An interesting theory about our style of play

There are a couple of blokes behind us in the Ponty who spout a running commentary of almost total drivel for the whole match.

"We've got Blackpool again late on in't season"
"Is it away or at 'oam?"

was one of yesterday's lines, and is about par for the course.

However, one of them said something out of the blue which I think actually has some merit. In Florida, Collins was used to setting his teams up in 80 degree heat, often with very high levels of humidity. Playing a high-energy game in these conditions is absolutely impossible, and a slower approach is probably the right one. Such an approach in England at the end of September in the pissing rain is much less necessary, yet it's what Collins has been used to doing for the past few years.

Interestingly, Collins has somewhat admitted in the Yorkshire Post that despite the horrendous officiating, he definitely got his approach wrong and that we should have been getting the ball forward much more quickly. He also explained why he played Chapman, and fully accepted responsibility for it not working. The jury's still very much out on Collins for me, but if he recognises that yesterday's set up especially in the first half wasn't what was needed and is ready to admit that in public, that's a big plus for me. Let's see how he reacts.

 

How much of it is down to players not doing as instructed either.

He was doing his nut in the first half, as Williams, De Gevigney and McCart passed the ball between them for what felt like the thousandth time, despite both Kane and McAtee both asking for the ball to feet.

Though I've said before, until Connell is back, Russell needs to play every game. Yes he's inconsistent, but when he's on his game, we get moving up the pitch much quicker than we do when Kane plays in that deeper role.

 

In my opinion that makes his management even worse yesterday as there's a subs bench at his disposal and yet he didn't change any of the defenders who he apparently was 'doing his nut' at all game. Weak as piss management that

 

Kane has become the new "Butch Wilkins" this season. You could have counted the number of forward passes he made yesterday, on the fingers of one finger.

 

Can’t play Macattee and Cole as a front 2

 

Yea...I've stated this before...he's been out of this country and this level too long and it will take a bit to get used to it.
Tactically he has been done 3 maybe 4 times so far....hopefully he has learned now and can put this into our play.

 

He 100% should have made a change in the first half, I'm not arguing with that. For me Shepherd starts the next game over McCart, who looks ponderous.

 

Can I trade your ‘couple of blokes’ behind you for my couple of blokes behind me?
One of them appeared mid last season and appears to be the (extremely loud) president of The Devante Cole Hate Society. And each game he brings a new celebrity guest with him to share his bile with.
I actually tried to sneak a cordless angle grinder in to remove their seats, for the benefit of all those around us, but I had it confiscated by a power tools sniffer dog!!!

 

Maybe we can give it a trial run, as I've seriously been thinking about moving seats next season to get away from these bozos. I'm pretty sure they're into betting, as in between their inane ramblings about our match, we get an update not just on the scores from every match around the country, but the possession stats, number of shots on and off target, and everyone's current position in the live table. I kid you not. The thing is, they probably think they're providing a valuable service.

 

You’ll need Valium and ear defenders. But will then have to try and sneak past the narcotics sniffer dog, and Screwfix the sniffer dog.

 

East stand lower right next to Ponty bloke behind me slates Cotter all the time and the language is ridiculous. Why do they bother going ?

 

A couple of things I’ve not really seen others mention are firstly that Phillips is a big miss. He always shows for the ball from either the right or middle centre back. Chapman couldn’t find the space yesterday.

The problem we have with the rest of our experienced midfielders is that none of them can do what Phillips can off the ball. They don’t stretch sides. They all want to be the creator. In that regard I can see why he played Chapman but it obviously didn’t work.

The other is that Blackpool really did their homework & stopped Jordan Williams bringing the ball forwards. The space was always with McCart which I think was a deliberate tactic by them as he can’t do much with it.

We weren’t passing the ball aimlessly around the back we were trying to do our usual tactic of Williams bringing the ball forwards but we couldn’t really do it as they wouldn’t let us.

The other issue is that both wing backs had poor games as did Cotter when he came on. The threat from us had to come from out wide but other than Cadden none of our wing backs had a decent game.

 

I said exactly to same to my brother on Saturday. He was nicknamed "the crab" for obvious reasons.

 

A bloke a couple of rows away from me who seems a perfectly amiable bloke until the game kicks off.
His favourite rant is "kick it up field" when the ball is kicked up field he'll shout "what yer done that for keep it on't deck"

 

I keep reading over and over how Phillips doesn't do anything and how he's been poor in every game this season. For me, his runs into space and his link up play with our right wing back is where the majority of our chances and good play come from. His passing was poor at Northampton, but other than that I think he's played well, without yet getting the goals he did last season. I think I watch different games.

 

What did Collins say about selecting Chapman?

Not that I have any problem with that selection, just interested. It didn't work like, but when you bring young players into the side there are no guarantees.

 

I have a theory about the brontosaurus.

 

He said that he'd expected Blackpool to come at us a lot more, leaving space for Chapman to run into. Admits he got that wrong, and as a result it wasn't really the sort of game in which Chapman could play to his strengths.

 

He has an existing back room staff and analysis team who look at things like this prior to training for the game. So if Blackpool did it different, then that’s not on Collins alone tbf. It’s also down to the existing staff……However, Neil Critchley is a decent manager, and being unpredictable tactical wise is a good skill - makes it difficult for teams to set up against. So it’s just one of those things.