The Blackpool Way

Beachcomber

Beachcomber

Well-known member
The right stuff. You’ve either got it, or you haven’t. The likes of Busby, Mercer, Shankly and Stein all had it. So did the great helmsmen of Bloomfield, in the shape of Smith, Mortensen and Ayre. It’s a fine blend of experience and intuition, confidence and dedication, honesty and passion. All with an absence of personal arrogance. Stephen Dobbie has these same qualities, so now is the time to allow him to bloom. Can he do it alone? No. But neither could the others. To one degree or another, we all need backup (in any walk of life). Shankly, for example, transformed an unfashionable club into a European powerhouse. Though he had a brilliant team of assistants to practically support his vision. They were a band of brothers and they promoted from within. (When Liverpool FC ceased with this model they, despite significant finances, went into the doldrums for a lengthy period of time). We are now in a position to try and emulate such a model. We already have Dobbie, Blinkhorn and Eardley in our employ. Who do we/can we add to the mix? Thompson? Crainey? Another of our old stalwarts? For me, this is the path to take. Simon Sadler has spoken in the past of creating a Blackpool Way. Now is the ideal opportunity to make that dream a reality. UTMP!
 
Is there a Blackpool Way? Or is it just a romanticising of memories of good times for the club? When we had a good manager and some good players. Holloway, Ayre, Grayson, Allan Brown, Mortenson - all very different, just good in their own ways, at that time, in those circumstances.

There's maybe an alternative Blackpool 'Way' personified by the likes of McDonald, Ince, Potts, Hendry, Carr, Megson, Clark, Worthington, Mullen, Appleton, Meadows. ;)
 
voyeur said:
Is there a Blackpool Way? Or is it just a romanticising of memories of good times for the club? When we had a good manager and some good players. Holloway, Ayre, Grayson, Allan Brown, Mortenson - all very different, just good in their own ways, at that time, in those circumstances.

There's maybe an alternative Blackpool 'Way' personified by the likes of McDonald, Ince, Potts, Hendry, Carr, Megson, Clark, Worthington, Mullen, Appleton, Meadows. ;)
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You hit the nail on the head.
No manager can achieve good things, if he doesn't have quality coaches, a decent budget, a good scouting network & an owner with a clear strategy (which SS will be working on now that he's had a clearout).
 
Playing on the floor is the Blackpool way not hoofball. Matthews liked the ball played to his feet and Ernie Taylor was signed at Stan's request to feed him the ball. Ball,Suddick, Green, Adam would never have had the impact they did in a lump it forward every time side.
 
Beachcomber said:
The right stuff. You’ve either got it, or you haven’t. The likes of Busby, Mercer, Shankly and Stein all had it. So did the great helmsmen of Bloomfield, in the shape of Smith, Mortensen and Ayre. It’s a fine blend of experience and intuition, confidence and dedication, honesty and passion. All with an absence of personal arrogance. Stephen Dobbie has these same qualities, so now is the time to allow him to bloom. Can he do it alone? No. But neither could the others. To one degree or another, we all need backup (in any walk of life). Shankly, for example, transformed an unfashionable club into a European powerhouse. Though he had a brilliant team of assistants to practically support his vision. They were a band of brothers and they promoted from within. (When Liverpool FC ceased with this model they, despite significant finances, went into the doldrums for a lengthy period of time). We are now in a position to try and emulate such a model. We already have Dobbie, Blinkhorn and Eardley in our employ. Who do we/can we add to the mix? Thompson? Crainey? Another of our old stalwarts? For me, this is the path to take. Simon Sadler has spoken in the past of creating a Blackpool Way. Now is the ideal opportunity to make that dream a reality. UTMP!
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I get your idea but be honest: Busby, Shankley, Stein....Dobbie (?).
 
Trammo said:
Playing on the floor is the Blackpool way not hoofball. Matthews liked the ball played to his feet and Ernie Taylor was signed at Stan's request to feed him the ball. Ball,Suddick, Green, Adam would never have had the impact they did in a lump it forward every time side.
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That's no specifically the Blackpool Way though. It's just good football. I think. 😉

Of which we have had a few shortish periods over the last 70 years or so.
 
