It's hard to put your finger on it.

Insider

Insider

Well-known member
So Critch says we didn't play too much differently than we did against The Baggies???
Quite clearly Birmingham are a club in turmoil, defensively they were poor and I thought their keeper had a shocker.
So how come we won 6-1?
4 changes from Friday. Out go Thorniley, Gabriel, Bowler and Madine.
In come Keogh, Hamiton, Beesley and Kirk.
Same formation, 4-4-2 but Connolly moves from CM to RB.
Keshi moves from RW to CM and we ditch the 2 defensive midfielders option.
We start with a left and right footed winger but seeing as @Philbfctrois wasn't coming to watch (he'd heard what happened to Ollie when he crossed him😉) Critch was brave enough to play them "inverted".
Madine and Beesley was a straight switch.
It just worked.
Keogh added that bit of extra experience at the back, Kenny and Keshi played the ball forward, CJ's crosses found a striker in the box and Kirk's dead ball delivery was a vast improvement.
Football's a simple game when things go well.
 
I’d agree with Critch on that too.
If we hadn’t have fluffed our lines against WBA we could have scored 6 on Friday too.
Today we took our first two chances and at 2-0 up after 15 mins the game changes dramatically in our favour.

It’s that fine margin around finishing chances. Critch knows this. The Nobbers match was just awful whereas all games barring 3 or 4 from memory we have created chance after chance and not taken them.
 
We can play a more open game against weaker teams, and Brum have a bad defensive record. Plus, today was partly about having nowt to lose.

It's a one off game, shouldn't read too much into it in my opinion. Most of our games this season have been more difficult. All of them, perhaps.

But it's good for us to see what a more open attacking approach, with Keshi in central midfield, can look like, and how Beesley's better movement changes things. And better delivery from Kirk and CJ, which to some extent was down to Brum allowing them space and time.

Luton away is a different game altogether. Some fans seem to just re-assess everything after every game as if the most recent game is the only evidence we have.
 
Last edited:
Everything I’ve been saying about needing a forward thinking CM who gets into the box has rung true today. More options available to the wingers to find a pass and more space to allow for the shot or for the forward to find room to finish.

Great seeing some more desire to take the shot on too.

The crossing was much better today (especially from Kirk who was my MOTM) but I do think the added attacking impetus from CM in the form of Keshi made our crossing look even better as it meant there’s was an added threat to attack it and it made defending the crosses that much harder too.

If Kirk can play like that week in week out £500k will be the bargain of the century and we’ll be asking ‘Josh who ?’
 
I said on another thread there were loads of positives from this performance. Beesley on his first start had a great game and another day could have had a hat-trick, CJ looked a different player and Kirk provided a real threat from corners and free kicks. Kenny looked like he was back on it and even Jerry got a goal. It looked a very happy, tight squad throughout the game, easy to say I suppose when you've won 6-1, but if you look at the after game video when Critch is going towards the fans, you can see Beesley, Yates and Madine all in a group hug, which I think shows the spirit in the team.
Yes, we need additions, the first should be Kirk, in my opinion, but with some good recruitment we should be optimistic about next season.
 
Kirk was fantastic , a clever player with some lovely touches but more importantly great delivery from a dead ball situation. I thought Beesley’s extra speed/mobility enabled us to capitalise on good build up play and he won his fair share in the air , not dissing Madine btw they are different players totally. The final piece of the jigsaw that changed us for the better was an in form Hamilton who’s decision making was very good and end product better still . It must be said there were plenty of other excellent performances. I think Beesley and Kirk ( assuming we sign him ) will play a big part next season .
 
A very good performance today. A few observations.

A great start. An early goal just helps settle the players down. CJ did brilliantly going left then right and putting a good cross in. Beesley did well to get across the front man and tuck it away. A massive boost for his confidence too. We saw the difference between Beesley and Madine today in both the positives and negatives. They have different strengths.Beesleys energy and mobility is so much greater than Madines. He closes down well and his movement was excellent. But he's not Madine. When the ball was knocked up to him it didn't stick and he won very little in the air whereas when Madine came on the ball was sticking to him and he was outjumping their centre back. But of course there's no movement from him and I doubt he'd have got the two goals Beesley did. Quickly back to CJ. That was the best half of football he's produced all season. A few words on Kirk. Everything he did was pretty much top class but with no particular memorable bits but that just understates how good he was. He'd get my MOM.

in midfield Dougall had his best game in a long time and he really pinged some balls around the park. And Keshi was a revelation too. Lets be clear, he was n't in the no 10 role he played in the centre of midfield where his job was to do as much defensively as it was to get forward and he excelled in the role.

