Signings? What signings.

Blackpool are on the verge of signing a number of quality players, some of which have premiership experience and who are delighted to be joining a club with first class facilities.

 

Yes, ok, that's the type of headline us seasiders fans would love to be reading, but as we know for that to happen it would take an enormous shift in policy from the man holding the purse-strings.

 

The chairman will be playing his own brand of poker when dealing with current/prospective player's ideas of what they're worth and more importantly what he is willing to pay. We've been down this path before and it always leads to a frustrating time. The manager becomes frustrated when the players he has persuaded to come decide not to when the chairman gets involved. The fans become more and more frustrated too, like me they usually bombard the Gazette, the fans websites and directly to the chairman himself. I know some fans from other clubs seem to admire the way KO runs the club and point out how well financially we are compared to other clubs. Yes, we know all that, but the financial position of the club was better secured when Ian Holloway got us in the premiership. I just think KO was very fortunate Ollie came along when he did.

 

The chairman has just gone on record and quoted as saying...........

 

“It’s been anything but quiet from our point of view when you consider the amount of time and effort we’ve spent speaking to players and agents,” he said.
“We’ve been assessing who we are going to target, and discounting the ones who have unrealistic aspirations.”
“Some of those may be unrealistic now, but as the summer goes on we may revisit them and see if their demands have fallen more in line with where the Championship is heading as a division.”

 

Well let's hope he doesn't leave it too late, otherwise we're going to have another unsettling season.

 

Palace v Watford.

Well at least we now know the play-off finalists. As you know I was dreading Leicester getting to the final and you know my prediction of a Brighton v Leicester final was way off line. That's why I don't gamble, my heart rules my head and as such I'd always be in debt to the bookie.

Pleased for Ollie though, he seems to have knack of getting to Wembley. But I do believe he wouldn't have achieved it with us this time. Towards the end of time with us I felt he had run out of ideas and enthusiasm for the club. Not really surprising having put up with the chairman for so long. I won't put the kybosh on him by predicting a Palace win, but I wish him all the best.

In a short time Wigan take on the mighty Arsenal at the Emirates and need a win to give them a fighting chance of staying up. Their last game is against Villa who are also fighting for their premiership lives. Martinez is the past master of pulling off the impossible and he will need all his guile and motivation to do it this time. Genuine nice guy and again I wish him all the best for tonight.

 

Follow me on twitter brian@truetangerine

Congrats to Wigan.....

It's good to see the underdog come through in one of the few competitions where this can happen. It's what dreams are made of. You don't get picked in the original line up and become the hero when you come on as sub to score a cracking winning goal. Well done Ben Watson. In a game that was tight you just knew one goal would decide it. Man City really didn't look like they had it in them to win it, but although Wigan had plenty of possession they seemed to take an age to move forward. At times understandably, they looked nervous when they had the ball and were guilty of taking an extra touch rather than hitting the ball earlier. McManaman was one of the main culprits for this, taking on Glichy too many times instead of moving quicker. But he was Wigan's most dangerous player and was named Man of the Match. It was good to see Dave Whelan's return to Wembley being a happier occasion than last time he was there as a player, when a broken leg ended his playing career. I'm also pleased for Roberto Martinez, a genuinely nice guy, to add ther FA Cup to his CV. Whether he stays next season or is enticed away only time will tell. But quite rightly he's concentrating on keeping Wigan in the premiership. Good luck to him.

The championship first leg play-offs are out the way with Leicester taking a 1-0 goal lead to Watford tomorrow, with  Palace and Brighton still with everything to play for at 0-0. Hope I'm wrong but I can see a Brighton v Leicester final. Just hope if that happens Brighton come out on top.

A season to forget, roll on next season....

Pleased this season's out the way. We ended with a 2-2 draw away at Bolton, which in the end was a bit disappointing considering we were 2-0 up and playing some lovely football. They got one back through Eagles and got their equaliser by way of a massive deflection. So we went in 2-2, like I said disappointing.

So now it's contract renewal time, with 37 players currently out of contract (not an ideal situation) it should be interesting to see who we retain and who are shown the door. According to Will Watt of the Gazette we'll have 14 players retained with a number of deals on the table for others. Rumour has it Ian Evatt might be released. I don't think his injury problems have helped his cause much.

This is the quietest end to a season we've known for a couple of years having been involved in play-offs previously. Although it'll be a hat-trick for Ollie with his Palace side making it, together with Brighton, Leicester (Ollie's bogey side) and Watford. I have a horrible feeling Leicester could just do it. Don't like them or their manager, but having scraped into the play-offs on Saturday at the expense of Bolton, they could end doing what we did when we got promoted. I think Zola's Watford have blown it and so could have Brighton despite having a decent run of late.

Bit of breaking news with the announcement of Fergie's retirement at ManU and with David Moyes being made his replacement. I bet Bill Kenwright and the Everton fans are gutted losing him after 11 years, but as we know anything can happen in football.

With Wolves sacking Dean Saunders and Kenny Jackett leaving Millwall, the close season should be an interesting time. As for me I'll be keeping myself busy building a brick garage after getting rid of an old asbestos and wood monstrosity.



Bolton v the Mighty Pool.....

 

 

Although I said the last game of the season against Bolton away is less important now that we've secured our championship place for next year. I still want us to go out in style and beat them, so that we finish above Burnley & Blackburn for obvious reasons. I personally have nothing against Bolton. In fact having worked there for over 9 years up to a couple of years ago, I have very happy memories of the place. But this is football and we all know there are no loyalties to any other team than your own. It should be a full house there, especially as they are going for a play-off place and there's a bit of past history between the two sets of fans. Still I hope it's a good entertaining game and of course we win.

 

 

Will Palace win tonight?.....

I see Palace are playing everyone's favourite thugs tonight, Millwall . I've mixed feelings about the outcome. I would like to see Ollie stay in the play-offs, but I've no great love for Palace. I thought Ollie was on a hiding to nothing going there especially after Freedman had them in automatic promotion place by the time he left. Palace's form of late has been inconsistent and I would think the fans there will turn against the manager if he fails to get them to the final. It was always going to be difficult for him to emulate what he did with Blackpool and honestly I don't think he will get them promotion.

 

All the same I wish him all the best, simply because of what he did for us.

Blackpool 2 Derby County 1

That result not only means we're safe from relegation but I can now stop being a miserable sod. My missus thinks I'm barking. She doesn't understand why I go around with my face down to the floor when we lose. When Tom Ince missed his penalty I nearly threw my computer on the floor even though we were 1-0 up. I just knew we couldn't to do it the easy way and when they equalised I was inconsolable. In a split second I had turned into Mr Hyde, I was cursing Burnley for going 2-0 up and for Rovers equalising against Palace and to top the lot, some idiot on ebay hadn't turned up to pay for some box hedging he'd won. So, the world and his mates had all turned against me. There I was thinking well a point might still be enough when I heard Ludo had scored another priceless goal with 2 minutes to go. All of sudden there was a sun in the sky, the clouds had disappeared and the ebay clown was less annoying (well all most). You see, being a Pool fan has never been easy, but being a Blackpool lad I can't support any other club. I'm just glad I can now enjoy my summer and the Bolton game has now lost it's importance. Well done Paul Ince, you've managed to keep us up and now you can start to put your own squad together.

 

Yesssssssssssssss..........