Beachcomber said:
The right stuff. You’ve either got it, or you haven’t. The likes of Busby, Mercer, Shankly and Stein all had it. So did the great helmsmen of Bloomfield, in the shape of Smith, Mortensen and Ayre. It’s a fine blend of experience and intuition, confidence and dedication, honesty and passion. All with an absence of personal arrogance. Stephen Dobbie has these same qualities, so now is the time to allow him to bloom. Can he do it alone? No. But neither could the others. To one degree or another, we all need backup (in any walk of life). Shankly, for example, transformed an unfashionable club into a European powerhouse. Though he had a brilliant team of assistants to practically support his vision. They were a band of brothers and they promoted from within. (When Liverpool FC ceased with this model they, despite significant finances, went into the doldrums for a lengthy period of time). We are now in a position to try and emulate such a model. We already have Dobbie, Blinkhorn and Eardley in our employ. Who do we/can we add to the mix? Thompson? Crainey? Another of our old stalwarts? For me, this is the path to take. Simon Sadler has spoken in the past of creating a Blackpool Way. Now is the ideal opportunity to make that dream a reality. UTMP!
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Nice idea
 
Beachcomber said:
The right stuff. You’ve either got it, or you haven’t. The likes of Busby, Mercer, Shankly and Stein all had it. So did the great helmsmen of Bloomfield, in the shape of Smith, Mortensen and Ayre. It’s a fine blend of experience and intuition, confidence and dedication, honesty and passion. All with an absence of personal arrogance. Stephen Dobbie has these same qualities, so now is the time to allow him to bloom. Can he do it alone? No. But neither could the others. To one degree or another, we all need backup (in any walk of life). Shankly, for example, transformed an unfashionable club into a European powerhouse. Though he had a brilliant team of assistants to practically support his vision. They were a band of brothers and they promoted from within. (When Liverpool FC ceased with this model they, despite significant finances, went into the doldrums for a lengthy period of time). We are now in a position to try and emulate such a model. We already have Dobbie, Blinkhorn and Eardley in our employ. Who do we/can we add to the mix? Thompson? Crainey? Another of our old stalwarts? For me, this is the path to take. Simon Sadler has spoken in the past of creating a Blackpool Way. Now is the ideal opportunity to make that dream a reality. UTMP!
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It’s a cunning plan & just may work!or we could get an up & coming young manager from the lower leagues who’s had a bit of success & supposedly has his teams playing good football, plan A without a doubt for me 👍
 
Appleton and McCarthys approaches were definitely not the Blackpool way. MugDonald and Lee Clark and Megson and Worrhington and Grayson mark 2 were not the Blackpool way.

You could argue Grayson mark 1 wasn’t the Blackpool way either, and Allardyce was the Blackpool way despite him being the total opposite of McMahon who was the Blackpool way as was Holloway. Potts and Ternant and Mullen and Ellis all fall short of the way.

There are definitely more antiBlackpool way managers than Blackpool way managers. Holloway is the Tangerine Standard in modern times and Smith in historical terms and King Billy in the middle distance.

I’d say the way is more an aspiration than anything. Winning attractive football. The Brazil way circa 1970
 
Phil_bfc deux said:
Under Billy Ayre we played long ball football

OK it was winning football but please let's not romanticise to much

We absolutely have no such thing as the Blackpool Way it's just made up nonsense
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Given the constraints at the time, I think Billy’s teams were usually entertaining. But on the couple of periods when our club has been allowed the resources we’ve turned out to be most soccer fan’s favourite second team.
 
I was thinking about this a few months ago and sort of vaguely concluded that we are historically a club that likes to play with quick triky wide players who look to get at defenders.Possibly fond of a strong partnership in the forward line.Not a long ball side,like to get the ball down,move it out wide and mix the deliveries up into the box.
 
voyeur said:
Is there a Blackpool Way? Or is it just a romanticising of memories of good times for the club? When we had a good manager and some good players. Holloway, Ayre, Grayson, Allan Brown, Mortenson - all very different, just good in their own ways, at that time, in those circumstances.