At the back Marv was imperious again and for me it also showed why Keogh is considerably better than Thorniley. He knows where to be and he organises the whole back line. Even in the last minute with the Connelly free kick he was telling Husband to get back and mark his man. Hope he's here for another season and he's become a cult hero to the fans. Maxwell deserves a mention too for a couple of good saves as well as having a few nervy moments.

All in all a great day to be a Blackpool fan with a wonderful performance and great support from the fans.
 
It's great to see us playing with that freedom and hopefully we will see more of that. It needs to be acknowledged that Birmingham looked an out of sorts team, though, very little pressure in the ball, lots of space for us to exploit. Hernandez at left wing back for the first 30 minutes, is an attacking player, and CJ took full advantage of the situation. Our midfield had an unusual amount of freedom. We saw the offensive side of Dougall, despite Stewart and Connolly not being there to hold.

We won't be allowed to play like that very often. These games come along once a season. What we will hopefully see more of is players like Keshi and Carey in midfield, and better movement up front like that provided by Beesley. It's been crying out for those things. And better balls in to the box from the wide players, as we saw yesterday too. Can the players we have do that against better opposition than yesterday? Probably. Kirk and Beesley are learning fast. CJ is improving with games after a very long lay off. I really hope we don't lose Keshi.
 
A very good team performance. The difference for me was the movement up front, which enabled us to move the ball quickly and stretch them. CJ is much more of a threat on the right. Often our wide players look up and there is nobody attacking the 6 yard box, today Beesley did that. We have to be more mobile up front if we are to consistently cause problems for teams.

As 20’s mentioned, Madine brings something different, but I agree that he probably wouldn’t have scored those 2 goals. In the 2nd half I think it was Jerry that knocked a great ball across the 6 yard box and Gaz was on his heels. Beesley would likely have been more alive to it. However, there will be games suiting different players and a slightly different approach, but we do need to find a way of keeping the pace in our attacking play in all games.

It was great to watch.
 
To a large extent agree with Critch’s comments. If they had been more clinical up from it could have been 3-3 at half time and some teams have visited Bloomfield Rd this season, played worse and won (or at least not lost). The difference was we were much more clinical in the final third and more combative in the midfield.
 
Insider said:
So Critch says we didn't play too much differently than we did against The Baggies???
Quite clearly Birmingham are a club in turmoil, defensively they were poor and I thought their keeper had a shocker.
So how come we won 6-1?
4 changes from Friday. Out go Thorniley, Gabriel, Bowler and Madine.
In come Keogh, Hamiton, Beesley and Kirk.
Same formation, 4-4-2 but Connolly moves from CM to RB.
Keshi moves from RW to CM and we ditch the 2 defensive midfielders option.
We start with a left and right footed winger but seeing as @Philbfctrois wasn't coming to watch (he'd heard what happened to Ollie when he crossed him😉) Critch was brave enough to play them "inverted".
Madine and Beesley was a straight switch.
It just worked.
Keogh added that bit of extra experience at the back, Kenny and Keshi played the ball forward, CJ's crosses found a striker in the box and Kirk's dead ball delivery was a vast improvement.
Football's a simple game when things go well.
Click to expand...
I think inverted is ok when we have more movement as provided by Lavery and Beesley

Just not with Madine as he needs early balls into the box
 
20togo said:
A very good performance today. A few observations.

A great start. An early goal just helps settle the players down. CJ did brilliantly going left then right and putting a good cross in. Beesley did well to get across the front man and tuck it away. A massive boost for his confidence too. We saw the difference between Beesley and Madine today in both the positives and negatives. They have different strengths.Beesleys energy and mobility is so much greater than Madines. He closes down well and his movement was excellent. But he's not Madine. When the ball was knocked up to him it didn't stick and he won very little in the air whereas when Madine came on the ball was sticking to him and he was outjumping their centre back. But of course there's no movement from him and I doubt he'd have got the two goals Beesley did. Quickly back to CJ. That was the best half of football he's produced all season. A few words on Kirk. Everything he did was pretty much top class but with no particular memorable bits but that just understates how good he was. He'd get my MOM.

in midfield Dougall had his best game in a long time and he really pinged some balls around the park. And Keshi was a revelation too. Lets be clear, he was n't in the no 10 role he played in the centre of midfield where his job was to do as much defensively as it was to get forward and he excelled in the role.

At the back Marv was imperious again and for me it also showed why Keogh is considerably better than Thorniley. He knows where to be and he organises the whole back line. Even in the last minute with the Connelly free kick he was telling Husband to get back and mark his man. Hope he's here for another season and he's become a cult hero to the fans. Maxwell deserves a mention too for a couple of good saves as well as having a few nervy moments.

