take all three points in an amazing afternoon of football at Anfield beating Liverpool 2-1. Yes we beat Liverpool 2-1!!!

Back to a strong line up with Campbell, Varney and GTF upfront, we were set out from the start to attack. The first half we had loads of possession and deserved the two goal lead.

Once again Varney cutting in from the flank won the pen, similar to the Newcastle game, same outcome from the spot from Charlie.

The second was a great breakaway goal with Varney hitting the back of the net. Let’s hope we have a pre agreed fee for him!

Second half Liverpool were always going to come at us, it was a puzzling decision for the foul and disappointing we let them take the kick quickly from which the grabbed one back.

After that the home side huffed and puffed but didn’t really test Gilks too much, bar one effort in injury time. Cole and Ngog ahold have scored with efforts they both put wide.

Soccer - Barclays Premier League - Liverpool v Blackpool - Anfield

We even nearly managed to grab a third on the break. Phillips did well at rightback, as did Keinen. However withs Baps injured and now injuries to Cathcart and Eardley it’s not looking good for our next match.

Once again Mike Jones was appalling as the man in Black. Gerrard, Meireles should have been booked with Kyrgiakos seeing red for a second booking.

Overall a really great day out, great performance and another big step towered survival.

edit : Seasiders podcast about the Liverpool game is live.

Liverpool V Blackpool

Posted on October 3, 2010
Filed Under Blackpool FC, Gary Taylor-Fletcher | 4 Comments

After a weeks holiday in Mexico it’s back to action with a trip to one of the big boys, Liverpool. There’s no doubting the history of the club but currently the team, well the whole club is suffering a downturn in fortunes so it doesn’t seem as big of a match compared to a couple of seasons ago.

Currently third from bottom, winning one and losing two at home this game for some Liverpool fans is seen as a must win for Hodgson’s team. Hodgson has still yet to convince the Liverpool fans with many calling for his head already.

Once again I’ll be just looking forward to a great day out but I do think we’ll grab a goal. For some crazy reason I think a 3-1 win with Gary Taylor-Fletcher grabbing a hattrick.

Much more likely we’ll lose 1-0 with a Gerrard pen given by of crap “homer” referee.

Newcastle United 0 – 2 Blackpool

Posted on September 12, 2010
Filed Under Blackpool FC, Charlie Adam, DJ Campbell, Luke Varney | 1 Comment

Whats a result, what a performance, what a day, what a game, what a season this is turning out to be. There’s no doubt today we weathered the storm and thanks to a man of the match performance from Matthew Gilks managed to keep ourselves in the match. But in truth for all the possession and chances Newcastle had they didn’t look like grabbing a goal.

We should have been 1 up earlier on when DJ missed a one-on-one, something that happend last year when we went to lose 4-1. The goal was deserved from a great move from the loanee Varney drawing the foul from Smith.

After 20 mins in the second half it was clear to see that with Newcastle coming forward we would have chances on the break. We took our time but DJ took his chance with a awesome finish!

DJ campebell goal at newcastle

It was great to see both goals celebrated with a reference to Gary Parkinson who’s currently in hospital after a stroke, hopefully this result will do something to aid is recovery!

So seven points in the bag, 4th in the league, and another huge step today to survival!

Vote for Charlie!

Posted on September 6, 2010
Filed Under Blackpool FC, Charlie Adam | Leave a Comment

We only two weeks left to register their vote for Charlie Adam to be named North West player of the year.

Adam will battle it out against Andrew Lonergan for the prestigious title, voted for by supporters, at this year’s MBNA North West Football Awards.

Head over to http://www.northwestfootballawards.co.uk/index.php/your-vote/, to vote!

Voting closes on 19 September 2010.

DJ Campbell Blackpool number ….9….nope..19….nope…39

Posted on August 31, 2010
Filed Under DJ Campbell, Transfer News | Leave a Comment

There was never any doubt that DJ Campbell was going to sign, it was like Wes all over again, we were always going to get him it just took a little time to secure the deal.

Looking over his stats from the two loan spells 20 goals in 38 games which pretty decent. All that remains is where to play him? we played with four attacking players last week, could we have five?

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