There's maybe an alternative Blackpool 'Way' personified by the likes of McDonald, Ince, Potts, Hendry, Carr, Megson, Clark, Worthington, Mullen, Appleton, Meadows. ;)
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I think the point isn't that that such a way exists deep in some kind of mythical DNA, it's that to create long term success (however you define it for us) is about creating a pattern or identity that you can then work round.

Liverpool's pass and move style lasted through multiple managers. They assessed all their players according to that style. It didn't exist prior to Shankly. It lasted arguably up to Roy Evans and maybe beyond that as Houlier was a follower of the 70s Liverpool way that influenced him.

As I've argued multiple times with you, as good as Critch was, he didn't really produce any particular identity. His style, whilst sometimes innovative was nebulous and pragmatic. Dobbie seems committed to a certain style and that arguably is what we need so that assuming (and it's a big assumption) Dobbie is a success, he eventually leaves us with a clear sense of how to achieve continuity.

See 'the Swansea way' of a few years back for example. 'The Luton way' isn't as aesthetically pleasing but it's clearly about high tempo physical pressing. Wimbledon had a whole series of managers of a certain type in the 80s. Etc etc etc.

I think the point isn't that Sadler should tap into the spirits of Matthews and Morty - more that we should look at establishing a few basic principles about what we do - them we can hopefully work as a cohesive structure and avoid the weird zig zaggy incoherence that we've seen with the management and playing recruitment where it's appeared we've no direction at all.

I'm happy for the Dobster to set the direction as, to be honest, since probably about March or April last year, he's convinced me more than anyone else has (including Critch) that he's got a sense of what he actually is here to achieve and how he wants us to play.

As a player associated with our modern heyday, he's as good as anyone in a marketing sense to build that notion around, but realistically, it could be anyone who has a clear way of playing.
 
So, establishing brand values in which we believe and which we stick to and build both the team and the club around. To be used as a reference point when searching for players and managers alike. Straightforward stuff really it just needs leadership and sticking with when, as they will, things go wrong now and then.
 
Beachcomber said:
The right stuff. You’ve either got it, or you haven’t. The likes of Busby, Mercer, Shankly and Stein all had it. So did the great helmsmen of Bloomfield, in the shape of Smith, Mortensen and Ayre. It’s a fine blend of experience and intuition, confidence and dedication, honesty and passion. All with an absence of personal arrogance. Stephen Dobbie has these same qualities, so now is the time to allow him to bloom. Can he do it alone? No. But neither could the others. To one degree or another, we all need backup (in any walk of life). Shankly, for example, transformed an unfashionable club into a European powerhouse. Though he had a brilliant team of assistants to practically support his vision. They were a band of brothers and they promoted from within. (When Liverpool FC ceased with this model they, despite significant finances, went into the doldrums for a lengthy period of time). We are now in a position to try and emulate such a model. We already have Dobbie, Blinkhorn and Eardley in our employ. Who do we/can we add to the mix? Thompson? Crainey? Another of our old stalwarts? For me, this is the path to take. Simon Sadler has spoken in the past of creating a Blackpool Way. Now is the ideal opportunity to make that dream a reality. UTMP!
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I think your speech is pretty good and then you go into meltdown. I believe that Dobbie should be given a chance ,but to make him out to be the saviour of our club along with a load of ex players that may or may not be successful is bonkers . Its like comparing Charlie Adam to Messi . Maybe we should wait till he gets the job and then see how things play out ,because I saw signs of the Critch method of passing it around at the back ,that does not work too well for teams that aren't great at passing. Liverpool ,Man city etc can do it ,but mistakes are made in the Championship and lower . Even Burnley gave us a goal through it. So lets not get carried away ,lets see what happens.
 
td53 said:
I think the point isn't that that such a way exists deep in some kind of mythical DNA, it's that to create long term success (however you define it for us) is about creating a pattern or identity that you can then work round.

Liverpool's pass and move style lasted through multiple managers. They assessed all their players according to that style. It didn't exist prior to Shankly. It lasted arguably up to Roy Evans and maybe beyond that as Houlier was a follower of the 70s Liverpool way that influenced him.

As I've argued multiple times with you, as good as Critch was, he didn't really produce any particular identity. His style, whilst sometimes innovative was nebulous and pragmatic. Dobbie seems committed to a certain style and that arguably is what we need so that assuming (and it's a big assumption) Dobbie is a success, he eventually leaves us with a clear sense of how to achieve continuity.

