Where no seagulls fly...Home to Blackpool Sat 11th Nov, 1500 hrs.

[BWFC_Insane]

In some ways probably the best we’ve played this season given I thought Blackpool came and played well and tactically got us spot on. We grew into it rather than shrunk away from it and that has to be lauded given it’s not often been the case this season.

As a team we restricted them to not too much and tried our best to threaten the other end in what was at times a real step up in terms of the level needed from many teams in this league.

I thought we deserved the win in the end but I have to say Blackpool were superb and probably feel a little hard done by.

Santos was imperious. But Thomason wins man of the match with a display where he looked a level above just about everyone else on the pitch. I doubted George at the start of the season but boy is he proving me wrong. Worth way more than a million and showing class on and off the ball that I think we’ve lacked otherwise. His workrate is second to none and he’s the sort of player who would have been welcomed into Rioch’s side with open arms. Works incredibly hard. Has a real engine. But when he is on the ball is just full of so much quality that he can pretty much run the game himself.

Adeboyejo was woeful today and it’s noticeable how much difference the class of Bod made when he came on. We actually had someone up there who has some clue. Charles was very industrious - very unselfish performance.

Maghoma is unplayable at times but today felt a luxury to me. As likely to give it away as he was to do something special and I thought today showed where he still has work to do.

These are the sorts of games that give the belief we can get promotion this year. Can’t expect to steamroller everyone but when a game is tight and competitive we need a way to win. Today we found one.

[dave the minion]

Superb performance and result today.

I had a bad feeling about it going into the game - sadly with every win, the likelihood of slipping up next match increases, and with the massive crowd I felt this would be when we did slip up.

Blackpool are a quality team but overall I think we just about shaded it and deserved the points. We had a few sloppy moments and they had a couple of chances they really should have scored, but thought we ran the game overall and saw it out professionally.

Santos was his usual solid self, Sheehan & Thomasson always available to receive the ball in the middle of the park, & Maghoma was excellent I thought - really direct, and his odd running style like a new born foal seems to confuse the hell out of the opposition. Not a game for Charles or Vic to shine unfortunately, but they worked hard and did what they needed to.

If I have to look for a few areas to improve - Baxter's decision making is off sometimes and he hesitates and puts the defence under pressure. Toal - who was a superb find - needs to work on his distribution - a few long passes were completely over hit today. And fingers crossed Williams is OK and he was hobbling at the end with what looked like a knee or ankle tweak after landing badly after a challenge.

Really pleased with that result today though!

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Oxford v Portsmouth next Saturday [sic], then we're there on 28th Nov and at Pompey on 11 Dec. It'll be all over by Christmas!

Thought I'd put this in here: Regan Poole – the former MU centre-back who left Lincoln on a free this summer, was mentioned on here but went to Pompey and has been very well-regarded for them – has ruptured his ACL and is out for the season.

He suffered the injury early in last weekend's cup game at Chesterfield. In his absence they have gone out of the cup and conceded two at home...

[TANGODANCER]

I thought we deserved the win in the end but I have to say Blackpool were superb and probably feel a little hard done by.

Eh? How so? They're a decent side, we knew that, but they never had a decent shot on goal and until the last quarter when we had the lead and were defending it, they did little exceptional. Of course they' try hard to score when a goal behind and looking to lose; who wouldn't? We matched them in every area, played well, scored a class goal, had a couple of decent efforts saved, oh and hit a post.? Their whole game plan, in the main, seemed to be to get the ball forward for a striker to run onto . Our defence handled that well enough. You sound almost sorry they lost? Strange..

[officer_dibble]

https://x.com/officialbwfc/status/17234 ... 9tBJZu-EQg

Somebody who knows edit this into an embedded video….and inject it into my veins while you are there!!

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Somebody who knows edit this into an embedded video….and inject it into my veins while you are there!!

[irie Cee Bee]

https://x.com/officialbwfc/status/17234 ... 9tBJZu-EQg

Somebody who knows edit this into an embedded video….and inject it into my veins while you are there!!

A real beauty! What a player.

[officer_dibble]

Ta
What
A
F*cking
Goal

[BWFC_Insane]

I thought we deserved the win in the end but I have to say Blackpool were superb and probably feel a little hard done by.

Eh? How so? They're a decent side, we knew that, but they never had a decent shot on goal and until the last quarter when we had the lead and were defending it, they did little exceptional. Of course they' try hard to score when a goal behind and looking to lose; who wouldn't? We matched them in every area, played well, scored a class goal, had a couple of decent efforts saved, oh and hit a post.? Their whole game plan, in the main, seemed to be to get the ball forward for a striker to run onto . Our defence handled that well enough. You sound almost sorry they lost? Strange..

