Can we build on it?

[basilrobbie3]

This is what gets me though Straighters... Where exactly is the disconnect?

Sorry for chopping what was a good post Biff, but I wanted to focus on this.

Could it be that the disconnect might be between how fans perceive we are doing, and how we actually are?

In 2024 our record in the League is P8 W4 D2 L2. That would be play off form. Even if you add in Christmas and New Year it becomes P12 W6 D2 L4. Still just about play off form.

Below the top five, it's a really competitive Division this year. Three of the promoted teams are in the top half and two of them are building up a head of steam. Only two clubs are averaging less than a point per game, and you could throw your coat over most of the bottom half. My point being, it is all very well moaning about getting beat by so-called smaller clubs like Port Vale and Cambridge. But I'd hazard a guess that most clubs in the League are having setbacks like that.

I happen to think that five of the top six places are probably spoken for, barring a real collapse. I think other clubs have a stronger chance of claiming the other one. But we are not out of it by any means.

 

[BFC_BFC_BFC]

Sorry for chopping what was a good post Biff, but I wanted to focus on this.

Could it be that the disconnect might be between how fans perceive we are doing, and how we actually are?

In 2024 our record in the League is P8 W4 D2 L2. That would be play off form. Even if you add in Christmas and New Year it becomes P12 W6 D2 L4. Still just about play off form.

Below the top five, it's a really competitive Division this year. Three of the promoted teams are in the top half and two of them are building up a head of steam. Only two clubs are averaging less than a point per game, and you could throw your coat over most of the bottom half. My point being, it is all very well moaning about getting beat by so-called smaller clubs like Port Vale and Cambridge. But I'd hazard a guess that most clubs in the League are having setbacks like that.

I happen to think that five of the top six places are probably spoken for, barring a real collapse. I think other clubs have a stronger chance of claiming the other one. But we are not out of it by any means.

That's a fair point mate.... I suppose I was talking more about the particular reasons why the idea of simply 'taking the game to the opposition' has alluded us during certain games. If you read many of the comments from the Critchley critics, they tend to focus on his supposed negativity and safety first approach etc... I'm not sure I've really seen too much evidence of that in all honesty... We seem to have set up aggressively and increasingly so AND the Manager continually reiterates his intent and the way he wants his sides to play. I'm not saying some of the football hasn't been negative, moreso that I don't believe that is what we are setting out to do... So the issue (if there is one) comes down to application as opposed to intent, in my opinion.

I do tend to agree though that the mindset of our fans has an awful lot to do with how they are responding to results, but I do think that the way we have tended to show signs of making progress and continually stuttered and failed to put a really consistent run together, combined with the classic expectation to just walk the league because "we should be beating sides like that...." has impacted on the way many are feeling.

It's interesting, because I listened to the Seasiders Podcast the other night and a lot was made of the idea that the entire fanbase is now "Firmly in the Critchley Out Camp" and "Even the Waverers are coming round to the Idea" and I'm thinking to myself.... "I'm really a million miles away from thinking we should fire the Manager"... It's very easy to get caught up in the nonsense and I think that ‘nonsense’ or at least a lack of perspective has been a big factor this season.

Understandable I suppose… Fans went through a lot and lost a lot of time during the Boycott… I think that’s left people very impatient to just get back to where we were before it all fell apart.

 

[basilrobbie3]

That's a fair point mate.... I suppose I was talking more about the particular reasons why the idea of simply 'taking the game to the opposition' has alluded us during certain games. (1)

It's interesting, because I listened to the Seasiders Podcast the other night and a lot was made of the idea that the entire fanbase is now "Firmly in the Critchley Out Camp" and "Even the Waverers are coming round to the Idea" and I'm thinking to myself.... "I'm really a million miles away from thinking we should fire the Manager"... It's very easy to get caught up in the nonsense.. (2)

(1) My fault for speaking about something that wasn't directly on your topic.