See 'the Swansea way' of a few years back for example. 'The Luton way' isn't as aesthetically pleasing but it's clearly about high tempo physical pressing. Wimbledon had a whole series of managers of a certain type in the 80s. Etc etc etc.

I think the point isn't that Sadler should tap into the spirits of Matthews and Morty - more that we should look at establishing a few basic principles about what we do - them we can hopefully work as a cohesive structure and avoid the weird zig zaggy incoherence that we've seen with the management and playing recruitment where it's appeared we've no direction at all.

I'm happy for the Dobster to set the direction as, to be honest, since probably about March or April last year, he's convinced me more than anyone else has (including Critch) that he's got a sense of what he actually is here to achieve and how he wants us to play.

As a player associated with our modern heyday, he's as good as anyone in a marketing sense to build that notion around, but realistically, it could be anyone who has a clear way of playing.
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Cool - nice response thanks.

I think Critch did have an identity but it was sort of identikit. Out of the England coaching model that Southgate has bored us all to death with. I understand your misgivings about it. It was effective though, and he lacked the quality of players required to create and finish that he needed to create something better. Especially in the Championship. I'd rather see us competing, in that manner, than being a mess and losing repeatedly. He had one season, which was about establishing us in there, a platform to build on. But he knew we wouldn't build on it cos we couldn't even get Brannagan over the line.

As far as us adopting an identity or whatever, maybe we just need to be a bit less random with our manager changes? Grayson - Critchley - Appleton - McCarthy - Dobbie is a pretty wild rollercoaster route to take. It feels a bit nebulous this identity thing, though Swansea can be seen to have a consistency of approach, I see that. Fat lot of good it's doing them. I get bored watching them twice a season! 😆

I'm up for the Dobster. Feels like the right choice - as you say, he seems to have a sense of who we are, a love of being with us, a commitment to the beautiful game. I like him. He has some sense of the joy of the good times at Bloomfield Rd about him, a desire to do more for the club and bring good times back. I think Sadler is so wary of inexperience though that he will want Dobbie to appoint a Calderwood/McCall mentor for himself. If he doesn't just go for someone more experienced completely. I did think there was a bit of naivety in the Millwall game, Nelson and the bandaged Hubby were likely to struggle against a lively attack with no protection in front of them. I'm all up for us being adventurous and creative and going for it, but you have to be effective at both ends of the pitch and we were a bit short at the back and he didn't do anything about it at any stage. And we lost, at home, again. A game we could have won. not a major criticism, just an observation. I'd rather we lost 3-2 having a go than 1-0 with ten men back hoofing it clear. Obviously.
 
voyeur said:
Cool - nice response thanks.

I think Critch did have an identity but it was sort of identikit. Out of the England coaching model that Southgate has bored us all to death with. I understand your misgivings about it. It was effective though, and he lacked the quality of players required to create and finish that he needed to create something better. Especially in the Championship. I'd rather see us competing, in that manner, than being a mess and losing repeatedly. He had one season, which was about establishing us in there, a platform to build on. But he knew we wouldn't build on it cos we couldn't even get Brannagan over the line.

As far as us adopting an identity or whatever, maybe we just need to be a bit less random with our manager changes? Grayson - Critchley - Appleton - McCarthy - Dobbie is a pretty wild rollercoaster route to take. It feels a bit nebulous this identity thing, though Swansea can be seen to have a consistency of approach, I see that. Fat lot of good it's doing them. I get bored watching them twice a season! 😆

