derry

Dead right, except that White then Dyer kept coming inside, giving no useable width. JP emphasised that point, so I think it will be dealt with.

James has been a midfielder and is reasonably quick. He has put in crosses which ended up as goals. I can see a possible change, with Cork at right back, with James in front at right midfield. That looks pretty solid to me.

Cork was good on the ground but didn't win a header v Birmingham, he would have been murdered by Burgess in the air.

Wouldn't you like to play 11?

IMO ---------------------Davis ----James--------Svennson--Perry-------Cork ----------Schneiderlin-------Gillett Lallana----------------------------------Holmes ------------------McGoldrick ---------------------Pekart

I think so many players are now waiting to see which way the keeper goes it is worth giving them a problem, Davis has a poor record with us at penalties. I haven't seen him save any. I think it looks worse to go the wrong way early.

It will help to get Pekart/Cork integrated.

I just wish goalkeepers would stand up for penalties and try and save the shot rather than going early. Penalty takers in the main are anticipating the keeper moving first. It seems more penalties are saved by waiting, as it seems to throw the penalty taker, unless they have picked a side beforehand and drive the ball in irrespective what the goalkeeper does. Yesterday after Kelvin went early, Burgess just placed it centre left. He made some cracking reaction saves and that is his strength, he should use that in penalties.

Good post, what an apt name for the idiot.

Wing backs not wingers, nowhere as good, I prefer the way it is.

Talking rigid numbers makes no sense. JP is trying to attack in numbers and defend in numbers. As soon as the ball is lost everybody gets behind it and pressurizes to get it back, that happened in previous matches but not yesterday. The team play anything from 2-8 to 9-1 when adhering to the game plan. Playing with width and depth. As for John I can see him only being on the fringe, with Pekart, should he be successful, play in front of McGoldrick with Lallana wide right. There has to be a place for Cork whether midfield or fullback.

I think it's a bit unfair to criticise Svennson. He was up against a streetwise, physical, tall striker. He had no help from either fullback or Perry dropping off to deal with the flick ons. When it was obvious what was happening, the forward players didn't pressurize the ball, one of the fullbacks needed to drop in whilst one of the midfield players needed to get in front of Burgess, but they didn't and gave him a clear run at the ball. Because of his physique, short of going through the back of Burgess, there was no way Svennson was going to get to the ball first. We can accept their pace provided we aren't square and the full backs are there to defend. For the penalty James was missing whilst Gillett made a mess of his tackle leaving White to dive in and clip the attacker.

I don't get wound up by them which makes it easy to retaliate, they in the main have no trouble dishing it out, they however are vulnerable when rattled. Especially when the last thing they do is go to the matches. Their posts are meaningless, because they have no idea, and only select posts that support their prejudices as the theme.

Don't talk about Euell passing the ball, all last season he was just about the worst passer, apart from Viafara.

Kelvin did it in the last 20 mins, bombing balls into a penalty area occupied by close on 21 player and every time it gave the ball to Blackpool. We were beaten by a penalty, so BPL caused us problems, so what, close calls at times, but disallowed goals for fouling the goalkeper and offside don't count. Davis made some saves, that's what he is there for. One of the things JP said, was, we didn't pressurise the ball like we did in the other games, he put that down to tiredness. White yesterday was totally ineffective and by coming inside all the time stopped us from passing wide right. The surprise for me was he wasn't taken off sooner. I think they expected to win yesterday, that caused them to take their foot off the pedal. A lesson hopefully learnt. I bet they wil be giving it a go again v QPR. I expect Pekart to give them an alternative with McGoldrick behind and Lallana wide right. IMO he will find a place for Cork in midfield or fullback.

A definite penalty, but the ref missed the Centreback pushing McGoldrick in the back, making him collide with the goalkeeper and stopping him reaching the ball,, just before BPL cleared off the line from Lallana. I saw it at the time and it was highlighted by the commentators on Tv, which I watched when I got home.

Forget it, JP isn't going to drop his captain. Anyway he's saving Thomas for Rotherham if he's still here.

I think the alleged formation is a myth, it is more important for the team to maintain shape and contact, defend in depth, and attack using the width. When the ball is lost quickly get back and pressure the ball. Today in the first half Jamie White gave us no width, coming inside all the time, giving no outlet for the midfield. At one stage when there was a Holmes cross which beat everybody he was on the near post with McGoldrick and Lallana instead of at the back corner of the box. I thought before half time that they had to take him off.

On 24th August the club stated it would be two weeks before he would start training again. In any event he has had no real games since last season and he was poor for the reserves before going off. I think we will have our answer within 48 hours as JP said tonight he is awaiting several developments with outgoing players, on that depends whether he can make another signing.

Skacel has an injured ankle, he was on crutches last week. Where did playing Skacel come from, or do you really not know who is injured or not.

Easy to talk football isn't it , when you've seen the game?

Plan B is a meaningless buzzword.

Realistic summing up.

I don't think this team is going to grind out results. I think they will win games and use possession to stop being pressured. The passing game wasn't as good today and Burgess had a very good game. His flick ons caused problems, and Blackpool attacked at pace on the break. Saints had a good deal of possession but the problem for me was they weren't winning the ball back,as they weren't pressurising Blackpool with the same intensity as v Birmingham,thereby allowing Blackpool room to get at our defence.

We lost because Jamie White jumped in and clipped the attacker out at the edge of the penalty area. The penalty beat us, nothing else. The score was 0-1 FFS. We weren't as good as the previous games, however we weren't that bad. I still enjoyed the game but not the result. That's more than I can say about the dross of most of last seasons games. JP isn't going to change his approach, he is going to try and get the team to be better and more combative. Plan B is just another meaningless buzzword. He made 3 substitutions and positional changes. The team don't play 4-2-1-2-1, they play a whole load of combinations from 2-8 to 9-1 it just depends where the passing and the other teams play takes them. At one stage today McGoldrick tracked back and won a tackle in the right back position, not after a set piece.