(2) I think the Podcast reflects a view that is easy to find on social media in particular. I don't necessarily think it is a majority view, or would be a very sensiible thing for Mr. Sadler to do. Of all people, he has to take a long term view, which fans are not noted for being good at.

The bigger context, which I make no apologies for mentioning, is that we are a club with modest levels of support and revenue to match. Merely competing in the Championship against clubs who have three times the support - and parachute payments in some cases - is like fighting with one arm tied behind your back.

Until that particular paradigm is shifted, then being at the top end of L1 or surviving in the Championship is probably the best level we can hope to sustain.

 

[voyeur]

That's a fair point mate.... I suppose I was talking more about the particular reasons why the idea of simply 'taking the game to the opposition' has alluded us during certain games. If you read many of the comments from the Critchley critics, they tend to focus on his supposed negativity and safety first approach etc... I'm not sure I've really seen too much evidence of that in all honesty... We seem to have set up aggressively and increasingly so AND the Manager continually reiterates his intent and the way he wants his sides to play. I'm not saying some of the football hasn't been negative, moreso that I don't believe that is what we are setting out to do... So the issue (if there is one) comes down to application as opposed to intent, in my opinion.

I do tend to agree though that the mindset of our fans has an awful lot to do with how they are responding to results, but I do think that the way we have tended to show signs of making progress and continually stuttered and failed to put a really consistent run together, combined with the classic expectation to just walk the league because "we should be beating sides like that...." has impacted on the way many are feeling.

It's interesting, because I listened to the Seasiders Podcast the other night and a lot was made of the idea that the entire fanbase is now "Firmly in the Critchley Out Camp" and "Even the Waverers are coming round to the Idea" and I'm thinking to myself.... "I'm really a million miles away from thinking we should fire the Manager"... It's very easy to get caught up in the nonsense and I think that ‘nonsense’ or at least a lack of perspective has been a big factor this season.

Understandable I suppose… Fans went through a lot and lost a lot of time during the Boycott… I think that’s left people very impatient to just get back to where we were before it all fell apart.

I think the negativity/ frustration has been understandable, tbh. Prior to yesterday we had lost 5 of our last 6 away games. And drawn our last two home games. We certainly weren't at sacking point but there have been plenty of issues all season, and plenty of head scratching.

 

[BFC_BFC_BFC]

(1) My fault for speaking about something that wasn't directly on your topic.

(2) I think the Podcast reflects a view that is easy to find on social media in particular. I don't necessarily think it is a majority view, or would be a very sensiible thing for Mr. Sadler to do. Of all people, he has to take a long term view, which fans are not noted for being good at.

The bigger context, which I make no apologies for mentioning, is that we are a club with modest levels of support and revenue to match. Merely competing in the Championship against clubs who have three times the support - and parachute payments in some cases - is like fighting with one arm tied behind your back.

Until that particular paradigm is shifted, then being at the top end of L1 or surviving in the Championship is probably the best level we can hope to sustain.

I’m not sure all we can hope to sustain, but it’s certainly the level that our resources might suggest we ought to find ourselves in.

To that extent, the onus is on us as a collective to try and find a way to punch above our ‘financial’ weight and be creative as to how we might develop our revenue sources. It’s not something that can happen overnight though (at least not the revenue bit).

I think a big part of that is finding a way to harness the collective energy and potential that has served us well previously… To ensure that our manager and team has an environment that provides the best chance for success and that we are all pulling in the same direction.

It may seem like airy / fairy ‘intangible’ stuff, but in truth if you look across the board (and despite the huge resources available to many Clubs) there are so many Clubs who just don’t seem to manage to get the basic ingredients for success in place… (and unfortunately I wonder if we may fall into that category to a certain degree).

I alluded to it in another thread, but for me this is where decent ‘leadership’ comes into play… Leadership from the Club, but also Leadership from within our fanbase…. I think both have been lacking and that has been and continues to be an unwanted distraction.