I'm up for the Dobster. Feels like the right choice - as you say, he seems to have a sense of who we are, a love of being with us, a commitment to the beautiful game. I like him. He has some sense of the joy of the good times at Bloomfield Rd about him, a desire to do more for the club and bring good times back. I think Sadler is so wary of inexperience though that he will want Dobbie to appoint a Calderwood/McCall mentor for himself. If he doesn't just go for someone more experienced completely. I did think there was a bit of naivety in the Millwall game, Nelson and the bandaged Hubby were likely to struggle against a lively attack with no protection in front of them. I'm all up for us being adventurous and creative and going for it, but you have to be effective at both ends of the pitch and we were a bit short at the back and he didn't do anything about it at any stage. And we lost, at home, again. A game we could have won. not a major criticism, just an observation. I'd rather we lost 3-2 having a go than 1-0 with ten men back hoofing it clear. Obviously.
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We don't have effective protection for the defence though. We literally do not possess a fit defensive midfielder of any quality. Yes, Trybull made the bench, but he's probably rusty as fuck and for 30 mins at best. (At least at time of Millwall) - there isn't anyone else. Fiorini has had a much better impact as the 'feisty' mid than Connolly or Dougall. Kenny had been horrible this year. He just has. I know people like him (I like him!) but he's had a poor season. Connolly is cursed by versatility and hasn't improved at all in any position as he's played three different ones. Again, I like him but we've got a shocking record with him in midfield this year. (Something like w2 L13)

I do take the point, despite the above but any style or approach has drawbacks and will lead someone to say, 'yeah but if we....' - I felt numerous times that Critchley drew or lost games against weaker sides because he wouldn't abandon the caution and give Sullay a free role to drift and pull them out of shape because he was so concerned about our own shape. That I felt was also naive in a different way. It was fundamentally (small c) conservative or cautious against teams that we didn't need to fear. He actually invited problems for us by doing that. Ultimately, he did the business tho, so he was right and I wasn't . At our best under Critch we were drilled as fuck and that comes in part from those times where you stick to your ethos despite people saying otherwise.

The thing they have in common though (so far anyway) is they've both clearly got the players energized and on the same page. I'm happy to lose the odd game in the cause of embedding a way of playing - just as ultimately Critch was happy to do so.

I have no idea if he'll succeed or not - but I am happy to find out.
 
td53 said:
We don't have effective protection for the defence though. We literally do not possess a fit defensive midfielder of any quality. Yes, Trybull made the bench, but he's probably rusty as fuck and for 30 mins at best. (At least at time of Millwall) - there isn't anyone else. Fiorini has had a much better impact as the 'feisty' mid than Connolly or Dougall. Kenny had been horrible this year. He just has. I know people like him (I like him!) but he's had a poor season. Connolly is cursed by versatility and hasn't improved at all in any position as he's played three different ones. Again, I like him but we've got a shocking record with him in midfield this year. (Something like w2 L13)

I do take the point, despite the above but any style or approach has drawbacks and will lead someone to say, 'yeah but if we....' - I felt numerous times that Critchley drew or lost games against weaker sides because he wouldn't abandon the caution and give Sullay a free role to drift and pull them out of shape because he was so concerned about our own shape. That I felt was also naive in a different way. It was fundamentally (small c) conservative or cautious against teams that we didn't need to fear. He actually invited problems for us by doing that. Ultimately, he did the business tho, so he was right and I wasn't . At our best under Critch we were drilled as fuck and that comes in part from those times where you stick to your ethos despite people saying otherwise.

The thing they have in common though (so far anyway) is they've both clearly got the players energized and on the same page. I'm happy to lose the odd game in the cause of embedding a way of playing - just as ultimately Critch was happy to do so.

I have no idea if he'll succeed or not - but I am happy to find out.
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Very good second para, I totally agree with that. He sacrificed things sometimes for consistency of approach. rightly or wrongly.

And I'll acquiesce on the first para. Critch coped with limited DM options and got the best out of KD and CC when KS and Wintle weren't around, which was most of the time. But KD has lost hois way this season, Appleton didn't fancy him and he missed the World Cup. Dobs hasn't had time to work much on patterns and structures so it's unfair to criticise anything he's done really.

Absolutely agree about Dobs energising the players too - it's what Grayson, Appleton and MM failed to do, pretty much. You sensed the players have started looking forward to match day again. And the Fans. And that all feeds itself. I hope he gets it, I'm happy to see how he gets on, the fans will be behind him. And hopefully won't turn on him if things don't go to plan. I hate the total lack of patience we see now.
 
haggertyf said:
Bit harsh on Billy,We mainly tried to get the wingers like David Eyres and Tony Rodwell and Trevor Sinclair to get crosses in for Dave Bamber
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I wasn't commenting on Billy, I was commenting on the absence of a Blackpool Way. 👍
 
voyeur said:
Very good second para, I totally agree with that. He sacrificed things sometimes for consistency of approach. rightly or wrongly.

