Birmingham 2 - 0 Blackpool

Birmingham earned their first Premier League victory since August after outclassing Blackpool at St Andrew's. Liam Ridgewell gave the hosts the lead just before the break, nodding home from two yards after Nikola Zigic's header came back off the crossbar. Star midfielder Charlie Adam then gave the ball away in his own six-yard box and allowed Zigic to double the lead.
Blackpool were enterprising but lacked a cutting edge as the home side closed out a comfortable win. The Seasiders went into the match with the best away record in the Premier League and must have had hopes of further success on the road with Birmingham struggling to repeat the form which saw them go unbeaten for so long last season. But the resilience and belief that inspired Ian Holloway's side to wins at Wigan, Newcastle and Liverpool never really materialised at a soggy St Andrew's. Holloway had made headlines in the build-up to the match with a tirade about player power, the Bosman ruling and a lack of video technology in the game. But even if the latter had been in place, it would have had no bearing on a game in which Birmingham finally began to find some much-needed home form. Holloway's decision to go for an attacking formation should be commended, although the colourful boss might have had second thoughts as the Blues controlled the opening stages....read more...

Unlucky Tangerines ....

It's a current topic at the moment. Something that's in the forefront of Ollie's mind .... the poor refereeing that has taken place during a number of Blackpool's games. Here's a brief catalogue of these blatant errors:

Arsenal v Blackpool .... twenty odd minutes gone at The Emirates. Blackpool were relatively comfortable in their first trip to Arsenal. That was until unlucky Evatt appeared to commit a foul on the edge of the box. It turned out to be horrific. What was a clumsy challenge resulted in a double punishment for The Tangerines. Evatt was given a straight red card and Arsenal received a penalty. Replays show the incident was outside the box, and it was debatable if it was indeed a foul as Evatt appeared to touch the ball first .... Arsenal then demolished a 10 man Tangerines team.

Blackpool v Fulham .... again it was Evatt involved in a clear match changing decision. Blackpool were outplaying Fulham until Zamora's goal in the first half. During the build up to the goal Evatt was clearly fouled. Possibly two points dropped in their first home game due to a clear error on the part of the referee.

Blackpool v Blackburn ... minutes to go and Blackburn steal the winner. However, the Blackburn goal was clearly offside. A point lost for the battling Seasiders who outplayed Blackburn for most of the game.

Blackpool v Man City ... the most controversial so far. Grandin was deemed to have touched the ball in an offside position which meant the onside Taylor Fletcher's goal was disallowed. Grandin never touched the ball. Therefore it was a goal. Blackpool would have taken the lead at this point!!! Tevez was clearly offside when he received the ball from De Silva for his first goal. Therefore it should not have counted. Evatt was clearly fouled when Tevez battled for the ball which lead to his 2nd goal. Therefore ... all three points SHOULD have been in Blackpool's slingshot.

In total at least SEVEN points have been lost due to bad referee decisions. We SHOULD be on 17 points ... sitting pretty in the top 5 of The Premier League. Well clear of the bottom three.

Let's hope lady luck goes our way in future. Points are hard to come by in this division as it is ... without referees seemingly picking on the 'small fry' ...........

Blackpool 2 Man City 3

IT may be of scant consolation to Ian Holloway and his Blackpool team but even one of the world's best tennis players reckons the Seasiders are brilliant.

Andy Murray thumped Roger Federer in the final of Shanghai Masters, then returned to his hotel room in the Far East to watch this game.We know that because he posted a message on Twitter (ask your children, it's some internet thing) saying: 'Blackpool are so good to watch!

Loving what Ian Holloway has done'.Apart from unnecessary use of an exclamation mark, spot on Mr Murray, and rest assured that all Blackpool fans will give you an extra cheer when you're losing a heartbreaking five-setter in the quarter-finals at Wimbledon next year.This contest might have been billed as princes versus paupers but it turned out to be nothing of the kind.For lengthy periods it was hard to tell which club shopped at Harrods and which in Aldi as Pool's team, put together for less than £3m, more than matched a Manchester City squad worth in excess of £200m.Class possibly just about told in the end but the Seasiders were so unlucky to lose.

