Blackpool v Leeds - Team/Reports/Ratings

[Twiggster]

Hope our travelling fans stay safe. Got word that roads around blackpool are like a skating rink this afternoon. Be worse after the game...

[Leedsboy38]

Sent all the family off to do their various bits of shopping and whatever, got Sam settled in on the Wii, log in to LUTV for commentary ... and then realise its a 5:15 kick-off! By which time everyone will be back and wanting to be fed or sommat.

Oh, prediction for the game? 1-1. Barnsley game showed that we still lack the consistency in thrashing weaker teams, and Blackpool certainly aren't as weak as Barnsley. Ross to score in second half.

On! On! On!

[becchio bear]

Awww bless Andy

[Leedsboy38]

On the upside, however, I now realise the game is on tv, so just need the family not to get home before 5pm and then I'll be all set

[becchio bear]

On the upside, however, I now realise the game is on tv, so just need the family not to get home before 5pm and then I'll be all set

Gosh you are slow on the uptake Andy, is your brain addled with an overdose of alcohol

[paddy parrott]

Any early team news or am i to early?

[Genghers]

Brown and Tonge in for Murphy and Mowatt (suspended and rested). Gboly Ariyibi on the bench.

[Twiggster]

Was happy with the 1st ½ - we had the game in our hands and lovely header from Pelts to score.
Think our players had xmas pud instead of oranges tho, in the break?
We just didn't really come out for the 2nd ½.
Seemed to get slower and slower and letting them right back into the game. Their goal was always coming and what a cracking shot it was! I think Paddy would have had it, but Zal did what he thought was right. Unlucky. Lack of communication there, I feel?
What can you say about that ref tho! Ignored the straight red for last man foul on Ross (no it wasn't a pen), then had to consult the lino before sending Broadfoot off for that horrible tackle on Zal. Not sure if it was a straight red or 2nd yellow as my stream froze right at that moment!
Anyway, we can't blame the ref for the way we relaxed in the 2nd half. I feel we threw away 2 points, rather than got an away point.
Rubbish choice of players on the bench I thought? Why no Diouff? Just the player to bring on at 1-1 and settle our scrappy midfield, after Brown ran out of steam? Tho Brown had a very good 60 mins and showed some class. Tonge was abysmal - all he did when he got the ball was play it backwards. We really missed Murphy today.
Smith huffed and puffed like an asthmatic on valium. Needs dropping. But for WHO??? Thought Egg might have subbed him for Varney in last 15 mins. Least Varney can run.
Pelts, Lees, Zal and Pearce pretty solid in defence and Blackpool were shut down in every attack. Warning signs were there tho with long range shots and we repeatedly failed to close down their attacks earlier.

MOTM? Have to give it to Brown. He bullied and taunted their players all game and showed some solid class, until he ran out of puff.

2 points dropped today in my opinion and lucky to still be 5th.
Edit - 6th ATM. Forest winning 1- 0

[Twiggster]

DEFFO last man - DEFFO red card! Deffo stupid ref!

Looky here

[Twiggster]

Scabs winning 2-0 now! Have QPR burned out at last?

[paddy parrott]

Hi there Twiggster and good to see your post and yes we probably hung on ,although manfully in my view for a hard earned point.Wedid get outplayed of course second half in midfield so agood point of course.
I see twiggs that you admired our defencsive players` but ommited probably one of the best ones of the night and to me Danny Pugh was tremendous ...oh and i hope you saw his cross for Pelts to score with his head.

[Twiggster]

Hi there Twiggster and good to see your post and yes we probably hung on ,although manfully in my view for a hard earned point.Wedid get outplayed of course second half in midfield so agood point of course.
I see twiggs that you admired our defencsive players` but ommited probably one of the best ones of the night and to me Danny Pugh was tremendous ...oh and i hope you saw his cross for Pelts to score with his head.

I actually had him as a 1st ½ MOTM contender, but... Excepting that lovely run and cross for Pelt's goal, I thought he was ineffective today? Think that was the only time he did owt really constructive in either half and he faded badly in 2nd ½.. Zal and Pearce covered for him at he back, as he seemed to get stuck in left midfield. Mentioned that in VLR - he hardly got forward or back to defend when needed.
I like Pugh as he usually gives his all - was disappointed with him today tho.

[HarryofOz]

Good away point at Blackpool.

[paddy parrott]

Indeed Twiggster although i thought he was consistent all game. And he kept plugging away and did for me get down the line all game to his credit.

[Twiggster]

Indeed Twiggster although i thought he was consistent all game. And he kept plugging away and did for me get down the line all game to his credit.

There you have the crux of the game, PP. Blackpool tagged our main players 3 on one. We didn't close down any of their main players early enough. Pugh was closed down on the ½ way line almost every time and isn't skillful enough to deal with that.
For example, if Diouff was on the bench, he would have been perfect to bring on, for Blackpool to put four players on him. Take the weight of our other players and still have the skill to beat four of them and release our lads going forward..
Watching that game, Diouff on for Tonge after they equalised, would have got us the win, I'm sure.

Then again, if Egg is happy with the draw then fine. He's the manager.