We have to find a way to communicate effectively, but also to try and agree on some kind of collective vision for the future that we can all get behind.

And whilst I understand where you are coming from, the idea of treading water in and around Upper L1 and Lower Championship isn’t going to get anyone’s heart racing or encourage anyone to get in the bandwagon.

 

[BFC_BFC_BFC]

I think the negativity/ frustration has been understandable, tbh. Prior to yesterday we had lost 5 of our last 6 away games. And drawn our last two home games. We certainly weren't at sacking point but there have been plenty of issues all season, and plenty of head scratching.

Of course frustration is understandable… It’s extremely frustrating to have so many false dawns, but nonetheless individual responses are very much determined by state of mind.

The negativity I’m not so sure, I think we have an awful lot of supporters who take that too far and I think it’s detrimental. Far too many have been far too keen to vocalise their ‘objections’ to Critchley.

I think we may have been 4 games into the season (if that) before the ‘Critchley Out’ posts started flowing. Maybe that’s just par for the course in this day and age, but to put it in the most succinct way possible… It really is a load of self-entitled bollocks..

 

[Notathome]

How much more confident could the team have been following a 4-0 win at Portsmouth? Then our next game at home to Northampton we lose 1-2. Absolutely no consistency in this current squad, so I am not expecting any sort of a run to the playoffs!

 

[Matesrates]

Peterborough have now lost 4 on the run, so if other teams above us drop points and we go on a run, I can only dream.

 

[Wee_Bob]

If we play as we did in the 2nd half weve a chance.... if we play like we did in the first we're doomed to never leave 8th place.

.. and hasn't that been the history of Blackpool's season. That much sought after 90 mins display just hasn't come. The only difference really compared to Cheltenham was that we weren't awful for 90 mins. Still don't have much faith in the side and if we got to the Play Offs, I wouldn't be putting any money on us to win them!

 

[straightatthewall]

Sorry for chopping what was a good post Biff, but I wanted to focus on this.

Could it be that the disconnect might be between how fans perceive we are doing, and how we actually are?

In 2024 our record in the League is P8 W4 D2 L2. That would be play off form. Even if you add in Christmas and New Year it becomes P12 W6 D2 L4. Still just about play off form.

Below the top five, it's a really competitive Division this year. Three of the promoted teams are in the top half and two of them are building up a head of steam. Only two clubs are averaging less than a point per game, and you could throw your coat over most of the bottom half. My point being, it is all very well moaning about getting beat by so-called smaller clubs like Port Vale and Cambridge. But I'd hazard a guess that most clubs in the League are having setbacks like that.

I happen to think that five of the top six places are probably spoken for, barring a real collapse. I think other clubs have a stronger chance of claiming the other one. But we are not out of it by any means.

Good to see you posting about football Robbie. From my perspective, we came into February on the back of a decent run into what looked like being a critical run of games. Until yesterday we really failed to turn up when it mattered, which is disappointing whichever way you look at it. As others have said, we do lack a bit of bite and spite when it's needed. Mentioned after the Stevenage game, there was a couple of times where one of their lads squared up to one of ours and nobody else came over to back him up. Little things that maybe mean nothing, but might also display something is missing in the team spirit department.

 

[poolfc]

We can build on it, but I don't expect we will. The pattern is good result, everyone gets their hopes up, couple of poor defeats, big flare up, get a win, settle down, repeat. Even if we can raise our game and beat one or both of Bolton and Portsmouth then you know it's going to book end having gone to Leyton Orient on a Tuesday night and an always-doomed trip to Shrewsbury. Which both look like a license for the most turgid back-to-back 2-0 defeats without registering a shot on target that you can possibly imagine. Played out with the same pre-planned subs on 60 and 75 minutes and the same routines and patterns of safe slow passing.

