Where to from here?

Have you noticed the similarities in the way Pool and the current England side play? Both teams lack the ability to move the ball forward quickly and rely on passing sideways and backwards too many times without getting anywhere. Both have shaky defences and are suspect at set pieces, unable to mark properly and win headers. Players are getting picked, even though you know they are not good enough because there are no others coming through to take their place. I didn’t think I’d ever say this under Ian Holloway, but like Roy Hodgson’s side we are boring to watch and too predictable. Blackpool are carrying too many players who are well past their sell-by date. You would think after playing together for so long they would have an understanding with each other, but you’d be wrong. Yes, we have some talented young players, which is encouraging, but some of them lack consistency.

I realised our start to the season was a false dawn. Yes, we were getting the results, but apart from a couple of games I felt the scores flattered mediocre performances. Yet again today, against a managerless Burnley, we never looked like winning the game. Burnley are a typical mid-table championship side who have been leaking more goals than they have been scoring and yet they managed to prise open our defence time and time again and eke out 1-0 win. A score line made to look a lot closer than it was mainly thanks to a much improved performance by Matt Gilks.  We only looked half decent in last 20 minutes following the substitutions, but our efforts quickly dried up as the game petered out.

Ollie for me is a legend, but I am now for the first time wondering if his reign at Blackpool has run its course. The way we played, which excited everyone is fading fast. We have failed to strengthen a defence, which frankly has struggled since the premiership. The goals have dried up too. Where once we were scoring for fun, now we can’t even find the net. I just think we look like a side that’s lost its way and our slipping down the division will not help our confidence.