12 January 2011. Blackpool had beaten Liverpool 2-1 in the Premier League and won the lion's share of possession and had more shots on target than the visitors. Looking back at the side that day Kingson, Crainey, Eardley, Evatt, Cathcart, Vaughan, Grandin, Adam, Taylor-Fletcher, Varney and Campbell- it was hardly world class and yet we had a team and a club we could be proud of.

Just 3 and a half years later and we are looking at a car crash of a club. The 16,089 in Bloomfield Road that night has halved, the stability of a decent manager replaced by 3 or 4 cheap options and a side full of players exceeding their capabilities replaced by one which may never fulfil anything. That night against Liverpool, I left Bloomfield Road thinking we'd secured a second season in the Premier League and we could be the next Wigan or Bolton and enjoy a decent top flight stay. Instead the only comparisons you can draw with both sides is that we're all bottom half in the Championship and employing a manager who was a failure at the other two sides!

The news that Jose Riga looks to be staying in Belgium can hardly come as a surprise. His relationship with Karl Oyston was as amicable as that between Ukraine and Russia .. and Kark didn't even bother with a ceasefire, Instead it looks like he's fired another manager and his reputation of being the Chairman who gives managers time to do their job has long gone. It's interesting that Riga never won a game at Blackpool and yet has developed a bit of a folklore reputation. We'll never really know whether he was any good or not but, whilst unpalatable, his departure seems a necessary evil. Whether Owen Coyle, as reported, is the man who will take over remains to be seen.

Saturday afternoons have become pretty unbearable for Blackpool fans this season and it's ironic the one weekend we're not playing that this remains so. 12.01.11 seems a distant memory and there seems little chance those halcyon days will be repeated anytime soon.

We'll keep you up to date with all the news from Bloomfield Road throughout the weekend but in the meantime had to the forum to have your say.

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