I've only seen the recent results as I've had a busy last few weeks. So on paper a real mixed bag. I did catch some of the Stevenage game when on the go and with a bit of downtime and it was making me fall asleep watching it so I stopped. I haven't read back anything that's happened off the pitch recently. But I can tell that there's a situation where the club is pushing to shut out any noise from the fans unless it's something they can control. Or if they're happy to capture a crowd scene on video to use to try and sell tickets and hospitality upgrades.

That's been the story of the season so far. A growing bundle of angst that things aren't quite right that isn't being addressed properly. A method coach who bailed out then brought back, either side of a relegation. And either through his own limitation/lack of confidence. Or if he's having to juggle the hand he's been dealt on which players are made available to him to choose from on a weekly basis, has been trying to shoehorn a collective of players into a weird set up. Rather than a cohesive organised team and a manager determined to play to win and by any means necessary. And we started to see in the January window that we're letting players go who are unwanted or out of contract to be replaced by loans and U21 kids who haven't got near the first team yet. And the rest who haven't managed to get away yet like Husband & Ekpiteta will now know they're not going to be here next year. So how does that play out.

I think Critchley really wants some sort of success in the EFL trophy, making the final or winning it, so he's got something to show for the season and for it to not fizzle out into a complete dead rubber. The cup games have been when he's seemed at his most relaxed on the touchline too and when he has been willing to commit to more straightforward set ups than he has been trying for in the league.

 

[voyeur]

We can build on it, but I don't expect we will. The pattern is good result, everyone gets their hopes up, couple of poor defeats, big flare up, get a win, settle down, repeat. Even if we can raise our game and beat one or both of Bolton and Portsmouth then you know it's going to book end having gone to Leyton Orient on a Tuesday night and an always-doomed trip to Shrewsbury. Which both look like a license for the most turgid back-to-back 2-0 defeats without registering a shot on target that you can possibly imagine. Played out with the same pre-planned subs on 60 and 75 minutes and the same routines and patterns of safe slow passing.

I've only seen the recent results as I've had a busy last few weeks. So on paper a real mixed bag. I did catch some of the Stevenage game when on the go and with a bit of downtime and it was making me fall asleep watching it so I stopped. I haven't read back anything that's happened off the pitch recently. But I can tell that there's a situation where the club is pushing to shut out any noise from the fans unless it's something they can control. Or if they're happy to capture a crowd scene on video to use to try and sell tickets and hospitality upgrades.

That's been the story of the season so far. A growing bundle of angst that things aren't quite right that isn't being addressed properly. A method coach who bailed out then brought back, either side of a relegation. And either through his own limitation/lack of confidence. Or if he's having to juggle the hand he's been dealt on which players are made available to him to choose from on a weekly basis, has been trying to shoehorn a collective of players into a weird set up. Rather than a cohesive organised team and a manager determined to play to win and by any means necessary. And we started to see in the January window that we're letting players go who are unwanted or out of contract to be replaced by loans and U21 kids who haven't got near the first team yet. And the rest who haven't managed to get away yet like Husband & Ekpiteta will now know they're not going to be here next year. So how does that play out.

I think Critchley really wants some sort of success in the EFL trophy, making the final or winning it, so he's got something to show for the season and for it to not fizzle out into a complete dead rubber. The cup games have been when he's seemed at his most relaxed on the touchline too and when he has been willing to commit to more straightforward set ups than he has been trying for in the league.

Bit sardonic but some truth in there for sure.

Maybe Critch should treat every game like a cup game!

 

[poolfc]

Bit sardonic but some truth in there for sure.

Maybe Critch should treat every game like a cup game!

Wouldn't be the worst idea. I think he is looking at it as something he hopes can keep players motivated to keep going to the last months of the season if they can make the final. He's tried to talk it up but mostly the crowd has gone mild because the frustration is with the league results.

 

[gjr]

Maybe the key to building on success is to keep changes to a minimum.
Trying to keep all the squad happy has probably been overdone this year.