For starters they became the first side to score twice against Roberto Mancini's side this season.

Then there were City's first two goals - gifted to them by the officials. Carlos Tevez was offside for his first; the Argentinean getting away with a foul on Ian Evatt for the next - a killer as Pool had hauled themselves back into the contest by equalising 60 seconds earlier.To say Ian Holloway was unimpressed with the performance of referee Phil Dowd is, believe me, putting it mildly. But given that he was already confined to the stands after an improper conduct charge, the boss, as frustrated as he was, had to be careful with what he said after the game. He just about held his tongue and managed to avoid getting himself in further hot water.

The end result was a real shame because Blackpool couldn't have played much better.For a while – particularly the opening 20 minutes of the second half when they were bossing the contest – it looked as if they would actually beat City. They haven't done that in a league game since April 1962, when the Beatles had just been rejected by Decca Records because "guitar groups are on the way out".

The wait might go on but my word the Seasiders are making a lot of people look about as foolish as Decca."They'll never survive in the Premier League," chirped the so-called experts. "They're going straight back down, be lucky to get 10 points," said others.

Complete nonsense, I'd argue. While there is still a long way to go and probably difficult periods to overcome, all the evidence we've seen so far suggests Blackpool will be a top-flight side next season.They are playing with a confidence and rhythm that is a joy to watch.David Vaughan and Charlie Adam are in terrific form in the middle and with Luke Varney displaying more energy than your average Commonwealth Games athlete, the omens are encouraging indeed.How wonderful it was just to witness this game.

The stadium was bouncing for a fixture that Pool fans had been really looking forward to.Fulham and Blackburn, the previous home games, had been great, but City were the first real glamour visitors. After a slow start, when they were perhaps still a trifle surprised to find themselves on the same stage as the likes of Carlos Tevez, Emmanuel Adebayor (blimey he's a big lad) and Nigel de Jong (not the victim of as many pantomime boos as I'd have hoped), Pool found their feet and just about edged the first period, though neither side created many real clear-cut chances.

It's a vaguely interesting statistic, by the way, that Blackpool haven't scored in the first half at Bloomfield Road since the play-off semi-final with Nottingham Forest. Different story after the break though, as the contest became stretched and opportunities presented themselves.DJ Campbell had the best opening, finding himself free in front of goal after good work by Adam and Varney. Unfortunately, the Seasiders club record signing couldn't get his shot on target – beating the post as well as Joe Hart.

Gary Taylor-Fletcher had a goal disallowed (a touch harshly as he was onside, it was Elliott Grandin who was off ... news which further brightened Holloway's mood), then Adam's thumping shot was tipped over the bar by Hart. Pool were in the ascendency, if any side were to score it was surely them.Famous last words. As so often happens in football, under-the-cosh City broke up the other end and scored. David Silva, on as a sub a couple of minutes earlier, crossed and Tevez finished with a clever backheel. Offside by half a yard though.

The excellent Neal Eardley had to clear Milner's chip off the line, then Milner – finally showing us why he is allegedly worth £26m – rattled the crossbar with a long-range effort. It seemed Pool might collapse. We should have known better. On 79 minutes, Varney was fouled on the right flank. Charlie Adam whipped in a free-kick which substitute Marlon Harewood glanced past Joe Hart.The crowd went berserk, Glad All over started playing.Alas we'd barely reached the chorus when City regained the lead – Tevez getting away with his foul on Evatt, then enjoying another slice of luck when his deflected shot flew off Craig Cathcart's boot and into the bottom corner.

Tevez hit the bar as Pool pushed forward and left holes at the back, then Silva scored a superb third goal – twisting past opponents for fun before curling the ball beyond Matt Gilks.That was in the final minute.

Holloway's team never give up though and earned some reward for their endeavour when they snatched a second goal at the death, Taylor-Fletcher turning in Varney's scuffed shot from an Adam corner. There wasn't time to hit back again, a pity as City were looking rattled. It meant disappointment at the end, but is disappointment really the correct word after a performance like this?Of course it's not.

This was terrific stuff from Blackpool.