All in all a great day to be a Blackpool fan with a wonderful performance and great support from the fans.
Click to expand...
Excellent summary that 20s and l fully agree with your MOM being Kirky who l remember ran us ragged at Crewe last season! Keoghs experience really shone through again yesterday and how we missed him at West Brom and l do hope we give him another season.
 
Chunkylad said:
If we hadn’t have fluffed our lines against WBA we could have scored 6 on Friday too.
Click to expand...
What I find strange is how erratic we have been this season. From the PNE game to the Brum game (with only two matches in between) we were practically unrecognisable in terms of commitment, skill and chances. So why? Is that the manager, the player choices or the opposition (because for me, PNE were as bad as Birmingham and equally there for the taking).
 
Sadler's Brylcreem said:
What I find strange is how erratic we have been this season. From the PNE game to the Brum game (with only two matches in between) we were practically unrecognisable in terms of commitment, skill and chances. So why? Is that the manager, the player choices or the opposition (because for me, PNE were as bad as Birmingham and equally there for the taking).
Click to expand...
Critch appears to think it is just about taking chances and being more ruthless.
I think our mobility against Birmingham unsettled them rather than our static setup against PNE.
The truth is probably somewhere in between
 
tangysider said:
Critch appears to think it is just about taking chances and being more ruthless.
I think our mobility against Birmingham unsettled them rather than our static setup against PNE.
The truth is probably somewhere in between
Click to expand...
yeh, agree. Don't really like to say it, but there is a definite sense of negativity how Critch has set his team up for a lot of games this season.
 
voyeur said:
We can play a more open game against weaker teams, and Brum have a bad defensive record
Click to expand...
Something I’d like to see from the off next year. We were finding our feet and possibly gave some teams far too much respect with the line ups and tactics to nullify the opposition rather than go for the win over a good portion of the season…. But Which has got us to a placing I thought we would struggle to reach first year back. Great job.

A mix of taking it to some teams and being cautious against dangerous sides might get us into play off territory next year. Critch is building for success.
 
20togo said:
yeh, agree. Don't really like to say it, but there is a definite sense of negativity how Critch has set his team up for a lot of games this season.
Click to expand...
That negative set up would be OK if we were capable of breaking quickly and scoring on the break.
Do not want to heap pressure on Beesley but he gave us a dimension to our play that has been missing since Simms left.
 
We played very well and Brim were crap.

Luck plays a part, virtually all our chances were taken and went our way.

The other thing is that during the course of a season you are bound in at least one game to thrash a team and in turn be thrashed.
 
20togo said:
yeh, agree. Don't really like to say it, but there is a definite sense of negativity how Critch has set his team up for a lot of games this season.
Click to expand...
I've said this many times. Critch has come through the same school of FA Coaching as Southgate. The question is, is it good or bad to be compared to the current England manager?
 
clappers said:
Something I’d like to see from the off next year. We were finding our feet and possibly gave some teams far too much respect with the line ups and tactics to nullify the opposition rather than go for the win over a good portion of the season…. But Which has got us to a placing I thought we would struggle to reach first year back. Great job.

A mix of taking it to some teams and being cautious against dangerous sides might get us into play off territory next year. Critch is building for success.
Click to expand...
Critch was been finding his feet in management last season and this season he's been finding his feet at Championship level and guiding a squad on a L1 budget to safety. So there's been a fair bit of safety first. We do need to be more adventurous but we won't play teams like Birmingham on Monday very often. They were terrible in all honesty, a side falling apart. But it's not rocket science, we need better quality of balls into the box, better attacking play from midfield, and more movement and cohesion up front. We can do that already with what we have, and we can bring players in too, so we really should be able to do better next season, as an attacking force. We don't need to throw the baby out, but we do need to shake things up a bit. Our attacking is kind of hopeful, and it feels like Jerry and Shayne have lost their hope a bit. We need to link up much better, the full backs and the wingers have not been good at finding the strikers, and nobody from midfield has ventured forward much. Critch has proven that we don't need to spend a lot to survive comfortably, and it shouldn't require big spending to get us an extra 10 to 15 points. 2 or 3 good loans, Brannagan, a full back or two. A Keogh/Thorniley replacement likely I think.
 
