Blackpool - The Side Out of It's Place

       Last Wednesday I talked to you about the defensive approach which weaker sides can take when they play tough opponents.  Well today I want to talk to you about a side that have decided to play attacking football no matter who they face.  Of course I mean Blackpool, they are a side that openly admit that they shouldn't be in this league.  As most people know by now Blackpool were relegation candidates in the Championship last year but a good run of form got them into the play-offs and everyone knows the side on form usually wins the play-offs.  Blackpool didn't disappoint the won in Wembley to earn their place in the Premiership.  Manager Ian Holloway is the first to admit that they don't have a side ready for the Premiership but after their 4-0 loss to Chelsea insists he will stick to his team's attacking approach in future after a more defensive system backfired at Chelsea.


      After letting Arsenal score six against them Blackpool set up slightly more defensively against Chelsea this weekend.  But it didn't work they conceded the first goal after 75 seconds and let in three more before half time, it only stayed 4-0 because Chelsea took their foot of the gas.  Blackpool have got 7 points from their first 5 matches, two good wins against Wigan and Newcastle, a draw against Fulham and two heavy losses to Arsenal and Chelsea.

      Ian Holloway said  "No matter what we do against the top teams we are light years off them. They are awesome with their mental approach and the way they go about games.  I would have been silly to think we did not have to do something different against Chelsea but I think we would have lost no matter what we did."  Does this mean that he has already decided that he can't defeat the top sides or is he just being philosophical.

      Blackpool have shown that their attacking play can trouble the sides at the bottom of the table but it looks ineffective against the top sides.  In my opinion Blackpool won't pick up a single point against the top five this year, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham, Manchester United and City.  So they are looking for their 40 points from the remaining 28 matches.

      Blackpool beat Newcastle last week due to brilliant performance of their goalkeeper, Matthew Gilks, he made a number of top saves and if Blackpool are to stay up this season he is going to have to perform like that on a multiple occasions.  Blackpool's obvious weakness is their defense, they have conceded 12 goals in 3 games and kept two clean sheets.  Wigan never looked like scoring and Newcastle will be amazed that they didn't score.  They will come up against some decent attacking sides from mid-table it will be interesting to see if they out score them as I don't see them conceding less, if you get my meaning.

     Blackpool have only had one home game this season so far, their home form will be key to them staying up.  Blackpool with want Bloomfield Road to become a fortress, but with their defence it will most likely have one of the highest goals per game.  Blackpool will always attack under Ian Holloway and they will get some good wins but they will concede too many goals, i still can't see them staying up.