Blackpool In Dire Need

The Seasiders travelled to Hillsborough today in search of a first win in nine, and came back with tails firmly between legs.

The Blackpool team as follows:

Rachubka
Barker © - Gorkss - Matt Jackson - Crainey
Hoolahan - Southern - Fox - Coid
Vernon - Parker

On looking at the two team sheets today, you couldn't help but notice the gulp in class between the sides where it really mattered. Wednesday had Tudgay and Sodje up front (totalling transfer fees of £400K plus) whereas we had Vernon and Parker - whose goal count for the season is ONE between them.

In the 63rd minute the home team brought on £110K man Deon Burton. Our three substitute appearances cost zero in transfer fees.

In the midfield, poor young David Fox was shown up for what he was, a mere shadow of Graham Kavanagh. O'Brien ran the show from the midfield, and we were said to look like schoolboys.

Blackpool put in a 'lacklustre and heartless' performance throughout - a complete contrast to Tuesday night when West Brom jumped out of their skin at the fright of the Tangerines snatching all the points.

Brian Laws' side fought harder, passed better and urged themselves on as they bossed a first half in which 'Pool struggled to get out of their own box, let alone their half!

Paul Rachubka made a string of fine saves, most notably a reflex tip as a corner cannoned off Kaspars Gorkss, as he kept Simon Grayson's team in the game.

Totally against the run of play, Blackpool scored.

Wes Hoolahan - who operated on the right side all game - fired home the advantage for 'Pool as his shot hit the post and went in, to send the healthy away following into raptures and silence the already quiet home crowd.

At half time the score remained 1-0, but it didn't take long for that to change in the second period.

On 66 minutes, Marcus Tudgay (pay your money and you get a goalscorer) nodded home the equaliser from a wicked cross. There was no coming back for us.

Without Southern - who departed just 20 minutes in due to injury - the midfield loses all shape. Replacement Michael Flynn looked out of sorts all afternoon, with careless passing, as did Fox, who was hauled off with half an hour left for Jorgensen - who must be the most unluckiest footballer at the club.

Five minutes after the equaliser, Sheffield Wednesday scored again, from a set piece; what a surprise eh! Richard Hinds was left unmarked as he thumped his header home to silence the moaners in the Owls end.

The Seasiders tried to get back into the game, as they brought Welsh on (why isn`t he starting games?!) but the negative tactics (yes, that is the managers domain) once we opened the scoring saw us lose, coupled with the shoddy showing from numbers two to eleven.

What does this boil down to? Poor management? No. It boils down to the man (notice the use of singular and not plural) upstairs. I noticed that a certain Jermaine Easter made his debut for Plymouth today after signing on loan from Wycombe. I'll say nomore, apart from: we need a striker, NOW.

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