And I'll acquiesce on the first para. Critch coped with limited DM options and got the best out of KD and CC when KS and Wintle weren't around, which was most of the time. But KD has lost hois way this season, Appleton didn't fancy him and he missed the World Cup. Dobs hasn't had time to work much on patterns and structures so it's unfair to criticise anything he's done really.

Absolutely agree about Dobs energising the players too - it's what Grayson, Appleton and MM failed to do, pretty much. You sensed the players have started looking forward to match day again. And the Fans. And that all feeds itself. I hope he gets it, I'm happy to see how he gets on, the fans will be behind him. And hopefully won't turn on him if things don't go to plan. I hate the total lack of patience we see now.
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Totally, I agree on patience. I still think Appleton was on a sticky wicket far too quickly. We've done that on here a billion times. On that, I agree 100% with Phil. He was trying to do the right things. The whole mood around the place didn't help him at all. That includes the fanbase. He made mistakes, he got stuff wrong but it was all amplified. A.n.other manager wouldn't have had people screaming at him after a few games

Anyway...

One reason I want Dobbie is that I think almost anyone else will have the fans demanding Dobbie if we're taking time to get up the table. Only Dobbie won't have fans clamouring for Dobbie and I think he'll get more grace than others. I also think he's well positioned to choose who he wants to stay and where he wants to go for a clean slate. I think he knows who he likes from the current squad and who he's not keen on. Not to reignite the whole Maxwell debate, but he's shown more bollocks than two experienced managers in making a decisive statement about who is in charge there. He motivates the players. Not the keeper.

On midfielders, I think what Appleton and indeed Dobbie (as in set up, he's not that far from Appleton, though he's a lot more about pace/pressing) want from their DM is beyond both CC and KD at least in their current form and at this level. What Critch wanted was simpler. Win it. Gain ground. Go wide. Every time. They didn't need to be at all creative. The pattern of Critch's team was that we almost never created a goal from central positions in midfield. Dougall did have assists but they were almost all corners or set plays.

I think Dougall's race is probably run with us.
Connolly. I don't know. I don't know what he actually is any more. He's an ok right back but no more. He's not all that at centre back. He's not awful but he doesn't notably command. I had hoped he could be that kind of Southern -esque disrupter in midfield but he's not really shone this year as that either.

He just seems doomed to be 'quite useful to have about' as he can cover different roles and I think that, for him, is a bit of a shame.
 
I agree with others who have said there is no actual ‘Blackpool Way’ that transcends the generations. It’s all down to the senior leadership of the club at the time against the context they are in.

If the owner wants to define a ‘Blackpool way’ for his tenure I’d love to here what he wants it to be because that would define the vision he has. Next step will be to produce a strategy to achieve that.

I know he has written on this before, but it seems like we have lost our way having been unbalanced by Critchley going in the way he did.

I’d like to hear how he sees it now.
 
td53 said:
Totally, I agree on patience. I still think Appleton was on a sticky wicket far too quickly. We've done that on here a billion times. On that, I agree 100% with Phil. He was trying to do the right things. The whole mood around the place didn't help him at all. That includes the fanbase. He made mistakes, he got stuff wrong but it was all amplified. A.n.other manager wouldn't have had people screaming at him after a few games

Anyway...

One reason I want Dobbie is that I think almost anyone else will have the fans demanding Dobbie if we're taking time to get up the table. Only Dobbie won't have fans clamouring for Dobbie and I think he'll get more grace than others. I also think he's well positioned to choose who he wants to stay and where he wants to go for a clean slate. I think he knows who he likes from the current squad and who he's not keen on. Not to reignite the whole Maxwell debate, but he's shown more bollocks than two experienced managers in making a decisive statement about who is in charge there. He motivates the players. Not the keeper.

On midfielders, I think what Appleton and indeed Dobbie (as in set up, he's not that far from Appleton, though he's a lot more about pace/pressing) want from their DM is beyond both CC and KD at least in their current form and at this level. What Critch wanted was simpler. Win it. Gain ground. Go wide. Every time. They didn't need to be at all creative. The pattern of Critch's team was that we almost never created a goal from central positions in midfield. Dougall did have assists but they were almost all corners or set plays.