A Keogh/Thorniley replacement likely I think

I think Keogh has one more season in him but we need a good option to slot in if he needs resting or gets an injury. I do worry that Big Marv is going to be on a few clubs radar and then we will need to find two or three players in that area of the team. Arguably we would have been looking at a good run of results recently with more clinical finishing so it would be nice to get another Simms like player in on loan to add to the mix of Madine, Beesley, Jerry and Lavery. I’m feeling good about Anderson in midfield
 
clappers said:
A Keogh/Thorniley replacement likely I think

I think Keogh has one more season in him but we need a good option to slot in if he needs resting or gets an injury. I do worry that Big Marv is going to be on a few clubs radar and then we will need to find two or three players in that area of the team. Arguably we would have been looking at a good run of results recently with more clinical finishing so it would be nice to get another Simms like player in on loan to add to the mix of Madine, Beesley, Jerry and Lavery. I’m feeling good about Anderson in midfield
Click to expand...
I think Keogh will want to stay. Do coaching badges probably. I'd see him as cover. Thorniley I suspect will leave.

Marv has another two years so we will only sell if the price is right, and then reinvest.
 
voyeur said:
I think Keogh will want to stay. Do coaching badges probably. I'd see him as cover. Thorniley I suspect will leave.

Marv has another two years so we will only sell if the price is right, and then reinvest.
Click to expand...
I agree Keogh used sparingly but surely that opens things up for Thorniley if Critch rates him?
I would be amazed and thankful if no one comes in for Eki
 
tangysider said:
I agree Keogh used sparingly but surely that opens things up for Thorniley if Critch rates him?
I would be amazed and thankful if no one comes in for Eki
Click to expand...
I wouldn't be surprised if we got bids for Eki, but will they be enough for us to sell? I wouldn't take a million. Will someone offer 5 million? Doubt it.

Does Critch rate Thorniley? Sort of, but not really. He's a high earner apparently. Will we offer another contract? I suspect not.
 
Good CBs in the Championship are going for £7-10m - higher if there’s amazing potential.
Marvs physical attributes make him a good signing for a promotion chasing team. His ball playing though precludes him at this stage of his development for attracting Prem teams. He’s still poor on the ball. Gets caught on possession and isn’t calm compared to Keogh, Hubby or Thorniley in the same role.
 
Insider said:
So Critch says we didn't play too much differently than we did against The Baggies???
Quite clearly Birmingham are a club in turmoil, defensively they were poor and I thought their keeper had a shocker.
So how come we won 6-1?
4 changes from Friday. Out go Thorniley, Gabriel, Bowler and Madine.
In come Keogh, Hamiton, Beesley and Kirk.
Same formation, 4-4-2 but Connolly moves from CM to RB.
Keshi moves from RW to CM and we ditch the 2 defensive midfielders option.
We start with a left and right footed winger but seeing as @Philbfctrois wasn't coming to watch (he'd heard what happened to Ollie when he crossed him😉) Critch was brave enough to play them "inverted".
Madine and Beesley was a straight switch.
It just worked.
Keogh added that bit of extra experience at the back, Kenny and Keshi played the ball forward, CJ's crosses found a striker in the box and Kirk's dead ball delivery was a vast improvement.
Football's a simple game when things go well.
Click to expand...

To be fair though isn’t this just what Phil3 has been advocating just with the wingers playing on their correct side?
 
voyeur said:
I wouldn't be surprised if we got bids for Eki, but will they be enough for us to sell? I wouldn't take a million. Will someone offer 5 million? Doubt it.

Does Critch rate Thorniley? Sort of, but not really. He's a high earner apparently. Will we offer another contract? I suspect not.
Click to expand...
We don't have any high earners and i reckon to replace Thorniley would cost us more now we are in the Championship

To me its a no brainer to keep Thorniley as there aren't that many left sides centre backs about and he gives us much needed balance now the Vikings left
 
Philbfctrois said:
We don't have any high earners and i reckon to replace Thorniley would cost us more now we are in the Championship

To me its a no brainer to keep Thorniley as there aren't that many left sides centre backs about and he gives us much needed balance now the Vikings left
Click to expand...
I don't really disagree, but I think Critch might.
 
Insider said:
So Critch says we didn't play too much differently than we did against The Baggies???
Quite clearly Birmingham are a club in turmoil, defensively they were poor and I thought their keeper had a shocker.
So how come we won 6-1?
4 changes from Friday. Out go Thorniley, Gabriel, Bowler and Madine.
In come Keogh, Hamiton, Beesley and Kirk.
Same formation, 4-4-2 but Connolly moves from CM to RB.
Keshi moves from RW to CM and we ditch the 2 defensive midfielders option.
We start with a left and right footed winger but seeing as @Philbfctrois wasn't coming to watch (he'd heard what happened to Ollie when he crossed him😉) Critch was brave enough to play them "inverted".
Madine and Beesley was a straight switch.
It just worked.
Keogh added that bit of extra experience at the back, Kenny and Keshi played the ball forward, CJ's crosses found a striker in the box and Kirk's dead ball delivery was a vast improvement.
Football's a simple game when things go well.
Click to expand...
I don't like the term defensive midfielders.

