MATCHWATCH : Blackpool (a)

[Royal_jimmy]

Whatever socialist or marxist views if we do get taken over and survive we are a big pull for this league and want the club to survive.

If we do survive and get taken over we should be aiming for promotion as one of the top clubs in the league

[URZZZZ]

No complaints. Both sides played well in the first half without a cutting edge. Second half was two individual mistakes in two minutes which killed the game

For full perspective, we’re playing a fourth choice RB at RB (who is actually a midfielder by trade!), our 3rd choice RB at LB, our 2nd choice RB at CB and our 5th choice CB as our back four!

It’s an absolute testament to both staff and players that we’re still in contention for a playoff spot with the squad depth/injuries we’ve had!

[WestYorksRoyal]

If I were to contextual this result:

1) 1st defeat in 12 in a midweek away game against an in form team.

2) If we win on Saturday, that's still a good return from 2 tough games.

3) It's all fcuking meaningless anyway, the only result that really matters is off the pitch.

Combined, my feeling is "meh".

P.s., any Blackpool fans reading you better fcuking hope we survive otherwise those 6 points are expunged from your record and someone else gets the play-offs.

[URZZZZ]

Well played Blackpool, broke well, defended exceptionally well.

Stickland and Holzman aren't up to it, at least yet. But then that's hardly surprising for a 5/6/7/8 choice pair of centrebacks.

Blackpool are big, strong, quick and organised. Exactly the sort of team we struggle against.

Blackpool weren't that great. It was just a typical midweek away performance from us. Did you travel from Cambridge? Any of the 270 away fans could see we weren't really in the contest at all

Anyone with any sort of decent view of the game and half a brain, whether there or watching remotely, could see that Blackpool were extremely organised in defence. Got men behind the ball and squeezed the space all around the edge of their box giving no passing lanes, no time and no room to do anything, while having big confident defenders able to deal with any cross.

There were no openings for through balls, pull backs or decent shots.

If you can't appreciate the quality of that defending and just think 'we were shit', I don't know what you're doing watching football. At the back we made a lot of unforced errors, but going forward we were completely blunted by Bruce's team.

It’s RJ - all par for the course

Don’t entirely agree mind, certainly not in the first half (different story once they’d gone ahead). Campbell got behind a couple of times, one where Knibbs got in his way and another where he cut it back for Knibbs’ deflected shot. Neat move on the edge of the box where Wing had a simple through ball for Ehibhatiomhan to put him through. Whilst they did defend well, we did have half chances to go ahead, poor end product/decision making (Campbell particuarly guilty) letting us down

Really do need to stop starting Ehibhatiomhan in these games. He never plays well against a crowded defence. His asset is when he’s isolated one on one against his respective defender, not the intricacies in breaking them down. Campbell and Camara get plenty more flak but IMO we look a better side when those two are in the side. 1 defeat in 16 when Camara starts

[Royal_jimmy]

Oooh spending 2 days to waste tonight again. What a disappointment but Blackpool did a job on us and fair play but we always look like a non league side whenever we play vs Blackpool

[Royal_jimmy]

Blackpool weren't that great. It was just a typical midweek away performance from us. Did you travel from Cambridge? Any of the 270 away fans could see we weren't really in the contest at all

Anyone with any sort of decent view of the game and half a brain, whether there or watching remotely, could see that Blackpool were extremely organised in defence. Got men behind the ball and squeezed the space all around the edge of their box giving no passing lanes, no time and no room to do anything, while having big confident defenders able to deal with any cross.

There were no openings for through balls, pull backs or decent shots.

If you can't appreciate the quality of that defending and just think 'we were shit', I don't know what you're doing watching football. At the back we made a lot of unforced errors, but going forward we were completely blunted by Bruce's team.

It’s RJ - all par for the course

Don’t entirely agree mind, certainly not in the first half (different story once they’d gone ahead). Campbell got behind a couple of times, one where Knibbs got in his way and another where he cut it back for Knibbs’ deflected shot. Neat move on the edge of the box where Wing had a simple through ball for Ehibhatiomhan to put him through. Whilst they did defend well, we did have half chances to go ahead, poor end product/decision making (Campbell particuarly guilty) letting us down

Really do need to stop starting Ehibhatiomhan in these games. He never plays well against a crowded defence. His asset is when he’s isolated one on one against his respective defender, not the intricacies in breaking them down. Campbell and Camara get plenty more flak but IMO we look a better side when those two are in the side. 1 defeat in 16 when Camara starts

Same old lefties think they're more educated and smarter than the rest....