Viewed live on TV by millions, they've no doubt won countless more fans and will be showered with praise by the very people writing them off a few weeks back. Keep this up and they it's not a case of 'if' but 'when' they survive. (Blackpool Today)

Liverpool 1 Blackpool 2

GOALS from Luke Varney and Charlie Adam handed Blackpool sensational win against Liverpool.

Charlie Adam's penalty and Luke Varney's perfectly-timed run and finish did the damage in the first half and although Sotirios Kyrgiakos's header pulled one back Liverpool will spend the next fortnight rooted in the bottom three because of the forthcoming international break. Blackpool were well worth their win on their first-half performance alone. Liverpool were not helped by the 10th-minute loss of striker Fernando Torres to a suspected groin injury, but even then they should still have at least dominated possession. But they did not get chance as Blackpool attacked from the off and Adam's second-minute free-kick had Jose Reina batting the ball away. Torres barely had time to flash a cross into the six-yard box where Joe Cole deflected it wide before he was replace by David Ngog. Blackpool were enjoying far more of the play than they could have expected to at Anfield and DJ Campbell went close at the far post from Neal Eardley's teasing right-wing cross. When Steven Gerrard gave the ball away in his own half it was only Martin Skrtel's sliding challenge which denied Varney's shot but the pressure eventually told in the 29th minute. Right-back Glen Johnson, in particular, has had a dreadful start to the season and it got worse when he brought down Varney, allowing Adam to fire home the penalty despite Reina getting a hand on it. Liverpool's response was half-hearted with Kyrgiakos, Ngog, Johnson, Dirk Kuyt and Raul Meireles all failing to test goalkeeper Matt Gilks with chances.Seconds before the interval the Seasiders stunned their hosts when Gary Taylor-Fletcher flicked a ball into the penalty area and Varney ran on to fire past Reina ... read more...

Blackpool 1 - 2 Blackburn

Brett Emerton struck in injury time with his first Premier League goal for two years as Blackburn broke Blackpool hearts in a pulsating Lancashire derby. The visitors had gone in front through a soft own goal when Charlie Adam nodded into his own net as goalkeeper Matthew Gilks lost his footing. Blackpool hit back and substitute Matt Phillips scored on his Premier League debut with virtually his first touch. But substitute Emerton snatched the points with low shot into the corner.

Defeat was exceptionally hard on the Seasiders, who poured forward in the second half and deserved something from an enthralling encounter, which was high on drama.Rovers, who had not won in the league since the opening day of the season and were knocked out of the Carling Cup by Aston Villa in midweek, had let leads slip in four previous games this season and looked certain to do so again in a remarkable finale.

They might have fallen behind after only 90 seconds when home defender Ian Evatt's header appeared destined for the top corner but Michel Salgado headed the ball on to the underside of the bar before it was scrambled clear. (BBC Sport)

'We Will Keep Attacking' - Ian Holloway

Blackpool manager Ian Holloway insists he will stick to his team's attacking approach in future after a more defensive system backfired at Chelsea.

Defensive midfielder Alex Baptiste came in for forward Brett Ormerod but Blackpool conceded four first-half goals as champions Chelsea dominated. "The tactical change did not work at all," said Holloway of his selection. Holloway brought on an attacking player for a defender at the break and his team improved in the second half.

"I should have gone back [to our normal attacking system] earlier but when I went back to what we do the game was over by then," he added. "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." (BBC Sport)

Chelsea 4 - Blackpool 0

Blackpool struggled to cope with a rampant Chelsea side at Stamford Bridge, as Ian Holloway's men went down 4-0 in the capital.

