The Wire Report: Blackpool 1-3 Norwich City

[Canary On The Wire 0]

So, we weren''t very good. Admit it. For a side feted to ''get on the ball and dominate teams'' according to Adams, we simply do not move the ball with a consistent enough tempo for a possession-based side. In the first half both sides closed down well enough, and Blackpool showed how poor they are at passing the ball.

You see, the issue with our passing is not that it is particularly inaccurate, the only players in our side who frequently struggle to maintain decent statistical accuracy in passing are Nathan Redmond and Bradley Johnson, but then you have to look at their passing ambition, which far outweighs that of a Tettey or an O''Neil. The issue, and primary reason why we struggle so much in the first half of matches is the aforementioned tempo problems.

When we move the ball out from the back and into midfield to Tettey or Johnson, it is very noticeable that we are retaining the ball and playing at a very low tempo, suited to a patient outfit that works the ball forward through the middle. That is all well and good, but strangely as soon as a wide player makes a run, our tempo dramatically increases as though we''re desperate to release them. We need to be more patient than to just keep it and punt it at Olsson when he runs.

Therefore, Blackpool like many other teams noticed that if you let us have the ball, and sit off a bit, and then immediately squeeze up and press when the release ball is on, we''ll probably give it away (if Johnson doesn''t launch one for Olsson or Redmond to run on to) by quickly and inexplicably smashing it into Hoolahan''s feet and expecting him to keep it while the rest of the midfield catches up.

This is why Wes is often dispossessed so far this season- his time on the ball is largely restricted by teams who anticipate they can afford to squeeze up as the direct pass is coming- this is why Joan Oriol made as many interceptions as he did (6).

With this static and predictable approach to the build up (which oddly is never prevalent in the second 45 when we realise for some reason that varied play is important, I was not surprised that we failed to create much in that first half, save for a Lewis Grabban chance which ended up nearer the corner flag than the goal, and a fantastic run to beat two players from Redmond allowing him to whip in a teasing cross which Joe Lewis had to get out well to punch away. (I may have forgotten another half chance, but that''s about it)

Russell Martin really struggled on the overlap, too, as the strength and pace of Francois Zoko was too much for him- so why we kept on trying to feed him when it clearly wasn''t working was beyond me.

Either way, after a drab first half I wasn''t too worried as I knew we''d see a different Norwich City second half- however we were quickly pegged back by Nathan Delfouneso having been caught high allowing Ishmael Miller to produce a decent save from Ruddy, who could do nothing about the rebound.

Something that made a big difference second half was the defensive contribution of Nathan Redmond who consistently worked hard to win us the ball when we lost it out wide. A brilliant combination of key passes, clever runs and defensive elbow grease, Nathan was again my star of the show, in spite of the way in which the fluctuating Blackpool press made it hard for him first half.

When we did get back into it, though, it was via a real stroke of luck, as a good delivery from Nathan Redmond from a corner was diverted into the net by Blackpool defender Donervon Daniels. That seemed to wake Norwich up, who hadn''t started the second half as brightly as I had hoped, and Joe Lewis needed all his nous to deny Bradley Johnson from close range.

That man Redmond could have had the goal of the season so far, had his fantastic run and one-two with Jerome yielded a shot which went anywhere than Lewis'' grasp. Unfortunate, as the man deserves a goal for all his efforts lately, he just gets better and better.

The strangest thing for me is at half-time I wanted us to introduce Howson as the movement and drive through midfield was so predictable and static. It seems though that the personnel change wasn''t needed as Tettey and Johnson were a lot more urgent when we went behind and had the directness of play to match the direct runs we weren''t finding due to our low tempo in the first half.

For me, we really need to abandon the patient, probing, low tempo stuff and be consistently direct as we are in these second halves. It''s just a successful approach, and can be as great to watch as intricate passing if the ball zips about in the way it can if the midfield matches the tempo of the runners.

Blackpool introduced Jacob Mellis in an attempt to hold on to the draw, but so dominant were we by this stage it was always likely to be in vain, Lewis Grabban twisting and turning past two defenders in a manner typical of his dogged attitude, and the striker lucked into a goal as the ball looped up off a defender''s outstretched leg and into the top corner.

Lewis didn''t have his best game, but he was full of intent on the ball when he did have it, and showed his ability to beat a man enough that he deserved to profit from it, which ultimately he did.