I think Dougall's race is probably run with us.
Connolly. I don't know. I don't know what he actually is any more. He's an ok right back but no more. He's not all that at centre back. He's not awful but he doesn't notably command. I had hoped he could be that kind of Southern -esque disrupter in midfield but he's not really shone this year as that either.

He just seems doomed to be 'quite useful to have about' as he can cover different roles and I think that, for him, is a bit of a shame.
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Agree with the vast maj of that! He's clearly got his own mind and has made decisive selection moves right at the start of his head coach journey.

Appleton was up against it from the off. I don't think he helped himself though, he seemed to let it get to him instead of fighting back against the bigotry. He had to win people over but didn't really try, it felt to me, at least. Seemed downbeat almost immediately. He shouldn't have had to mind, the job is hard enough without fighting your own fans from the word go. Dobbie won't have that problem. And yes, anyone else is not Dobbie. I used to have to defend Wellens a fair bit back in the day, quite a few of our fans didn't like him. I even posted a poem here once called 'Wellens is a Fairy', which got a pretty positive response. 😀

Critch's team was 2 DMs and 2 wide men and 2 up front - probably out of necessity because we had nobody to play as an attacking midfielder and we failed to sign anybody, to be fair to him. I doubt that was what he wanted. Then we get Patino and Fiorini for Applebob and we ditch the DMs and the problem just moves backwards! I bet critch would have loved one of those two the previous season. Or similar.

Dougall, is off I'm sure. If Connolly is out of contract, Dobs may let him go. Unless he sees a position he can make his own, in League One. He has a great attitude which will influence others in training, and he is very physically strong and determined, and that can help in certain games. In L1, he may be worth a place, but i'm just not sure he's one for Dobs. Tight call probably.
 
Bigotry? There were loads of people prepared to get behind him once he was appointed. I was warming to him at the start and he appeared to have learned from last time, but it soon became clear his methods weren’t working with the team and then he dug in and started slipping back into his usual media habits when he was Blackpool manager the first time around and he lost the confidence of the fans.

To suggest pitchforks we’re out from game one is just not right.
 
voyeur said:
Agree with the vast maj of that! He's clearly got his own mind and has made decisive selection moves right at the start of his head coach journey.

Appleton was up against it from the off. I don't think he helped himself though, he seemed to let it get to him instead of fighting back against the bigotry. He had to win people over but didn't really try, it felt to me, at least. Seemed downbeat almost immediately. He shouldn't have had to mind, the job is hard enough without fighting your own fans from the word go. Dobbie won't have that problem. And yes, anyone else is not Dobbie. I used to have to defend Wellens a fair bit back in the day, quite a few of our fans didn't like him. I even posted a poem here once called 'Wellens is a Fairy', which got a pretty positive response. 😀

Critch's team was 2 DMs and 2 wide men and 2 up front - probably out of necessity because we had nobody to play as an attacking midfielder and we failed to sign anybody, to be fair to him. I doubt that was what he wanted. Then we get Patino and Fiorini for Applebob and we ditch the DMs and the problem just moves backwards! I bet critch would have loved one of those two the previous season. Or similar.

Dougall, is off I'm sure. If Connolly is out of contract, Dobs may let him go. Unless he sees a position he can make his own, in League One. He has a great attitude which will influence others in training, and he is very physically strong and determined, and that can help in certain games. In L1, he may be worth a place, but i'm just not sure he's one for Dobs. Tight call probably.
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Aye, fair that. I quite liked Appleton's lack of PR skills in a perverse way. I do tend to have quite singular tastes in things like music and that. My likes are often not in time with what is popular. 😂
 
td53 said:
Aye, fair that. I quite liked Appleton's lack of PR skills in a perverse way. I do tend to have quite singular tastes in things like music and that. My likes are often not in time with what is popular. 😂
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I actually understand that. He was sort of refreshingly down to earth and humble. Muscles and tats and softly spoken. If he was a song he'd be a love ballad by Iron Maiden. Leather and lace. I hope he finds a good way forward. A really nice guy I reckon, Apples.