[Genghers]

We were unfortunate there, would have been a different result had the referee sent off Broadfoot for the foul on McCormack. Would have also saved Zal another bruise! What is it with him and drawing these awful challenges?!

We were missing out two best midfielders and it showed, Tonge and Brown can't cut a whole half, let alone a whole game! Worrying thing is, we didn't have midfielders on the bench either... I think that if we're to continue with this formation (which I think we should do) we need at least one more player who can come in and do the same job as Murphy, who's probably been our best man in the middle of the park for the last few matches.

Better to be disappointed that we didn't take all the points away from home than wonder how we managed to get a point though!

Tough game at Forest on Sunday now, who just beat QPR. I notice they've signed Lichaj too, who could be a test for our relatively sluggish full backs...

[markolufc]

On paper it's a great result, in practice it's two points dropped.

Once again highlights the shortcomings of our squad. I think we resorted to hoofball because we were struggling to create any space against a team that nullified most of our threats, mostly because we only really have McCormack when Byram and Mowatt aren't on the pitch.

We missed Murphy today I feel.

Doesn't matter how well our "lesser" players are playing, they still aren't good enough. Some squad development in January and Summer is required, but I'm 110% sure that will happen and we'll come out of both transfer windows stronger. Gradel anybody?

[1964white]

Yet another dour performance, not easy on the eye but happy with a point in a game which is always a difficult fixture at Bloomfield Road. I wasn't at all impressed with the Seasiders tbh, they made life easy for us in the first-half as they started with the inept Chopra playing a lone role upfront leaving the pace of Delfounseu on the bench with their other pacey man Ricardo Fuller was out injured. We really only had ensure we kept Thomas Ince quiet as he is their star man which we did admirally in he first period.....different story in the second-half as we allowed him more space which he capitalised on with a fortunate deflected equalising goal. Without Murphy & Mowatt in our midfield we struggled to put too many passes together, our forward play was more or less non-existent apart from the nice link up from Tonge/Pugh cumulating in a superb deep cross from DP to the back post where one of our unsung heroes Pelier to beautifully head in, a player who is often milienged for unfair criticism, thought Pelts was outstanding particularly in the first-half.
Just seen the re-run of the Broadfoot/McCormack incident which wasn't clear for me from where i was sitting, seeing it again the ref made a right hash of a decision which was ultimately a red card offence.

I was spoilt for the day by one of my clients as i travelled in style in a newish jag which did 0 to 60 in four seconds, felt like lift off at Heathrow free match ticket too plus a meat & potato pie my only expense was a pint of bitter each, cheapest football dayout since last season's BR visit.....have to go back to the 60's when going to football was inexpensive God it was ruddy freezing on the west coast, haven't been that cold since experiences at Millmoor/Boundary Park, my thermals were developing icicles

My friend made four valid points :

1) Under McDermott's management we look a much more organised team defensively

2) We lack inventiveness in midfield

3) We are lightweight & lack pace particularly upfront

4) A draw was a fair result

Kenny 6
Peltier 8 (MOTM)
Lees 7
Zaliukas 8
Pearce 7
Pugh 8
Brown 6
Tonge 5
Austin 5
Smith 4
McCormack 4

Our fans - 10....magnificent throughout really loud

[Gino 1959]

I was spoilt for the day by one of my clients as i travelled in style in a newish jag which did 0 to 60 in four seconds

One of the slow ones, then

Going by your individual scores it sounds like we were on the back foot a lot (?) It was their 6th red in 5 games so it does sound like the manager is having a positive influence

As Marko says we need more investment so that we have strength in depth - Brown/Tonge are not straight replacements for Mowatt/Murphy.

It does feel like 2 points lost, tho'

[theleedsmango]

Bar Zaliukas and Smith, this was a Warnock team. The whole midfield was signed by Warnock and in truth I don't think McDermott would have signed any of them.

But McDermott played tactics well. Blackpool were going to beat us in pace and passing. But they had a weak defence and we had a tall striker. As unpretty as it is, any one with a footballing knowledge would judge our best tactic to get something from the game with the players available to us would be hoofing it up to Smith. And boy did he get win most headers and give their defence a hard time. Getting better, but he's not a footballer who is going to make things happen, he is relying on other people to give him the ball and run on to his flick ons.

We would have won the game if McCormack hadn't been fouled and could have ran on to score that moment. Should have been a red card. Refereeing was abysmal but we perhaps didn't show enough skill to overcome that.

Our defence has strengthened considerably. Zaliukas is definitely this season's best signing and his only fault was not getting enough on that header (but if he'd left it and it went in then he might have been at fault for not going for it - catch 22.)

You could also tell Brown was probably instructed to go on and wind their players up, with Blackpools very poor disciplinary record, he was enjoying arguing with the opposition and ref to get a reaction. If we could transplant his brain into Austin's body, we'd have someone worthy of being called a beast.

With only a point from Barnsley, the 3 would have been nice here. But we are definitely solidifying, and looking like a team that is very hard to beat (we all imagined Brian might do that to us, but let's be honest, we couldn't see how that would happen.) We aren't in a position in the January transfer window were we are looking at players we need to sign because we are weak in areas...we can however look at signing players of quality, match winners, who can improve the solid team we have rather than plug holes.