The manager made one change from the team which beat Newcastle, with Alex Baptiste replacing Brett Ormerod. This meant Baps went into the middle of midfield and Elliot Grandin operated out wide. Any game plan to stifle the Champions with a slightly more defensive formation was undone within 90 seconds. The home team won a cheap corner and from there the Pool defence were unable to deal with a routine ball into the box, allowing Salomon Kalou with an easy unmarked finish at the back post. As the ball came in, defenders were sucked to the ball which meant Kalou, who had dropped off, had no problems slotting home for 1-0. Set pieces were a thorn in the Blackpool eleven all day, with players unsure who they were picking up and where they were supposed to be stationed; it wasn't clear whether zonal marking was being tried or that the Blues were just too savvy to spring clear of markers. Before the Seasiders had time to settle - which they probably failed to manage until after the break - Chelsea were two up. Michael Essien and Didier Drogba were at the heart of the move, fashioning a close range chance for the in-form Florent Malouda who made no mistake, putting past Matt Gilks with ease on 12 minutes. Neal Eardley was getting ripped to shreds by Ashley Cole down the left hand side and chances came and went at regular intervals for the hosts. The former Oldham man didn't help himself by a lack of positional awareness as he allowed straight and diagonal balls to loop over him, leaving Cole with the freedom of Stamford Bridge. The midfield managed to secure a slight foothold in the game after the second went in, keeping the ball for short spells but weren't helped by the gallivanting runs of Alex Baptiste who, as a supposed holding midfielder, was the furthest forward a few times, leaving Pool susceptible to the counter attack. It wasn't a counter attack which brought the third goal, but an individual error in the middle of the park. Elliot Grandin got caught on the ball which ended up seeing Cole cross for Drogba who had his deflected effort unluckily fly in off Ian Evatt, leaving Gilks helpless. That was on 30 minutes, and 10 later there was the final goal of the day. Kalou was given far too much room by Stephen Crainey and found Malouda who fired home brilliantly to wrap up the scoring, thankfully! Going into the break it felt like the Blues could have hit six, seven, maybe eight in the mood that they were in. Sometimes you have to sit back and applaud to opposition and Carlo Ancelotti and his team look like Premiership winners already. There were chances for Blackpool, but Alex Baptiste saw a long range effort well saved and Dekel Keinan nodded wide from a corner. Ollie made an obvious change at half time, hauling off the out of depth Eardley to replace him with Gary Taylor-Fletcher (Baptiste dropping to right back), with the midfielder having a smashing game in the second half. Charlie Adam and David Vaughan were able to keep the ball more in the second 45 after knowing where they stood without a defender alongside them, which meant chances were created for the front three. DJ Campbell almost reduced the arrears as he sprung the offside trap before his one-on-one shot beat Petr Cech but not Ivanovic on the line. There were more opportunities to come as Pool produced a more characteristic attacking display. Taylor-Fletcher saw a chip brilliantly tipped over by Cech whilst Luke Varney had a volley fly wide. Stephen Crainey and Charlie Adam in particular were getting into decent crossing positions but the quality of ball into the box wasn't that of their more established opponents, which was perhaps the most glaring difference between the teams. There were more chances for the hosts to extend their lead, with Malouda being the biggest culprit for spurning them. Chelsea should have had a penalty in the last minute but Mark Clattenburg was extremely lenient and blew for full time instead. However, all in all, there will be bigger and better teams who lose by more than four at Chelsea and the players should be proud of their second half performance. Ian Holloway said after the game that we simply weren't good enough in the first half and that is probably the most disappointing thing to come out of the game. As a defensive unit they didn't do themselves justice at all but as Sky Sports noted, the game was a freebie and moving onto the Blackburn game as quickly as possible is the best course of action. (Vital Football)

Ian Holloway wants Blackpool to play like world champions Spain

It was courageous and it was cutting edge but, above all, it was clever. Blackpool's perfectly executed game plan served as a masterclass, demonstrating how devastatingly effective genuinely attacking versions of 4-3-3 can be.

Ian Holloway had asked his unfancied, heavily patronised charges to make a challenging formation, requiring considerable positional interchanging and much attendant trust, work.
Admittedly they endured some hairy second-half moments and their goalkeeper, Matthew Gilks, shone but few would argue that Blackpool did not deserve to pull it off. Even more refreshingly their shock win had as much to do with Holloway's broad football philosophy as his chosen configuration.

"You've got to look at Tiki-Taka, you've got to look at Spain," he said. "How they pass the ball, how they keep the ball. They are little guys who run around passing and they are quite brilliant."
So much so that Holloway has adopted the World Cup winners as role models. "What's wrong with us, why can't we do it? I want my team to be more like Spain."