Josh Murphy''s first league goal, and our third of the afternoon hammered home just how much better we had been after Delfouneso''s strike woke us up. It would be possible to call us lucky Norwich had we won via an own goal and that deflection, but when Murphy picked up Jerome''s pass and ghosted past a defender as though he wasn''t there, there were definite shades of the Crawley league cup game- those who know, know it as ''vintage'' Murphy- the burst of pace, the cut inside, and the cute finish inside the far post to ram home the point (or should that be points).

When we''re good, we''re very very good.

But when we''re bad, we''re horrid.

OTBC

Player Ratings

_______________

Ruddy 7 - How often do I have to say ''nothing he could do about the goal''? Brief butterfingers moment when collecting from a Turner interception, but recovered well and didn''t make a mistake after that.

Martin 7 - Couple of decent interceptions and defensively solid- struggled against Zoko as he had both pace and strength. Plenty of endeavour from Russ though- got him goalside a couple of times where ability let him down.

Turner 7 - Mammoth. Interesting pass to Ruddy under pressure from a forward, but he had to get there somehow as he was beaten for pace. It meant another low error game for Turner. Ace.

Hooiveld 7 - The fitter he gets the better he looks- no longer shaky as first appeared, was every bit as good as Turner and maybe a bit better, and that''s saying something. Maintains good passing accuracy even though he loves a long ball.

Olsson 7 - Anonymous going forward due to the aforementioned press from Blackpool, meant he had to scrap for long balls. Solid defensively though.

Tettey 7 - Standard Alex, cutting passing lanes to intercept left right and centre while Johnson goes thumping in as the enforcer. Like Johnson, Tettey has to try and keep calm when teams get about us.

Johnson 8- Who was it who said Tettey ''covers'' for Johnson? For me, they complement each other perfectly (apart from in an attacking sense in the first half), but Johnson is boldly creative in a way that belies his limitations, and he was rewarded with another assist here.

Hoolahan 6- Play him on the left, he''s going to keep losing the ball as he just isn''t comfortable there. Might as well drop him if you''re not going to play him in the hole, Neil. Issue is of course, Murphy lacks the mentality to play whole matches consistently at this stage.

Redmond 8 (MOTM) - I''ve run out of superlatives. Difficult start but grew into it, his movement and ability to dictate to a whole defence by scaring the crap out of them is different class. Didn''t even give the ball away often. Hope he scores soon, he deserves it.

Jerome 8 - Workhorse. When it''s not all coming up roses Cameron puts a shift in irrespective, winning the ball back numerous times and eventually grabbing a key pass for Murphy to make it three. For a forward player, he is very comfortable and sensible on the ball, keeps moves ticking even if he doesn''t try anything sensational.

Grabban 7 - When his luck''s out and the chips are down, Grabbs just keeps on going. Has struggled of late, but plugged away centrally and out wide until something finally went his way, his graft alone earning him a vital goal.

Subs

__________

Murphy 7 - Josh, for 45 minutes or from the start, would be exposed as lacking in a few areas and wouldn''t last in the side. At his age, though, that''s okay- and as an impact player when defenders tire and begin to sit off, the pace Josh can present is just vindictive, and the lad punished Blackpool in style to finish as he has done so many times at youth level and latterly in the Capital One Cup. In spite of what i say, though, if he produces on a regular basis like this, a Wes Hoolahan playing on the left will be easy pickings for a starting berth.

Howson, O''Neil....saw it out.

[ricardo 7,928]

Thanks COTW.Good stuff.

[Canary On The Wire 0]

Thanks Ricardo.

Doesn''t particularly capture any of the romance, but then I wouldn''t be an analyst if I could!

[ricardo 7,928]

[quote user="Canary On The Wire"]Thanks Ricardo.

Doesn''t particularly capture any of the romance, but then I wouldn''t be an analyst if I could![/quote]That''s true but we all have our own styles and each is valid in it''s own way.[;)]

[ron obvious 1,698]

I think Tettey had a poor first half today. This season he''s been driving into opposition territory much more than last (unsurprisingly), &, for me, our best performances have come when he has the confidence to provide that motive engine in midfield. I suspect complacency isn''t the issue, it''s that he naturally goes back into a defensive shell if not poked with a stick.

It has to be said Blackpool didn''t look that bad to me - they looked far better than Ipswich, who are, unbelievably Jeff, now 4th!!

