Just got back from the Blackpool game absolutey knackered, still hanging from all the booze last night but mightily happy with what I witnessed yesterday especially during the second half! Blackpool were unbeaten at Home all season and we couldn't win away so a home win was pretty much on the cards from the start! Firstly, I have to say, that I don't for the life of me understand how Blackpool are where they are in the league! They are just a big hoof it up the pitch team with very little in the way of passing skills or did I just happen to be watching them on an off day! Berra and Chambers pretty much had their starlet Tom Ince in their pockets all game and they hardly gave the boy a kick! He is pretty much a one trick pony and if you show him down the left he just cant cope! Anyhoo Early doors we dominated possession without really threatening their goal but saying that Tunners missed an absolute sitter from inside the box and then BANG they go up the other end and score! Our 2 CBs were caught ball watching and allowed whatshisface to get inbetween them and plant a header passed Gherks. After that the pattern of Town being dominant in possession continued without us ever really threatening the opponents goal. Hyam was just god damn hopeless in that first half, Carlos is now past it BUT on the positive side young Mings looks a decent player! The travelling Town army had a lot of fun out of giving Chopra dogs abuse all through the game which kept us entertained during a pretty poor first half! Second half all I can really say is WOW!!! Just WOW!!! Mick the tactical genius provided a master stroke by bringing off Tabb and Hyam and replacing them with Nouble and Taylor and changing the formation to a more attacking 4-3-3 with McGoldick playing in the true No 10 role which is his favoured position. Nouble caused the Blackpool defence all sorts of problems with his pace and power and our passing through midfield became far more crisper and we moved the ball a lot quicker. Skusey is fast becoming my favourite player as he never wastes a ball and is always involved in all the good things we do in midfield. A Town goal looked far more likely as the half wore on and it just had to be big Frank who scored it! I couldnt give a fook if it was offside the fact is he put it the ball in the net and the goal stood. We deserved a slice of luck and we got it but hey that's football. Paul Taylor I have to admit is a class act with his first touch and mazy dribbling going at defenders which they absolutely hate! Tayls looked fit and on his game and his goal was a joy to watch as he took it cooly and finished clinically. By now us Townies were absolutely buzzing as the tactical changes that Mick had made were now really paying off. BUT as a Town fan you can never count your chickens and we conceded a pretty soft goal from our point of view as whatshisface was left unmarked to score from inside the box. I think Mingsy was possibly at fault by not picking whatshisface up but hey he's young and will soon learn. This was in added on time so we all though FOOOOK! Another draw it is then! Hunt came on for Berra with about 10 mins to go and I have to say that he had a first touch like a rapist but with more game time his touch will improve! And then fook me HUNT hits a screamer that was arrowing into the top corner but some how a Blackpool head diverted it away for a corner! Well I tell ye what boys I have never ever in my life experienced quite such an explosion of JOY when Murphy! Yes that great useless lump Murphy! Finally got his head on the ball and scored the winner in the dying seconds! CHOPRA! Whats the Score? CHOPRA! CHOPRA Whats the Score! we heartily sang this to the final whistle and we couldn't really believe what we had just witnessed! SUPER! SUPER MICK... etc was belted out and Chambo came over to us at the end. The funniest song we sang was "My garden Shed, Is bigger than this! My garden shed is bigger than this! It has a door and a window! My Garden Shed is bigger than this! Obviously a jokey reference to Blackpool's tin shack of a ground. A great day and a very pleasing result! Perhaps now all the Mick doubters will start to eat their words as it was his tactical chanes in the second half that decided this result! Anyhoo really tired now so will no doubt catch up with you boys during the week!
Cheers Warky, glad you had a great away day.... ....Last 10 games 4 wins, 4 draws & 2 defeats. That will do nicely for the rest of the season..!
I was at the Coventry game a few seasons back, with a similar finale...A certain M Chopra got a winner deep into stoppage time..!
Yeah I remember that one Hoppers I also remember a certain Mr Counago scoring a dramatic last gasp winner against them at Portman Road as well!
I reckon you guys must have gone bonkers when Murph nodded that in at the end, Hunt looked like he was jumping in with you all when they played the highlights on Sky.?
Excellent report Warky and glad you had a good time! This was perhaps the our defining match of the season. MM chages the guard...throws caution to the wind...fresh faces...young blood...new formation....all frwds score ffs! Goldlilocks in favoured position. Whole team actually see a game out for 95 mins! Confidence oozing.... So what next? same players more or less...Smithy back from nz duty?...Cressy slots back in....keep 4-3-3/ What do you think? My lady wants to go visit the Pool! Big surprise for us all is Nouble and his trailblazing. Guess he only had 5-10 mins at end of all previous games. Top draw summary mate
Good summary JWM. I think we all know Mick is capable of it, lets hope he learns to throw caution to the wind more often we may lose more but then again if he does that more often we're more likely to win aswell!! It'll certainly be interesting to see what side he chooses next, I really can't see him starting the team which finished.
PTC Believe me mate we all moaned like bitches when we discovered what the intial line up would be! You are right in what you say about Mick, he can be stubborn and he can err on the side of caution but you have to give him enormous credit for what he did yesterday! His tactical nous to change things second half won us the game and I really hope now that we will push on!
It took him long enough but finally he got it, pity it took so long to see what we all knew ages ago. Hopefully we can move up the table now and hopefully he will stick with this new adventurous formation!!
Excellent second half, Excellent to see us going for a game. Even more pleasing was the determination from the players to win back the three points they'd earned. Cant ignore the first half of distinct averageness though. Next step is playing well for both halves.
I think MM proved he knows more about football than us lot on here . How did Mings get on Warky..... at Reading he was woeful but apparently ill and injured for that one???