Midfield players both attack and defend....Keshi did both.....as did Kenny as did Kirk and CJ....it's a modern phrse that describes a lazy ** that won't work back.........there were loads of these glory hunting posers in Sunday football....ask Raging Bull 😂
 
Ginge said:
I don't like the term defensive midfielders.

Midfield players both attack and defend....Keshi did both.....as did Kenny as did Kirk and CJ....it's a modern phrse that describes a lazy ** that won't work back.........there were loads of these glory hunting posers in Sunday football....ask Raging Bull 😂
Click to expand...
Read defensive as "win it back and pass it safely". Ofensive CMs will be prone to the risky pass and/or keen to try and carry the ball up the midfield.
Thoso lazy twats that you mention usually save themselves for the next offensive play, so they can make the diference (or so they like to think 😂).
 
Ginge said:
I don't like the term defensive midfielders.

Midfield players both attack and defend....Keshi did both.....as did Kenny as did Kirk and CJ....it's a modern phrse that describes a lazy ** that won't work back.........there were loads of these glory hunting posers in Sunday football....ask Raging Bull 😂
Click to expand...
I think you've got to look at their heat maps to determine which part of the pitch they spend most of their time.
It's a position not an insult but I do understand your point.
We should be playing "total football" like those Blackpool wannabees in orange shirts famously once played. 😀 🍊
 
Football is a simple game made difficult by the opposition. In Birmingham's case not very difficult at all. Sir Critch has done an amazing Job this year in consolidating our position in the championship, we are work in progress and at least a year or two ahead of schedule in the master plan thanks to our esteemed coach. Not always been pretty granted but it was never going to be easy, this is huge step up from league 1.
 
With reference to Beesley attacking the six-yard box, one of my slight concerns re Monday's game was Lavery's frequent absence from the six-yard box and a tendency to arrive late on the scene. HIs runs into the six-yard box were the highlight of his early form and resulted in many of his goals. I was expecting to see him dovetailing with Beesley, with one going to the far post, the other to the near post. This didn't happen very often. Something to work on? (Love Lavery as a player by the way.)
 
Poolster said:
With reference to Beesley attacking the six-yard box, one of my slight concerns re Monday's game was Lavery's frequent absence from the six-yard box and a tendency to arrive late on the scene. HIs runs into the six-yard box were the highlight of his early form and resulted in many of his goals. I was expecting to see him dovetailing with Beesley, with one going to the far post, the other to the near post. This didn't happen very often. Something to work on? (Love Lavery as a player by the way.)
Click to expand...
Agree, Lavery seemed to miss the boat completely , during a pretty rampant attacking display, and seems to have lost his way. He played a part in the build up to the first goal but I don't recall much else. It's concerning that Beesley on his first start can get on the end of things and score twice and hit the post, while Lavery and Yates share the other role and barely muster an attempt at goal. I don't understand it tbh. What must they think of Beesley making it look so straight forward?
 
Here's why we won so easily
Goal no 1 forward pass out of defense (not backwards or square)
Then another forward pass for CJ to run on to taking on a static defender at pace
A look up into the penalty area and then a measured right footed cross into the box
A centre forward driving in towards the near post
Goal no 2 A fantastic cross field pass in to the path of CJ again to take on a static defender at pace
My point being quick decisive football none of this negative don't lose possession F A coaching mantra
 
Poolview said:
Here's why we won so easily
Goal no 1 forward pass out of defense (not backwards or square)
Then another forward pass for CJ to run on to taking on a static defender at pace
A look up into the penalty area and then a measured right footed cross into the box
A centre forward driving in towards the near post
Goal no 2 A fantastic cross field pass in to the path of CJ again to take on a static defender at pace
My point being quick decisive football none of this negative don't lose possession F A coaching mantra
Click to expand...
- Beesley changed our attacking focus and mobility and got into positions.
- Kirk's delivery was way better than anything we've seen previously.
- CJ was given loads of space to run at.
- Dougall and Keshi supported and fed the attacking players.

I've been saying for a long time that the team needs a more mobile central striker. Simms sort of gave us that for a brief time, but was raw and learning the role. Beesley was really brave on his debut, he didn't seek to stay low key and play it safe, he just went for it. Seized his opportunity. We saw very quickly what we've been missing. I don't know how good he is, if he can produce that more often, but that is what we need from him or somebody else. And we need the kind of delivery that Kirk provided consistently, and the midfield prompting that we got from KD and KA. Weird how it all came together, but it must have come from the training ground.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top