It''s a very tight division, & we really cannot afford to relax.

[Canary On The Wire 0]

He certainly did have a poor first half. There was no movement in midfield. I think that is one of the issues with an otherwise successful partnership of Tettey and Johnson, they''d both rather be holding players if they could, but they have to go forward. Certainly replacing one of them with Howson etc would make us better going forward in terms of having that drive- question is what do we lose defensively by doing that?

[Dubai Mark 0]

I really enjoyed your report, definitely represented the game I watched, thank you! I too had Redmond down as MoM...we now need to see him score a few goals, which I am sure will come.

[Daz Sparks 1,558]

Thanks for the report COTW, good informative read without any waffle.

[Bill 1,788]

"Therefore, Blackpool like many other teams noticed that if you let us

have the ball, and sit off a bit, and then immediately squeeze up and

press when the release ball is on, we''ll probably give it away"

oh dearoh dearie, dear me

[Mr Jenkins 0]

An interesting read and thanks for your report.

Our first half performances are frustrating but to be honest if they lead to the great second half performances that we have seen I am happy to take it.

[PurpleCanary 6,276]

[quote user="City1st"]"Therefore, Blackpool like many other teams noticed that if you let us

have the ball, and sit off a bit, and then immediately squeeze up and

press when the release ball is on, we''ll probably give it away"

oh dearoh dearie, dear me

[/quote]CotW, no fewer than 29 paragraphs and City1st only objects to one little sentence. I don''t think I''ve ever seen him pay a greater compliment on this message-board...

[Herman 11,112]

 [:D]

[Bill 1,788]

[quote user="PurpleCanary"][quote user="City1st"]"Therefore, Blackpool like many other teams noticed that if you let us

have the ball, and sit off a bit, and then immediately squeeze up and

press when the release ball is on, we''ll probably give it away"

oh dearoh dearie, dear me

[/quote]CotW, no fewer than 29 paragraphs and City1st only objects to one little sentence. I don''t think I''ve ever seen him pay a greater compliment on this message-board...[/quote]and you spent your Saturday night counting paragraphsoh dear

and it is still meaningless guff however many paragraphs it is..... a release ball...... dear god

[wooster 134]

It''s worth remembering that Blackpool have only conceded one goal (a penalty) in their last three games against Wolves, Watford and Brighton so our three goals today is not to be sniffed at (not that anyone was).

I attended the game with a senior official from another club and whilst I don''t know much he rated Redmond very highly. We were lucky enough to be in the directors'' box and therefore immediately behind Murphy when he scored. The composure he showed when scoring that goal belied his age and experience.

My friend also thought Turner was very solid, no frills but very dependable.

[Canary On The Wire 0]

C1, I don''t see you attempting to give fans who couldn''t see the game an account of how you saw it?

I apologise for ''release ball'' - meaning a pass to ''release'' a wide player to run on when play is congested in the middle - somehow troubling you but I felt it was a concise way to explain what I meant.

You offer precious little of value with your online persona.

''Oh dear'' and ''meaningless guff'' are in no way constructive or go any stretch toward explaining your problem with my report. I can only assume you''re the kind of pathetic individual that is bitter about the fact that football isn''t the same as it was in 1950.

Don''t mock what you don''t understand, it is the mark of a prize tool.

[splutcho 196]

Careful, he''ll accuse you of being ever so ''umble.

[Bill 1,788]

[quote user="Canary On The Wire"]C1, I don''t see you attempting to give fans who couldn''t see the game an account of how you saw it?

I apologise for ''release ball'' - meaning a pass to ''release'' a wide player to run on when play is congested in the middle - somehow troubling you but I felt it was a concise way to explain what I meant.

You offer precious little of value with your online persona.

''Oh dear'' and ''meaningless guff'' are in no way constructive or go any stretch toward explaining your problem with my report. I can only assume you''re the kind of pathetic individual that is bitter about the fact that football isn''t the same as it was in 1950.