On Saturday this wish was granted. "I've got to be careful I don't burst with pride. These boys are amazing, they're getting better all the time."

Blackpool's £10,000‑a‑week wage ceiling dictates that Holloway cannot shop for the game's perceived elite. Indeed, handed a comparable budget, many of his peers would merely restrict their recruits to specific, regimented, duties within rigid, safety-first formations.

Refusing to bow to such convention, the Bristolian has instead asked players such as the impressive David Vaughan, Charlie Adam and Luke Varney to raise their personal technical bars. On Tyneside he reaped surprisingly rich rewards...Read More...

Superb Blackpool beat Newcastle!

Newcastle Utd 0 v 2 BLACKPOOL.

Charlie Adam and DJ Campbell burst Newcastle's bubble as Blackpool banked another three precious Barclays Premier League points on the road. The midfielder calmly slotted a 45th-minute penalty past keeper Steve Harper and immediately dedicated it to youth team coach Gary Parkinson, who is critically ill in hospital. Adam then produced the pass from which DJ Campbell sealed the win at the death, but only after keeper Matt Gilks had produced a string of superb saves to deny Newcastle an equaliser. Gilks, who had kept out Kevin Nolan's first-half effort, frustrated Joey Barton, substitute Peter Lovenkrands and Andy Carroll as the Magpies staged a committed fightback in front of a crowd of 49,597. The defeat, Newcastle's first on their own turf in 27 attempts, served as a reminder to the Chris Hughton's men, if they needed one, that their 6-0 victory over Aston Villa in the last fixture at St James' Park, was a start and nothing more. Five months ago, Blackpool had arrived on Tyneside as one of the few sides to have beaten the Magpies in the Championship, and left on the wrong end of a 4-1 beating which was every bit as comprehensive as the scoreline suggests. They returned to the north-east knowing that Villa had also been sent packing as Newcastle romped to a stunning victory 24 hours after they had lost by the same score at Arsenal. But there was a determination about Ian Holloway's men from the off that they would not be blown away, and when referee Lee Mason sounded the half-time whistle, few inside St James' could have argued they were value for their 1-0 lead...READ MORE ...

Blackpool 2 v 2 Fulham

Dickson Etuhu's late equaliser rescued a point for Fulham and denied Blackpool a deserved victory as top-flight football made its return to Bloomfield Road after 39 years. Manager Ian Holloway's newly-promoted Tangerines looked on course for a momentous three points as they came from behind after Bobby Zamora - watched by England coach Fabio Capello - headed Fulham into a first-half lead. Blackpool's patient passing approach and attacking verve was rewarded when John Pantsil turned Luke Varney's shot into his own net with 19 minutes remaining. Varney then sent Blackpool's fans into wild celebrations five minutes later as he finished in style from 12 yards after racing on to Brett Ormerod's through ball. But with three minutes left and Bloomfield Road counting down the seconds to the final whistle, Etuhu raced clear on to Moussa Dembele's pass to beat Matt Gilks. It was a point Fulham barely deserved after the home side dominated for long periods, but Holloway will take great encouragement from his team's display against a side that reached the Europa League final in May. (BBC Sport)

MK Dons 4 v 3 Blackpool (AET)

Lewis Guy's extra-time goal gave MK Dons a win over top-flight Blackpool in a superb Carling Cup second-round tie. Sam Baldock fired the Dons ahead from long range in the first minute, with Brett Ormerod levelling on the hour. Jermaine Easter hit two goals in two minutes shortly after to put the Dons in charge but Ludovic Sylvestre reduced arrears a minute later. Charlie Adam's penalty forced extra time in which substitute Guy struck the decisive blow with 10 minutes left.

