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Middlesbrough v Blackpool Preview
Monday, 29th Sep 2014 22:38 by Editor

So we've had the imperfect 10 (and you can either include the Charlton defeat from last season for an imperfect league 10 or throw in the Shrewsbury defeat for this season's imperfect 10), so now can we actually get on and win a game? In an ideal world, the international weekend would have followed the Norwich defeat but at least we get two more bites of the cherry before then.

The league table is a bit of a mystery to most Blackpool fans. We all know we're 24th in the table but for those who haven't dared look so far, here's the facts. The good news is we've played all the top four sides and hardly touched those in the bottom half. If we lost out on a pre-season and wanted to get all the tough fixtures out of the way first then we've achieved that. Our goal difference at -9 isn't great but is salvageable and we've not conceded the most goals in this league by some distance (there's at least half a dozen others who've shipped in more). However, it's the points that matter and we're now at the stage where even a win wouldn't get us out of the bottom three. It would now take two wins (and other results dependent) and you really don't want it to get any worse than that.

So not the best time therefore to go to a side who are knocking on the door of the play offs. That said, Boro haven't had the best of time at the Riverside this season with two wins and two defeats and so maybe there's a crack in their armour. However, 13 goals scored is 9 more than Blackpool have managed so far although at least we broke our '3 games without a goal' duck on Saturday. At 9/1 to win the bookies clearly don't fancy us but the home side do have some concerns. Midfielders Dean Whitehead and Albert Adomah are both suspended whilst it looks like they'll be without a few others because of injury concerns. Sometimes it only takes a few changes ti unsettle a side and if there's straws to be grasped we'll take them!

Little or no point speculating on the Blackpool side purely because Jose Riga has yet to choose the same XI two games running and that could be one of our problems. You can tell with each team chosen and each formation adopted that players don't seem to know where one another is, there's little cohesion and it seems to take a while for the side to get in to their stride. Whilst Saturday ended in defeat, other than hopefully bringing Peter Clarke back in to defence if fit, Riga may be best leaving it for another game. Whilst such an attack minded side may be reckless away from home, at least it may result in some more action in the penalty area - something we've seen scant signs of lately.

The breakthrough has to come eventually because every record eventually has to be broken. You'd hope the more the team are together and the closer they get, that desire to succeed will grow stronger and one of these days it will be rewarded.

Also on line:

Two New Players at Bloomfield Road http://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/blackpool/news/36406/two-new-players--answ
Our season shows no real sign of picking up http://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/blackpool/news/36401/our-season-shows-no-r
The resignation that sadly never was http://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/blackpool/news/36393/the-resignation-that-

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