Deservedly booed off at the end for another sub-standard home performance where we again squandered two points. Lack of ambition is turning this season into a slow strangulation and if we are not careful, it could become disastrous.
I do not like singling players out but Nicky Pope was at fault for both goals but Blackpool were so poor we should still have won this game comfortably had we played to our strengths and been more aggressive. Bob Peeters needs to be answering some basic questions this evening.
Blackpool are the divisions' whipping boys and attack had to be the game plan. Instead we went for yet more caution and when we should have gone for the jugular we backed-off and exposed ourselves. We managed only one effort on goal in the first-half and that was an equalising penalty just before half-time. I need to see it again but the challenge on Igor Vetokele didn't look too bad to me at first pass. Irrespective, Yoni Buyens drilled home for parity that was deserved given Blackpool's own indifferent showing, even if Chris Eagles (it had to be him) had managed to fire home after Pope failed to collect a rare Blackpool corner.
After the break Jordan Cousins slotted home a fine strike from twenty odd yards which for once he kept low and on target. From there the game was crying out to be won. Igor Vetokele floated one wide from distance and Callum Harriott missed the far post with a long range effort too, but we didn't manage to build the requisite pressure or commit enough men forward to score a decisive third. Almost inevitably, Blackpool equalised at the end of full-time from a dodgy free-kick which Pope completely fluffed. In the four minutes of added time it was the usual panic stations as we poured forward trying to rescue the situation. Bikey was presented with a free shot from 18 yards in the last minute but he blasted over and the opportunity was gone.
Bob Peeters needs to be explaining why he decided Chris Solly should have been playing in a strange role in front of the back four and to the right, almost as if covering Joe Gomez. Gomez did ok at full-back today but he offered nothing like Solly might have going forward and his delivery into the box was negligible. Solly was sound enough but he wasn't in the match nearly enough and it meant we were short in the middle. Buyers and Cousins were busy but we had nothing on the left and Gudmundson cut in so frequently from the right that we lacked any sustained threat down that flank either. Given Callum Harriott was again largely ineffective upfront it meant Igor Vetokele was once more ploughing a lone furrow.
The chance to change things in the second-half was wasted. Lawrie Wilson should have entered the fray but instead it was Clumsy George who came on to make nothing of what little service was being provided. We had decided to slow things down after going two-one up and invited the equaliser which Blackpool didn't really look capable of.
Having missed two successive home wins in August when on holiday, this season has been pitiful for me with only two wins. My patience has now been tested and I will be far more critical of Bob Peeters and the team if there aren't obvious changes from here on. Against my better judgement I am headed up to Blackburn next week where I guess Bob will be planning to escape with another point. Frankly, I'd rather we had a proper go and lost. Booooooooooo.
I do not like singling players out but Nicky Pope was at fault for both goals but Blackpool were so poor we should still have won this game comfortably had we played to our strengths and been more aggressive. Bob Peeters needs to be answering some basic questions this evening.
Blackpool are the divisions' whipping boys and attack had to be the game plan. Instead we went for yet more caution and when we should have gone for the jugular we backed-off and exposed ourselves. We managed only one effort on goal in the first-half and that was an equalising penalty just before half-time. I need to see it again but the challenge on Igor Vetokele didn't look too bad to me at first pass. Irrespective, Yoni Buyens drilled home for parity that was deserved given Blackpool's own indifferent showing, even if Chris Eagles (it had to be him) had managed to fire home after Pope failed to collect a rare Blackpool corner.
After the break Jordan Cousins slotted home a fine strike from twenty odd yards which for once he kept low and on target. From there the game was crying out to be won. Igor Vetokele floated one wide from distance and Callum Harriott missed the far post with a long range effort too, but we didn't manage to build the requisite pressure or commit enough men forward to score a decisive third. Almost inevitably, Blackpool equalised at the end of full-time from a dodgy free-kick which Pope completely fluffed. In the four minutes of added time it was the usual panic stations as we poured forward trying to rescue the situation. Bikey was presented with a free shot from 18 yards in the last minute but he blasted over and the opportunity was gone.
