Sorry about that. I was laughing at the point above(in bold). And point taken on the "one update a day is enough". Sorry.
FM11: Blackpool - A New Era
- Thread starter hedger_14
- Start date
Sorry about that. I was laughing at the point above(in bold). And point taken on the "one update a day is enough". Sorry.
hedger_14
ICC Chairman
Yeah, no worries. I feel it isn't that much but I just get tired of doing a heap of writing each day.
hedger_14
ICC Chairman
5th December - Galatasaray v Blackpool - EURO Cup
This was such a big game for both clubs, with Galatasaray one win away from qualification for the next stage, and even a draw would likely put Galatasaray through. This match would be very important though for Blackpool as they sat now only one point ahead of Dinamo Moscow and should Dinamo beat Galatasaray in their final match and Blackpool lose today, then Dinamo would progress to the knockout stages, assuming they beat Ventspils in the other match in this group today. A Blackpool win meanwhile would nearly assure them qualification as they play Ventspils in their final game which should be an easy win. This was going to be a thriller and after the 1-1 draw in the two teams first clash at Blackpool, both teams would be looking for the full 3 points today. Galatasaray would be missing Bosnian Zvjezdan Misimovic through injury but he is the only player missing out of the two sides. This should be a fantastic match of football and we are ready for kickoff.
Galatasaray:
GK: Simon Pouplin
DL: Hakan Balta
DC: Servet Cetin
DC: Anele
DR: Sabri Sarioglu
ML: Juan Pablo Pino
MC: Willian
MC: Lorik Cana
MR: Huseyin Bas
AMC: Arda Turan
ST: Milan Baros
Subs: Ufuk Ceylan, Serdar Ozkan, Marko Perovic, Mehmet Batdal, Lucas Neill, Berkin Arslan, Cetin Saglam
Blackpool:
GK: David Ospina
DL: Tarik Brack
DC: Phil Jones (C)
DC: Craig Cathcart
DR: Lee Hodson
ML: Israel
MC: Edu Bedia
MC: Ludovic Sylvestre
MR: Giovani dos Santos
ST: David Goodwillie
ST: DJ Campbell
Subs: William Caballero, Mikael Dorsin, Ian Evatt, Charlie Adam, James McFadden, Elliot Grandin, Chris Wood
It was a pretty even first 20 minutes as both sides cancelled each other out in attack and only one chance for both sides came in that period, both resulting in nothing. The time continued to pass as the game looked like it would be a draw and both sides seemed to have to find the net from distance, and Arda Turan had a crack after 32 minutes from about 25 yards but his strike didn't trouble the keeper at all. Galatasaray tried a few more times from distance before half-time but really weren't proving much of a threat and it wasn't surprising to see the scores level at the break, with no shots on target for either side even though Galatasaray had 10 attempts including 6 long shots. The possession was dead even though which had shown that the match was truly in the balance, but Blackpool had tried to make the most of their attacks, and tried to take the best possible shot rather than the first possible shot.
The second half started off much as the same as the first half finished with the first real chance coming in the 55th minute with an attacking free kick for Blackpool, with Sylvestre's strike deflected out for a corner. 2 consecutive corners couldn't bring anything though but they continued to put on the pressure when Batdal off the bench brought down Jones about 7 metres outside the box. Again, the free kick was blocked by the defensive wall and the ball was snatched up by Pouplin. It did seem like Blackpool were on top though as they started to take control with a couple more chances and DJ Campbell had a chance to score a goal but Pouplin made a good save down low, and Campbell was brought off for Chris Wood. Israel nearly put Chris Wood in behind the defence with a perfect long ball but Wood's strike just couldn't hit the target and Galatasaray survived again, and again Blackpool went to the bench bringing on Charlie Adam for Edu Bedia, but things got very bad though when Goodwillie was forced off the field with an injury, bringing on Elliot Grandin who slotted into the midfield while dos Santos moved up front. Things just continued to get worse for Blackpool though when Phil Jones was sent off for a challenge that didn't look too bad and the Blackpool players had every right to be angry at the decision. Elliot Grandin should have scored with minutes remaining when he was one on one with the keeper but somehow managed to hit it right at Pouplin who made the save. Lee Hodson was then sent off in stoppage time, having to make a forced tackle on Batdal when Cathcart had gone down seconds earlier while contesting for a header and things were just going even worse for Blackpool as they were desperate to hold on for the draw. It got even more miserable for Blackpool though when they conceded a 93rd minute goal to cost them the match, with everyone playing out of position and there really wasn't much they could do. Blackpool would be heartbroken following the loss and probably didn't deserve to lose after having the better of the first 80 minutes.
