Blackpool Post Match Thoughts

[uttis]

I haven’t been impressed with Mpanzu since he came having said that he was asked to play in a position foreign to him and he’s doing a job because of injuries I do however wish he’d cross the ball instead of looking for the easy pass inside

[Jocksgloves1]

Wow! What a week that was. I assume seven days later that the players are now fit to wear the shirt.
Blackpool are as good a team as I've seen this season and were unlucky to play us a week too late. Agreed that a draw would have been fair, but a crazy tackle put an end to that.
Under the cosh second half, I'm going to defend Cam Dawson who had a great game, apart from some wild kicking. Ronners and Sota would expect no less.

[Ronners]

Wow! What a week that was. I assume seven days later that the players are now fit to wear the shirt.
Blackpool are as good a team as I've seen this season and were unlucky to play us a week too late. Agreed that a draw would have been fair, but a crazy tackle put an end to that.
Under the cosh second half, I'm going to defend Cam Dawson who had a great game, apart from some wild kicking. Ronners and Sota would expect no less.

As our resident keeper on here jocks, unless there's another poster who played goalkeeper that I don't know about, I did indeed expect you to defend CAM Dawson, although he didn't do anything that really needed defending as he had a great game other than one or two wayward kicks, as you mentioned. I wouldn't have said, as you did, that Blackpool were as good as we've seen at ours this season, I did think they kept the ball well but their crossing in good area's was woeful and also I thought we defended as well as I've seen us all season, penalty apart, which also bodes well for the future. A really good feel factor leaving the ground, but there is still a lot of work to be done regarding recruitment in the close season so hopefully we get deals done with our better players and go from there. UTM

[Ronners]

I haven’t been impressed with Mpanzu since he came having said that he was asked to play in a position foreign to him and he’s doing a job because of injuries I do however wish he’d cross the ball instead of looking for the easy pass inside

I totally agree with you about Mpanzu uttis, I mentioned to my son early in the game when Mpanzu was given the ball out wide a couple of times with space to run down the wing getting us further up the pitch but instead passed the ball inside. On the plus side for him he worked hard going up and down the wing especially tracking back but the unwillingness of him to run up the pitch with the ball in good areas and space to do so was criminal but again, he did put in a shift. UTM

[Townerslovechild]

Ronners,I too am a member of the goalkeepers union,and Dawson and Philips are decent lg 1 goalies,but that`s all.
Dawson has good positional sense,and is a good shot stopper,but his distribution is poor at times,and he`s a bit Dracula when it comes to crosses,I was always told to catch the ball at all times,and only punch or parry when you couldn`t catch,Dawson seems incapable of catching it at all,which for his size is a worry,but he`s always been the same.
We have been spoilt recently with the likes of Viktor,Vickers,Rodak,and the other loanee who`s name I can`t remember,I can see Philips leaving at the end of the season as I think he`s out of contract,and someone younger fetched in the compete with Dawson.

[the_idiotb_stardson]

Mpanzu is playing like he is trying to avoid injury.

[Pocket rocket]

Mpanzu is playing like he is trying to avoid injury.

Yet he was man of the match at Northampton.

[Ronners]

Ronners,I too am a member of the goalkeepers union,and Dawson and Philips are decent lg 1 goalies,but that`s all.
Dawson has good positional sense,and is a good shot stopper,but his distribution is poor at times,and he`s a bit Dracula when it comes to crosses,I was always told to catch the ball at all times,and only punch or parry when you couldn`t catch,Dawson seems incapable of catching it at all,which for his size is a worry,but he`s always been the same.
We have been spoilt recently with the likes of Viktor,Vickers,Rodak,and the other loanee who`s name I can`t remember,I can see Philips leaving at the end of the season as I think he`s out of contract,and someone younger fetched in the compete with Dawson.

Thanks for the update on goalkeeper posters on here and the insight Tlc, it's always nice to hear from a gk about our gk's because I was a winger/ central midfielder/ centre back, the older I got the further back I went🤣. For all the stick Phillips has had on here, I think he's done well this season and I prefer him to Dawson. UTM

[Citizen Erased]

His CV is already immeasurably better than Warnes when he was thrown it at the deep end. It worked well (eventually) then and it might work better now. He'll get the gig now. Mr Stewart is no fool. He felt the warmth of the fans today. And if Hamshaw turns out to be a dud Mr Stewart will be able to say I gave you what you wanted. Hamshaw is not an expensive proposition. He's going nowhere apart from here

I agree with all of that.

[Brin]

Stand out point for me yesterday was WIDTH. When was the last time we played it out wide to very good effect like yesterday? The link up play between James/Powell was at times sublime. Powell's free reign in midfield was helped immensely by Kelly who had a storming game, albeit he faded later on and why not after the effort he put in.

The crossing of the ball has also vastly improved, obviously been worked on.

You can name a raft of players who looked like they deserved MOTM as the effort they put in was very commendable. I was looking at Kelly's game play and the amount of times he commanded the middle, playing off simple, short, on the floor passes to move us forward. It was great to see 8/10.

Powell, his free reign aided by Kelly was probably his best ever to date, He was simply everywhere, you can only imagine what amount of ground he covered. He was as they say, unplayable, 8/10. That role suited him very well but will Matt use the same set up again?

James - from back to middle to front down the left again, probably his best game to date and some of his crosses were sent in to great effect. 8/10.

Sibley - Now this lad, and he'll know it himself, put himself well and truly in the shop window yesterday. He has 1 year left on his contract for next season when he returns to Oxford so, unless we get to loan him again, we'll have to stump up a fee for him, that's if Hammy has seen enough of him to make a decision over him.

His no nonsense rock hard challenges/tackling were akin to Tony Grealish but, not as damaging! It's also a pity he didn't get to score like others have pointed out. We need someone like him to get into the opposition's face' and break the play up. His overall commitment throughout the game had loads talking about him who were sat near me. A definite MOTM award and thoroughly deserved 9/10.

Dawson - The sheer size of him should make him more commanding in his area but he doesn't apply himself so. He tends to palm a cross away rather than punch it, even sometimes when he should be catching them. It's near the season end but to be honest, I'd move him on close season if we can. Philips I think is the better of the two but as a number two for us. My opinion I know and others will view it differently and I respect that.

As a team, they worked damn hard even when Blackpool took control of the second half. We never gave up and when it was called for, we took it to them again and we all know how that finished. A welcome goal indeed followed by a giddy kids 'Christmas morning' dance from Rafferty such was his delight at not only scoring but bagging a very late goal/winner. Team 8/10.