Bob Peeters needs to be explaining why he decided Chris Solly should have been playing in a strange role in front of the back four and to the right, almost as if covering Joe Gomez. Gomez did ok at full-back today but he offered nothing like Solly might have going forward and his delivery into the box was negligible. Solly was sound enough but he wasn't in the match nearly enough and it meant we were short in the middle. Buyers and Cousins were busy but we had nothing on the left and Gudmundson cut in so frequently from the right that we lacked any sustained threat down that flank either. Given Callum Harriott was again largely ineffective upfront it meant Igor Vetokele was once more ploughing a lone furrow.
The chance to change things in the second-half was wasted. Lawrie Wilson should have entered the fray but instead it was Clumsy George who came on to make nothing of what little service was being provided. We had decided to slow things down after going two-one up and invited the equaliser which Blackpool didn't really look capable of.
Having missed two successive home wins in August when on holiday, this season has been pitiful for me with only two wins. My patience has now been tested and I will be far more critical of Bob Peeters and the team if there aren't obvious changes from here on. Against my better judgement I am headed up to Blackburn next week where I guess Bob will be planning to escape with another point. Frankly, I'd rather we had a proper go and lost. Booooooooooo.
Changes with.....who? These are the players we have, and this is who Bob will be picking until the transfer window opens. And even then, I get the feeling Roland will be saying "Well done, Bob, more of the same for a midtable finish, and then we'll see..."
ReplyDeleteWe look a bit threadbare. Don't forget, we would have taken someone's arm off if they had suggested in August we'd be 5 points off the play offs in the run up to Christmas. I'll take a win and a draw against Blackburn and Cardiff, and then revenge against Ipswich to see out the year in some style!
Martin Cowan
Two wins this season Dave! Bloody luxury! My son and I have seen one win in a season and a half - 30 games...
ReplyDeleteWe knew that in the last 15 mins we'd start to sit deep and sure enough we made exactly the same mistake once more.
Disagree with you re Gomes - thought he did well going forward. Solly's position was very odd though.
Mid table mediocrity is something I'd gladly swap for the relegation battles of the last two years. But your slow strangulation comparison is very apt. I'm not enjoying myself at all.
Pembury Addick
Dave,
ReplyDeleteYou alluded to it a couple of blogs back, we are so predictable as a club, I always seem to know when we're going to fluff it and I'm seldom wrong, if I'd have listened to my head more, rather then my heart, I could have picked up a relative fortune over the years from the bookies.
Obviously, you see more games than me by it would appear that all we need is a couple of players to have had a serious tilt of promotion and given that the Championship clubs have voted against the FFP, this season may have been Rolands best opportunity.
PH
Martin - I don't disagree that the squad is thin and that we need strengthening if we are to seriously consider ourselves promotion candidates. What needs to change is our approach to matches. There has to be an emphasis on winning instead of one of not losing. We have the personnel to do that and should have managed it yesterday.
ReplyDeletePA - 30 games? Ooh er. That suggests a fair number of aways as well as unfortunately picked homes?
ReplyDeletePH - Roland has the money and probably the patience to have already written this season off to slow progress which we have seen so far. He can decide to strengthen for next season if we finish comfortably above last seasons' showing and take it from there. The problem is, season ticket holders have to watch the pap we are serving up this season in the meantime. Maybe Bob Peeters simply isn't ambitious enough as a manager - yesterday's performance against a League 2 side in all but timing was unacceptable. It was probably value for the £2 Community Trust visitors but not for hardened season ticket holders.
ReplyDeletePersonal view is that we are only 2 or 3 players short of a top half or even play off team. If from Saturday's team we could replace Pope (Henderson), Fox (Wiggins) and Harriot/George with some decent quality in January then I believe we can start winning games and move up the table.
ReplyDeleteNeed to win some games to get some faith back in the fans or attendances will keep falling and next seasons season tickets will drop down further.