Phil Jones was unarguably the best man on the park before his send off and deservedly took the MOTM award, even despite his late challenge. He made 1 key pass, while winning 3 tackles with 1 key tackle, won all 9 headers that he contested for, 5 key headers, made 4 interceptions and even tested his attacking skills with a good attacking run to test out the Galatasaray defence. Simon Pouplin was one of the stand out performers for Galatasaray, and the only real player to make an impact for them having been on the back foot until Jones was sent off. Pouplin was fantastic in goals making a number of key saves to deny Blackpool on several occassions. Good news for Blackpool though is that David Goodwillie would miss only the weekend clash with Blackburn, while it is likely that Blackpool will appeal Phil Jones controversial dismissal in hope that he will be able to play in the final match but as it is against Ventspils, they may decide to not appeal against it.
hedger_14
ICC Chairman
Oh yeah, obviously Dinamo won
So now I need Galatasaray to beat Dinamo Moscow for me to qualify, provided I beat Ventspils.
hedger_14
ICC Chairman
Blackpool Won't Appeal Jones Ban
Phil Jones was controversially sent off in Blackpool's 0-1 defeat against Galatasaray yesterday and if an appeal was successful, then he would be able to play in Blackpool's final EURO Cup group fixture with Ventspils. Hedger stated though, "We will not be appealing against Phil Jones ban. While I strongly feel that Jones shouldn't have been sent off, we will not appeal the ban, or Hodson's as well. We should still be able to beat Ventspils so I think the best way to go about this is to not appeal and have them take their one match ban." Blackpool would play Wigan and West Brom away from home in the league before coming back home to face Ventspils in their final EURO Cup group match.
Oh yeah, obviously Dinamo won
Easy.
hedger_14
ICC Chairman
8th December - Wigan v Blackpool - Premier Division
This was a huge match, for Wigan in particular who were sitting in 18th, and if they couldn't find a win soon, they could find themselves in the Championship next season. They don't have a good record against Blackpool though, with only one win in their past 5 meetings and with Blackpool currently sitting top of the table, Wigan had it all to do. It would be a good battle up front with Franco di Santo going up against Chris Wood with David Goodwillie out with injury. Who would come away with the points though?
Wigan:
GK: Chris Kirkland
DL: Andreas Ibertsberger
DC: Jordy Buijs
DC: Gary Caldwell
DR: Cho Won-Hee
DMC: Hendry Thomas
ML: Bob Schepers
MC: James McArthur
MC: James McCarthy
MR: Mohamed Diame
ST: Franco di Santo
Subs: John Tait, Emmerson Boyce, Aleksandar Tunchev, Victor Moses, Joao Silva, Antolin Alcarez, Matthew Briggs
Blackpool:
GK: Wilfredo Caballero
DL: Mikael Dorsin
DC: Phil Jones
DC: Craig Cathcart
DR: Lee Hodson
ML: James McFadden
MC: Charlie Adam
MC: Edu Bedia
MR: Jeffren
ST: Chris Wood
ST: Giovani dos Santos
Subs: David Ospina, Tarik Brack, Ian Evatt, Ludovic Sylvestre, David Carney, Elliot Grandin, DJ Campbell
The first 20 minutes of the match were evenly contested, with Wigan maybe the better team slightly but Blackpool suffered a blow, when Jeffren had to go off with an injury after 23 minutes, Elliot Grandin coming on to replace him. It was a very boring half though and it wasn't surprising that the teams went into the break still level. Both teams would be looking for a much better performance in the second half.
The second half was just as boring, with Wigan having a couple of chances in the first 20 minutes but that was about it, and Blackpool made another change bringing on DJ Campbell for Giovani dos Santos. The change nearly worked to perfection when, with 15 minutes remaining, Campbell had only the keeper to beat but his goal draught continued as he somehow managed to hit the post and it was still 0-0. Again Blackpool tried to make something happen, when Chris Wood went on a promising run down the left side of the field before holding the play up for Charlie Adam who somehow missed the target and Wigan held on again. Chris Wood was really threatening the Wigan defence and nearly created a goal in the 87th minute when his cross found the head of DJ Campbell only for Chris Kirkland to pull off a stunning save. Wood decided to have a crack minutes later and it wasn't far off, and it probably would have been a goal as well if it hit the target. Kirkland was the hero when he denied Phil Jones in stoppage time off a corner to take the draw for Wigan, but Blackpool would be disappointed not to have taken all 3 points.