Part of me.agreees we played the wrong system tonight but don't slag my brain off. I was there tonight but respect your thoughts and ideas. Thing is we aren't good enough for promotion anyway so Hunt needs to be challenged about our away form. He has gone a good job for us Noel

[Snowflake Royal]

Blackpool weren't that great. It was just a typical midweek away performance from us. Did you travel from Cambridge? Any of the 270 away fans could see we weren't really in the contest at all

Anyone with any sort of decent view of the game and half a brain, whether there or watching remotely, could see that Blackpool were extremely organised in defence. Got men behind the ball and squeezed the space all around the edge of their box giving no passing lanes, no time and no room to do anything, while having big confident defenders able to deal with any cross.

There were no openings for through balls, pull backs or decent shots.

If you can't appreciate the quality of that defending and just think 'we were shit', I don't know what you're doing watching football. At the back we made a lot of unforced errors, but going forward we were completely blunted by Bruce's team.

It’s RJ - all par for the course

Don’t entirely agree mind, certainly not in the first half (different story once they’d gone ahead). Campbell got behind a couple of times, one where Knibbs got in his way and another where he cut it back for Knibbs’ deflected shot. Neat move on the edge of the box where Wing had a simple through ball for Ehibhatiomhan to put him through. Whilst they did defend well, we did have half chances to go ahead, poor end product/decision making (Campbell particuarly guilty) letting us down

Really do need to stop starting Ehibhatiomhan in these games. He never plays well against a crowded defence. His asset is when he’s isolated one on one against his respective defender, not the intricacies in breaking them down. Campbell and Camara get plenty more flak but IMO we look a better side when those two are in the side. 1 defeat in 16 when Camara starts

Yeah, was mainly talking about when they went ahead and played 11 behind the ball. First half was more open.

Kelv was up against a good, big, strong, quick fullback. Which makes a difference. Campbell wasn't great first half, poor decision making, and Wing's execution let him down a bit. I expect Bruce had identified him as one to squeeze.

I don't think I've seen Camara play well. He's just so bland

[stealthpapes]

One of those games where our complete lack of goal threat was really apparent, then a young/makeshift defence made some mistakes and its a hammering.

After 11 games without a loss, one was going to come and slap us on the arse.

[Stranded]

3 goal defeat at Blackpool is pretty much par for us up there to be fair.

So we slipped out of the top 6, meh. My honest feeling is if we finally get good news, the boost it may well give the squad is likely enough to see us sneak back in but if we don't make it - we have a platform for next season - but stuff on the pitch is mostly distraction at the moment.

[scumbag]

I'm looking forward to the pitch invasion when we finish 7th.

[Hound]

No complaints on the result, beaten by the better team

As others have said Blackpool defended well and were disciplined, our back 4 made mistakes and were punished

The centre backs certainly struggled - again not a huge suprise and a lot of our success this season has been built around good performances from Bindon, Mbengue and even Dean

[stealthpapes]

I'm looking forward to the pitch invasion when we finish 7th.

oddly, we have precedent on this

[windermereROYAL]

Realistically we`re one of 5 teams playing for the remaining play-off place, after Saturday we have a decent run in playing mostly teams with nothing to play for.
We`re certainly not out of it yet.

[windermereROYAL]

I'm looking forward to the pitch invasion when we finish 7th.

oddly, we have precedent on this

And how very embarrassing it was too.

[RoyalBlue]

Jesus,how is Fletcher not interfering with play, he literally body checks Rushesha away from being able to challenge for the ball.

I thought my eyes must have been deceiving me but clearly not. Abysmal officiating there by the AR and ref!

[Sanguine]

A shame to lose. But our longest unbeaten run for 13 years is well beyond anything that we might have expected from this squad. A squad that, in my eyes, goes down as one of our 'best', not for level of achievement, but for achievement in quite appalling circumstances. To even be talking about playoffs is a massive credit to the players, Ruben Selles and Noel Hunt, and all the coaching staff.

[MartinRdg]

Reading are so ineffective in front of goal. Still no shots on target. Blackpool keeper might as well not be there.

And here comes the usual collapse at Blackpool.

That's what happens when you sell your best striker and replace him with a trier who's not got that little bit of quality you need and a lad who's more comfortable on the wing.

And with Bindon and Mbengue out as well is a bad combination