Don''t mock what you don''t understand, it is the mark of a prize tool.[/quote]

''Oh dear'' and ''meaningless guff'' are in no way constructive - but probably sum up better than 29 paragraphs of what is no more that a current run through of all the latest ''buzzwords'' dragged far too longno I don''t presume to give fans an account of the game - those who are that interested will find a way and not be dependant upon my wordsI am not bitter, nor have any remembrance of football in 1950, or the 50''s - however football has not changed that dramatically over the decades I have been watching it. Merely that more cliched nonsense seems to be spouted out now, as particularly pointed out in the sentence quoted

"Therefore, Blackpool like many other teams noticed that if you let us have the ball, and sit off a bit, and then immediately squeeze up and press when the release ball is on, we''ll probably give it away"

as how the hell does the opposition know this supposed release ball is about to be played ? or" the only players in our side who frequently struggle to maintain decent

statistical accuracy in passing are Nathan Redmond and Bradley Johnson,

but then you have to look at their passing ambition, which far

outweighs that of a Tettey or an O''Neil. "I''m not too sure what ''passing ambition is, other than a temporary interest in improving your lot. But if it is the accuracy of passes then of course it depends on the distance, circumstances etc. Which is why these so called stats are worthless sh ite ... or meaninless guff, if you wish, They take into account NONE of the variables which actually make the game. Neither would I agree that a cross, as often is the case with Redmond, is a pass.I don''t have a problem with your report either - merely giving an account of your report. Something you should expect if you post up something in an open forum.And an account that is not reliant upon vacuous cliches.

[splutcho 196]

Improved match report:

We weren''t very good, then it was half time, then they kicked it in our goal, then we were a bit better, then they did a header in their own goal and then luckily we kicked it in their goal two more times and then we won.

Only one paragraph and no cliches! Everybody wins. I think.

[Canary On The Wire 0]

Stats are not worthless. There are reasons why football clubs employ statisticians and performance analysts. However, they do not form the full picture-- what I say about passing ambition I refers to the way in which he who plays short safe passes is likely to end up with superior accuracy to he who attempts long balls all afternoon. It shows an appreciation of stats'' failures and drawbacks- which is why I have used staats only in support of what I saw with my own eyes. Of course, I expect and welcome criticism- but all I ask, C1, is that you put the same thought, reason and logic into your criticisms as I do my reports. Thank you for elaborating.

Re: the release ball- they know because we were so very predictable and slow to move the ball in the first 45 that the likes of Olsson and Redmond had to make obvious runs forward at which point the threat from wide sticks out like a sore thumb. Fast closing down at this point leaves the wide players isolated and too high up the pitch- something Zoko and Daniels did well for the Seasiders.

[Canary On The Wire 0]

Splutcho makes a very valid point. You can have your football as simple or as complex as you like as a fan. I choose complex as I have a vested interest in performance analysis. Persons employed by Football clubs, however, rely on gathering all the data they can/ have the man-power to do, to leave no stone unturned in the quest for three points. As a fan, you don''t have to care about all that. You can call it ''vacuous'' and ''guff''. But many people do, the clubs do, and I do. Who knows how many joyous City wins a brief study of heat maps for an opposition full-back has yielded for those who only care about the romance of the game?

[Surfer 1,547]

Quite so. And in another sport - baseball - stats have been used very successfully by Oakland (who happen to resemble Norwich in many ways, not only by yellow and green colors) to compete against baseball''s Chelsea, Man City etc.

You can either appreciate the insights gleaned from the underlying math, or you can just wonder why the A''s hardly ever do the things that "proper" teams do. Either way they consistently over perform season after season when compared to teams that spend over twice their payroll.

[Katie Borkins 1]

Statistically, 98% of City 1st''s posts are aggressive put downs, the other 2% being picture quizzes with no pictures in.

Match report was accurate enough, and very readable, thanks for the effort.

[Herman 11,112]

Thanks COTW. Your report is appreciated[Y]

[Indy 3,448]

COTW why bite, all C1only ever comes on fishing for a bite or to tell us the dire sh×t the binners are in.

He derails all threads by picking and yet some still bite.

Good report and not far off what I watched on the screen.

[T 190]

The people who mock stats are just those that don''t have the education or intelligence to understand them. Given life is based on probability they have a very poor grasp of reality as demonstrated on here.

[Buh 0]

Stattos that don''t go to games - pointless

[lake district canary 4,778]

Stats in describing a football match are like making love while analysing a bank statement. Distracting, irrelevant and a turn off.

[Joanna Grey 0]

"So, we weren''t very good."

"When we''re good, we''re very very good.

But when we''re bad, we''re horrid."

Make your mind up.

[Ray 111]

ldc,

Depends on whether or not you are being paid for your sevices I suspect!!!!

[I am Spacticus! 0]

Excellent report!