No fun at the fair for Toon fans tonight!Just when you thought we’d turned some sort of corner, Blackpool go and ‘tango’ us. Well admittedly, I had to rely on the eyes of the commentating duo of Mick Lowes and John Anderson but the performance sounded as bleak as the conditions and there was nothing pleasurable about the trip to this beach. And the 2-1 reverse, might well have spoiled the plans of some Mags intent on North West revelling.
The first half sounded pretty much all Blackpool as we struggled to contain a busy and industrious side, clearly willing to take the game to us. Boasting forward players with top flight experience in Brett Omerod, Jason Euell and Bouazza, there was always a risk of conceding and with former Rangers midfielder Charlie Adam driving the team from the middle, a goal seemed inevitable after Blackpool spurned a number of chances, including a disallowed goal by Bouazza, for offside. (more…)
Pre-match tableNewcastle can regain the top spot with a point at Blackpool, although we should be expecting 3 points from our visit to Bloomfield Road if we want to match West Brom and Middlesbrough who both won last night.
Blackpool are lingering in the middle of the table having taken 7 points from 6 games. They’ve only lost one match though and that was away to Leicester last weekend.
Before that, their season started with 4 draws: away to QPR, home to Cardiff, home to Derby and away to Watford. Their solitary Championship win came after that when they beat Coventry 3-0.
Blackpool have had a decent Carling Cup run too, dispatching Crewe and – most impressively – Premier League Wigan.
Blackpool strikers Ben Burgess and Gary Taylor-Fletcher have 2 league goals a piece this season, as does midfielder Charlie Adam who is Blackpool’s record signing at £500,000 from Rangers in August this year. (more…)
Strength in numbersThe slant on this is two-fold. I’m talking both about the new found optimism and feel-good factor surrounding the team on the pitch, and also about our ability to keep that pitch chock-full of experienced professionals.
Clearly our start to the season has given cause for genuine surprise throughout the football world, none more so than up here. To land on our feet and start making progress in the right direction was probably the last thing we expected.
So we can also probably safely assume it was also the last thing the media and our detractors were expecting. Therefore a pleasant surprise, as it’s a bit of a two-fingered salute to them.
Sunday’s game against Cardiff City could well prove to be the biggest challenge yet but ultimately if we succeed, it’s yet another piece tacked onto our new-found and developing cloak of pride. Even if we manage a draw, our reputation will be upheld and so there is a lot to be look forward and much to be gained in that game. We just seem to have picked ourselves up, dusted ourselves down and started getting on with it, everyone putting in a hard, honest and decent shift. For every point we pick up that goes towards our tally in the league table, we also pick up a voucher of dignity that will hopefully be redeemed in the near future. A day when we hold our heads high and we’re regarded as a proper football club again, for the right reasons. (more…)
Deal back on. Maybe.It was rumoured a few weeks back that Harewood was one of Hughton’s targets to beef up his injury-stricken strike force, but the deal was reputed to be off a few days ago amidst doubts about Harewood’s fitness.
However it now seems the deal might be back on again. Apparently Hughton has received reassurances from the Villa staff about Harewood’s foot injury and is happy to once again discuss a loan deal, hoping to complete the necessary arrangements in the next few days ahead of Sunday’s match at Cardiff City.
Shola Ameobi and Andy Carroll are both injured and new striker Peter Lovenkrands is not match fit, so Hughton was expected to play a lone Ranger up front with someone like Nolan nudging forward from midfield to play Tonto and give him some backup. If Marlon Harewood is signed in time I guess that could all change. (more…)
Carroll speaksApparently the Sheard-fronted US bid is in trouble. According to The Chronicle, the talks between the bidders and Seymour Pierce broke down after the US consortium failed to provide proof of funds. That’s not quite the end of things though as Derek Llambias has been teleconferencing with them, although no progress has been made.
In my experience teleconferencing takes a bit of getting used to. It’s all too easy to assume the mentality one does when watching television, forgetting that with a teleconference the people on the screen can actually hear what you’re saying.
I can remember a colleague of mine coming into the teleconference room, pointing to the screen and saying (I remember the phrase exactly even though it was 20 years ago): “who’s the fat, spammed-up, centre-parter?” and a small voice came out the speakers saying “my name’s Ian actually.” I was incapacitated with laughter for most of the rest of the conference.
So for that reason alone I predict the US bid has had it, leaving Barry Moat as the only viable candidate to take over the Toon at the moment. (more…)