I said we deserved to win. But Blackpool gave a good account of themselves. Not many will come here and match us in areas they did.

They did not as you say create enough in front of goal and that’s their issue not ours. We were the better side but they played their part.

It’s good to acknowledge that as it places into context the quality of the win - sometimes I feel we win as the opposition are bobbins but that’s not the case today. We were tested and came through it.

[DJBlu]

You know Thomo turned down Bristol City.

That alone should be enough but if he carries on he's going to actually have a fair few admirers.

Future captain. YHIHF.

[BWFC_Insane]

You know Thomo turned down Bristol City.

That alone should be enough but if he carries on he's going to actually have a fair few admirers.

Future captain. YHIHF.

Yeah I hope he stays here but I can imagine a lot of interest in him for a lot more than BC offered.

But if he stays I will be shocked if he’s not captain within a couple of years.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Thomo has been repeatedly held up by his manager as a role model. We want leaders throughout the team, and we are starting to get them. Feels a long way from the time the cry was that we needed a new Karl Henry.

Worth noting that this recent run of wins has also been achieved without the midfielder that I’d say most of us (including me) would have had down as our best midfielder, Mr Dempsey.

Also worth noting that many (including me) were fairly ambivalent about re-signing Sheehan - not necessarily against it, but not campaigning hard for it - and many (including me) doubted Thomo had the chops to make it above the Fourth.

Also worth noting it’s been achieved without probably our most expensive/“gamechanging” midfielder CMG, barring the odd few minutes.

So well done the midfielders and the coaches. Have a rest (bar the fringe lads in the Sherpa Van), come back after the break and keep it going - we’re in a mini breakaway group of three for now so let’s get on top of it.

[officer_dibble]

As it stands Maghoma looks like an upgrade on Dempsey…we’ll see if Evatt agrees when he is back.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

As it stands Maghoma looks like an upgrade on Dempsey…we’ll see if Evatt agrees when he is back.

Horses for courses again. I would imagine he’d see Maghoma as more the line-breaker with the ball but perhaps Dempsey a harder runner, on and off the ball. At Pompey for example I’d expect Dempsey - but we’ll always have Paris.

I’m assuming Thomo and Sheehan are both certain starters. There’s a world in which Dempsey and Maghoma both play ahead of Thomason/Sheehan - again, might depend on oppo. Certainly nice to have the options - plus of course Morley and Mendes Gomes.

[TonyDomingos]

come back after the break

Eh? There's an international break? No one mentioned that.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

come back after the break

Eh? There's an international break? No one mentioned that.

KitKats all round, amigo.

Here’s a thing, though. Seven weeks to the transfer window. There’s good competition in midfield and defence. There’s more strikers than we can get on the pitch even by subbing two of them. So unless we make space up front - loan out Nlundulu or retire Jerome (each unlikely) - are we only looking for wingbacks? Or even there will he think we’ve got enough cover with Ashworth, Gethin, possibly Matheson, and both the usual starters capable of playing either side? Could we really go into January only seeking new men if a genius becomes available?

[TonyDomingos]

come back after the break

Eh? There's an international break? No one mentioned that.

KitKats all round, amigo.

Here’s a thing, though. Seven weeks to the transfer window. There’s good competition in midfield and defence. There’s more strikers than we can get on the pitch even by subbing two of them. So unless we make space up front - loan out Nlundulu or retire Jerome (each unlikely) - are we only looking for wingbacks? Or even there will he think we’ve got enough cover with Ashworth, Gethin, possibly Matheson, and both the usual starters capable of playing either side? Could we really go into January only seeking new men if a genius becomes available?

It was a risk not filling all the berths in the summer, but it seems to have paid off. We now have a few bob extra to spend in January, which could mean we can afford to invest in quality. There's a question, of course, about who might be available - and we'd be paying top dollar - but, perhaps, it'll be an investment that will see us over the line. Obvs, I've jinxed it now and we'll be relegated.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I’m sure we’ve got a list of targets and it’s possible some will be available in January at cut price - a la Morley/Dion/Dempsey in previous winter windows. (Wonder if we are interested in Carlisle’s Moxon?)

What we should see is us only going for players who can cut it in the next tier up. That’s not to say I think we’re a shoo-in - but we’re no longer filling holes now, we’re looking for upgrades. To use the Prufrock maxim, we’d be looking to improve our best players rather than our backups.

[BorsdaneWhite]

Genuinely one of the most enjoyable games I’ve been to in years. Atmosphere was superb. Weather was beautiful. Opposition was dangerous. Yon’ lad with a winner of all winners.

Father took a punt on the first goal competition; the time on his ticket was 00:00. Close.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Father took a punt on the first goal competition; the time on his ticket was 00:00. Close.

Set about ‘em early