Critch was smoother, quiltier, more thunderbird puppet. If he was a song he'd be a filler track off a Bryan Adams album. There are fine margins between success and failure and it's down to a number of factors and quite a bit is out of the head coach's control. But you have to say that critch brought energy and clarity - the players responded to him and they understood him, and talked about how good he was, how thorough, they were better players with his coaching.

It's nice to like these people but I'd take effectiveness first. I want our team to be competitive first and foremost. To be able to stand up to the opposition and stay in games is the base camp you need to be at, as a minimum. A coach needs to get to base camp first. Critch did that, and by the end of his first season, with Simms up front, we looked a good side, just lacking a playmaker.
 
clappers said:
Bigotry? There were loads of people prepared to get behind him once he was appointed. I was warming to him at the start and he appeared to have learned from last time, but it soon became clear his methods weren’t working with the team and then he dug in and started slipping back into his usual media habits when he was Blackpool manager the first time around and he lost the confidence of the fans.

To suggest pitchforks we’re out from game one is just not right.
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To be fair, I think it was about game 5 or 6 when someone near me shouted "Appleton, this is on you you **. Fuck off" whilst shaking apoplectically and turning bright red in a game when we were playing ok as well. It wasn't a rational reaction to whatever the setback was. It wasn't proportionate at all. Some people just hated the guy from the off. That, I think, became kind of self fulfilling.

Not saying it was everyone or a majority or whatever, but it was there in a way it just wasn't for some other managers and I think that it makes it harder, especially with a young and fragile group of players lacking experience and vocal leadership.

He did, of course not help himself either.
 
td53 said:
To be fair, I think it was about game 5 or 6 when someone near me shouted "Appleton, this is on you you **. Fuck off" whilst shaking apoplectically and turning bright red in a game when we were playing ok as well. It wasn't a rational reaction to whatever the setback was. It wasn't proportionate at all. Some people just hated the guy from the off. That, I think, became kind of self fulfilling.

Not saying it was everyone or a majority or whatever, but it was there in a way it just wasn't for some other managers and I think that it makes it harder, especially with a young and fragile group of players lacking experience and vocal leadership.

He did, of course not help himself either.
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The bizarre thing is that after the Grayson debacle we still went with another former manager…as if we had no ideas other than fall back on the past. Once the Anti-Appleton genie was out of the bottle it wouldn’t ever be able to be put back in again. And then either Mansford or Sadler or both wished for a veteran experienced manager and it got even worse! Third time lucky!
 
clappers said:
The bizarre thing is that after the Grayson debacle we still went with another former manager…as if we had no ideas other than fall back on the past. Once the Anti-Appleton genie was out of the bottle it wouldn’t ever be able to be put back in again. And then either Mansford or Sadler or both wished for a veteran experienced manager and it got even worse! Third time lucky!
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Aye, it was a mentalist appointment. As is obvious, I am one of the few who was really, still hoping for him to get it right or pull it together as I thought he could get a tune out of us with right players fit even up to Watford away but my initial reaction to his appointment was "what the fuck is that? Why???"

To be honest, he was weird. We'd play brilliantly sometimes but then next game, it was like we weren't there at all. He had no luck but then he also has woeful judgement of how to play it sometimes. I thought after Sheff U away when he got stuck in -to the mass brawl that's it, he's one of us now. Then he'd say or do something and it would be alienating and he'd undo whatever good he'd done.

Dobbie's 5 games have, I think been the most consistent run of performances all season which tells the story really.

I'm just desperately hoping they don't go for some proper randomer like Brian McDermott or I dunno, Dave Artell when it appears the right answer is staring is on the face.
 
voyeur said:
Is there a Blackpool Way? Or is it just a romanticising of memories of good times for the club? When we had a good manager and some good players. Holloway, Ayre, Grayson, Allan Brown, Mortenson - all very different, just good in their own ways, at that time, in those circumstances.

There's maybe an alternative Blackpool 'Way' personified by the likes of McDonald, Ince, Potts, Hendry, Carr, Megson, Clark, Worthington, Mullen, Appleton, Meadows. ;)
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There's no Blackpool way, it's rose tinted bollocks. We've been utter shit far more often than not in the past 50 years.
 
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