Phil Jones took his 2nd MOTM award for the season, with another great performance in defence. He made one key pass, won 4 headers, including 3 key headers and made 5 interceptions and put strong pressure on the Wigan attack forcing a few misses, a deserving MOTM performance. Lee Hodson also had a great game at the back, with 54 passes, winning 2/2 headers and cut out a lot of Wigan's attacking moves with 6 interceptions. Gary Caldwell was the stand out for Wigan, having made 7 interceptions while winning 4/5 headers and won 1 tackle, made one key pass and made one successful run with the football as well. James McCarthy meanwhile had a game to forget as he failed to complete any of his attempted crosses, not making a single header or tackle, committed 2 fouls and had 5 shots at goal, not one hitting the target and was not surprisingly taken off in the 72nd minute. This draw gives both Man City and Chelsea a chance to take the lead in the Premier Division after 15 matches. Jeffren's injury has been reported to be not a serious one and should return for Blackpool's next game.
hedger_14
ICC Chairman
14th December - West Brom v Blackpool - Premier Division
It was going to be a tough match for West Brom against Blackpool, but they were sitting in 13th place, above expectations, thanks to Simon Cox who has already netted 8 goals this season, 2 more than David Goodwillie and Chris Wood. Chris Wood will also be looking for a nice return against his former club. The two teams have only met twice since 2010 and both teams have one win each so this game is hoping to be tightly contested. There was no injury news for West Brom, while only Jeffren would be missing from the Seasiders team today. Blackpool only made three changes, with Giovani dos Santos dropping to the bench while David Goodwillie came back into the side and Elliot Grandin would replace Jeffren on the right wing, while Ludovic Sylvestre replaced Edu Bedia in central midfield.
West Brom:
GK: Scott Carson
DL: Evaldo
DC: Glenn Loovens
DC: Leon Barnett
DR: Gianni Zuiverloon
ML: Kristopher Haestad
MC: Youssuf Mulumbu
MC: Graham Dorrans
MR: James Morrison
ST: Morten Nordstrand
ST: Simon Cox
Subs: Boaz Myhill, Jerome Thomas, Trond Olsen, Saido Berahino, Paul Scharner, Hjaite Norregaard, Giles Barnes
Blackpool:
GK: Wilfredo Caballero
DL: Mikael Dorsin
DC: Phil Jones
DC: Craig Cathcart
DR: Lee Hodson
ML: James McFadden
MC: Charlie Adam
MC: Ludovic Sylvestre
MR: Elliot Grandin
ST: David Goodwillie
ST: Chris Wood
Subs: David Ospina, Tarik Brack, Ian Evatt, Edu Bedia, David Carney, Giovani dos Santos, DJ Campbell
The first 15 minutes of the game were pretty boring but Blackpool executed a lovely attacking move soon after and Grandin had a run down the wing, before crossing the ball in, Goodwillie getting a touch on it to get it away from the defender before it fell down for James McFadden who pounced on the loose ball to hammer it into the back of the net and his second goal of the season had given Blackpool a 1-0 lead 16 minutes in. The rest of the half was average though as neither side could create any good chances. It looked like it was going to be 1-0 going into half-time but Chris Wood added to that lead with a goal against his former club, when Grandin's shot was pushed away into his path and Wood had the goal at his mercy, putting it away and Blackpool would go into the break with a 2 goal lead.
Blackpool would have been pleased with their first half performance and not surprisingly came out for the second half without any changes. Haestad brought West Brom back into it, only 5 minutes into the half though with an absolute scorcher from 30 yards, leaving Caballero no chance. Chris Wood somehow managed to bomb a clear cut chance when Grandin's cross found him perfectly but Wood's first touch was horrible and rolled out for a goal kick and West Brom survived, but still needed another goal and time was slowly running out. West Brom didn't really look like they were going to score and as the game went into the final 10 minutes, it didn't seem likely. Caballero was tested late in the game though and was lucky to tip it wide. Blackpool were making sure there was no nonsense at the back and cleared the danger when needed and Blackpool held on to take the 2-1 victory.