It was a fittingly dramatic conclusion to a hugely entertaining game in which the home side had never been behind but were continually pegged back by their spirited opponents. It was a much-altered Seasiders side from the one that lost 6-0 at Arsenal on Saturday, with manager Ian Holloway making 10 changes. Holloway himself was not present to see his second string battle hard but ultimately fail against League One MK Dons - with the Blackpool club website stating he was watching a possible transfer target at another match. Assistant boss Steve Thompson, standing in for Holloway, had barely taken his seat in the dugout when Baldock collected a Sean O'Hanlon pass and scored from 18 yards after just 53 seconds. (BBC Sport)

Arsenal 6 - 0 Blackpool

Theo Walcott registered the first hat-trick of his club career as Arsenal brought Blackpool back down to earth with a resounding win at the Emirates. Newly-promoted Blackpool, who won 4-0 at Wigan on the opening day, started well but Walcott slotted Arsenal ahead. Ian Evatt was sent off for a foul that appeared to be outside the area, Andrey Arshavin scoring the penalty, before Walcott drilled a third on 39 minutes. Abou Diaby clipped home, Walcott curled in and Marouane Chamakh headed a sixth. While they squandered numerous chances to extend their advantage, the Gunners now have their first victory of the season and boss Arsene Wenger will surely be delighted with his side's performance.

Opposite number Ian Holloway insisted before the match that his side would "have a go" and admitted they "might end up losing by the most embarrassing scoreline even in the Premier League". Such a scenario did not quite materialise for the Seasiders - but after Evatt's dismissal there was a feeling that it could have gone that way. Blackpool did enjoy plenty of early possession and carved out the first meaningful attempt on goal when David Vaughan shot powerfully at Manuel Almunia. (BBC Sport)

Best Newcomers ....

BLACKPOOL SIMPLY SENSATIONAL AGAINST WIGAN

WIGAN 0, BLACKPOOL 4. FOR once, mentions of Blackpool’s illuminations have nothing to do with the seafront.

On an incredible, implausible debut, Ian Holloway’s improbable underdogs lit up the Premier League. Now they tower over the division. They were peerless. This was simply sensational.League goal; to Marlon Harewood, the brace that made it an elegant demolition job; to Holloway, surely, the plaudits for a rapid, radical overhaul of a forgotten club. Pass and move is supposed to be Arsenal’s ethos. Blackpool have borrowed it to make the tangerine dream all the more attractive. This was no smash and grab – it was classy attacking football. It was a club that went from disarray to disbelief in a matter of days. In midweek Holloway denied he was resigning after a frustrating summer in the transfer market. Enter seven signings in 72 hours.
Holloway’s bargain basement version of supermarket sweep paid immediate dividends. Elliot Grandin made a goal. Harewood set up one and scored two more. Charlie Adam sent Harewood surging clear on the right and he rolled an inviting cross to the far post for Taylor-Fletcher to sweep in.Formerly of Northwich Victoria, Grays, Dagenham & Redbridge and Lincoln, Taylor-Fletcher is an unlikely hero. But then they all are. That’s what makes Blackpool so remarkable.
Unwanted at Aston Villa, Harewood had the choice of Premier League Blackpool or League One Huddersfield. It looks like he picked the right one. He opened his account with a 25-yard shot that squirmed under Chris Kirkland’s body.

Having waited 28 months for a Premier League goal, Harewood had a second in five minutes when Kirkland parried Grandin’s shot and the former West Ham man slotted in the rebound.

The rout was completed when a player who was relegated from the Football League in his Mansfield days, Alex Baptiste, scored in the Premier League with a mishit cross. It was an emotional comeback match for referee Mark Halsey after his successful cancer treatment. (Sunday Express)

Wigan 0 - 4 Blackpool

Premier League newcomers Blackpool had a dream start to their campaign as they beat a Wigan team in disarray. The Tangerines were 3-0 up at half-time, with Gary Taylor-Fletcher side-footing them into a deserved lead. Livewire Marlon Harewood added a second with a 22-yard shot and also slotted in after Elliot Grandin had an effort parried by goalkeeper Chris Kirkland. Steve Gohouri had a header disallowed for Wigan before Alex Baptiste's cross inadvertently added Blackpool's fourth. Wigan were comfortably beaten and it was the home side which looked more like the Premier League debutants than the more assured Blackpool, who were making their return to the top flight for the first time since 1971. Until Chelsea beat West Brom 6-0 in the later kick-off, the three points had also put Blackpool top of the table for the first time since the opening day of the 1957/58 season. (BBC Sport)