Elliot Grandin was the MOTM after getting 2 assists, although one was a shot deflected out to Chris Wood, but had a good game also completing 17 passes, winning 2 tackles and making 2 attacking runs down the right side of the field. Chris Wood had another solid match up front against his former club, netting a goal whilst completing 28/36 passes including 3 key passes, winning 6 headers and making 2 successful runs past his opponent. Goodwillie also was good up front despite not getting on the scoresheet, with 2 key passes, and really testing the opposition defence with 4 successful attacking runs and was also solid defensively winning 4 tackles. Craig Cathcart had a great game at the back as well, winning 11 headers and making 8 interceptions. West Brom's Graham Dorran also had a very good game in the midfield, with an assist, 23 passes, winning 6 tackles and taking 3 intercepts. West Brom would need to improve though if they are to challenge for a mid-table finish.
hedger_14
ICC Chairman
19th December - Blackpool v Ventspils - EURO Cup
It was an easy match to finish the first stage of their EURO Cup campaign but they would need to make sure they didn't get complacent. Ventspils are yet to take a point from their 5 matches and have only scored one goal in the whole tournament making them the outsiders by a long shot, and went down to Blackpool 2-0 last game at their own home. Blackpool would be without the suspended Phil Jones and Lee Hodson, while Ventspils had no injury concerns going into the match. Blackpool would be hoping for Galatasaray to beat Dinamo Moscow as well.
Blackpool:
GK: David Ospina
DL: Tarik Brack
DC: Ian Evatt
DC: Craig Cathcart
DR: Neal Eardley (C)
ML: David Carney
MC: Edu Bedia
MC: Ludovic Sylvestre
MR: Elliot Grandin
ST: David Goodwillie
ST: DJ Campbell
Subs: Wilfredo Caballero, Mikael Dorsin, Jonathan Woodgate, Charlie Adam, Israel, Giovani dos Santos, Chris Wood
Ventspils:
GK: Vladimirs Trofimovs
DL: Mihails Uljanovs
DC: Pavels Beinarovics
DC: Jans Stepanov
DR: Janis Danilovs
ML: Artis Smirnovs
MC: Sergejs Golovins
MC: Olegs Kohans
MR: Vitalijs Visnakovs (C)
ST: Aleksandrs Afanasjevs
ST: Raivis Savinovs
Subs: Igor Timofejevs, Ainars Grigorjevs, Vadims Andrejevs, Andrejs Baumanis, Olegs Vasiljevs, Jurgis Krjauklis, Daniels Smirnovs
Blackpool attacked from the kickoff and already could have been 2 or 3 goals up within 5 minutes. With 15 shots in the first 25 minutes, it was hard to believe that Blackpool still had failed to score, completing dominating their opponent with 65% of possession. Goodwillie then managed to hit the post with only the keeper to beat but DJ Campbell pounced on the rebound to finally give Blackpool the lead. Goodwillie then pulled off a beautiful goal in the 35th minute, curling it off the left boot and Trofimovs helped it on its way in and Blackpool had finally had something to show for 35 minutes of pure dominance, while Galatasaray had also found the lead against Dinamo with a goal from Baros after 33 minutes. DJ Campbell added to the lead minutes later, the shot getting some assistance from the woodwork and Blackpool led 3-0 and DJ had a double. That was the score going into the break and Blackpool had the chance to make it a thrashing in the second half.
David Goodwillie got an early rest at the break, Giovani dos Santos coming on for him, while it was still 1-0 to Galatasaray in the other game at the half-time break although they had suffered a blow right on the break with Anele forced out of the game with injury. The chances continued to come in the second half but the start was much the same as the start of the first half with nothing going in. Israel was brought on after about 60 minutes and nearly had his first goal for the club but couldn't beat the keeper. It wasn't all good news for Blackpool though when Tarik Brack was forced to come off with an injury, bringing on Dorsin, while the news got even worse when it was known that Dinamo Moscow had drawn back level and Blackpool might have needed another goal to keep their chances alive. Ventspils had their first shot on goal in the 76th minute but it wasn't going anywhere near the goals so it was no problem for Blackpool. Blackpool might have needed another goal but would have been slightly relieved to hear that Galatasaray had gone up 2-1 in the 80th minute through Cetin. Grandin would have guaranteed Blackpool's qualification though when he scored in the 85th minute, with the assist from Campbell and now Dinamo would need to win their match to progress. Craig Cathcart also managed to get his own name on the scoresheet in the 90th minute off a corner to give Blackpool a 5-0 win, to progress to the knockout stages.
DJ Campbell had a great game and deservedly took the MOTM award with 2 goals as well as 2 assists, while Grandin again had a great game in the midfield, completing 31/35 passes, 5 crosses, taking 2 intercepts, 1 assist and capped it off with a goal, a great performance as he looks to cement his spot in the side. Craig Cathcart had a great game at the back as well completing 22 passes, winning all 10 headers that he contested, making 7 interceptions and scoring a goal. The late goals proved crucial for Blackpool's qualification as Dinamo pulled back in stoppage time to level the game but Blackpool's superior goal difference put them through to the knockout stages.
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