It would be easy to be critical of Critchley after last night

After the Charlton match, I was astonished and relieved to see an unchanged team, thinking we would sweep Crewe aside.
It was a shock to see Crewe all over us for the first half hour. Donovan had been marshalling defence, but when he went off injured, their defence was at sixes and sevens and The Mighty Pool came strongly into the match and just about deserved the 1-0 lead at the break. The second half was going extremely well and it was looking like we would increase our lead. The game changed when we made the second half double substitution. This left Yates as a lone striker and Crewe immediately changed their formation and this put us on the back foot for the rest of the game. I wasn't surprised when they equalised, although it actually looked offside, but you could see it coming eventually.
I have said quite a few times that none of our three strikers can play as a lone striker, but when any two of them are on the pitch, they look far more potent. I don't really criticise Neil Critchley, but please leave twin strikers playing throughout matches. The last time a Pool player at League One level that could do it, I reckon was Andy Morrell.
As a highly rated coach, Neil Critchley should get one of his backroom staff to look back at all the matches in the year he has been in charge and do a chart detailing how we have done for the periods with having one striker up front on the actual pitch, in comparison to when we played with twin strikers.
Please let us have no more slip ups like last night if we want to have any chance of going up this season.
 
I see no resemblance (or Embletonance) between Embleton and the tattooed one. 😉
It's the speed of thought. Wor Gaz is a quick thinker. Some of his lay offs and balls when he comes deep are very sharp. He's got a radar, sees blind passes etc.

I would say you are willfully blind to his quality 🤪
 
It's the speed of thought. Wor Gaz is a quick thinker. Some of his lay offs and balls when he comes deep are very sharp. He's got a radar, sees blind passes etc.

I would say you are willfully blind to his quality 🤪
It's OK i know of what you speak, he does do some of that.
 
Bit playground level that if you ask me.
Ouch!

I'm just messing. I get constant grief for my opinion. I think Madine has done a job for us since he started applying himself and helped get us rolling this season. I think some people over egg it. That's all. I keep getting told I am wrong. And blind etc. I don't think he;s quite as good as some of our fans do. But I appreciate his improvement and the leadership he brought to our front line, He hasn't transformed it though. We are still low scorers and so is he and I think the system needs to develop and change.
 
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Ouch!

I'm just messing. I get constant grief for my opinion. I think Madine has done a job for us since he started applying himself and helped get us rolling this season. I think some people over egg it. That's all. I keep getting told I am wrong. And blind etc. I don't think he;s quite as good as some of our fans do. But I appreciate his improvement and the leadership he brought to our front line, He hasn't transformed it though. We are still low scorers and so is he and I think the system needs to develop and change.
I admire his ability. He is what he is and he's very good at being him. That's all. I always like players who know their own game well. He's a collar turned up sort, he plays with an air of arrogance. We lack that strut sometimes.

I think whatever the system is, we're short of the speed of thought or possibly the intent (the two are linked) to be that really exciting attacking side.

What I noticed was how explosive Crewe were, how they threw caution to the wind because they believed they could overload us.

We don't have that look about us. We probe, we play some nice stuff but the moments where it seems we totally commit to overwhelming a side are quite rare.

I think Critch is actually quite cautious and has coached us to keep shape first, attack second. Yes, we do look to move the ball and attack, but we don't have that explosive quality as a team. CJ has it, yes but as a collective. No, not yet.

We're going in the right direction though and fee teams I've seen this year have really had that either.

We're a better side now with Madine but of course, a hypothetical side could be better.
 
I admire his ability. He is what he is and he's very good at being him. That's all. I always like players who know their own game well. He's a collar turned up sort, he plays with an air of arrogance. We lack that strut sometimes.

I think whatever the system is, we're short of the speed of thought or possibly the intent (the two are linked) to be that really exciting attacking side.

What I noticed was how explosive Crewe were, how they threw caution to the wind because they believed they could overload us.

We don't have that look about us. We probe, we play some nice stuff but the moments where it seems we totally commit to overwhelming a side are quite rare.

I think Critch is actually quite cautious and has coached us to keep shape first, attack second. Yes, we do look to move the ball and attack, but we don't have that explosive quality as a team. CJ has it, yes but as a collective. No, not yet.

We're going in the right direction though and fee teams I've seen this year have really had that either.

We're a better side now with Madine but of course, a hypothetical side could be better.
I think that is spot on and a very good post and I absolutely agree the fuck out of it. 🤓 I think Critch is cautious, it's his first job and it's a career that takes no prisoners, he holds back, he wants to establish himself first. Crewe were much more caution to the wind. Two possible reasons for that - as a club, they don't have big aspirations, no big investment. They exist to develop youth and follow a football philosophy, to entertain as much as succeed. And they have also hit some form, as their performance against Sunderland suggested, and were full of confidence too. Critch has a remit to get us into the Championship. That is the over-riding aim. I've been criticised on here (by 20s) for saying that I'm ultimately not that bothered what division we are in. I really just want to watch matches like last night's. I want us to win obviously, every game. At whatever level we happen to be at.
 
I'm delighted to see CJ back in the frame but for me there's only one position on the pitch for him to be truly a gamechanger and that's wide on the right. Which means there's a decision to be made about the rest of the midfield.
 
Phill - can you do an MS Teams "Runchasing Masterclass" for some of the lads and lasses please at some point during the working day? You are on fire at the moment mate. Maybe a 1-2-1 with Blood to get him back to his best?
 
Phill - can you do an MS Teams "Runchasing Masterclass" for some of the lads and lasses please at some point during the working day? You are on fire at the moment mate. Maybe a 1-2-1 with Blood to get him back to his best?
I don't think Blood is a Blackpool fan these days

Now Man Utd are back near the top he's nowhere to be seen
 
I'm delighted to see CJ back in the frame but for me there's only one position on the pitch for him to be truly a gamechanger and that's wide on the right. Which means there's a decision to be made about the rest of the midfield.
Thats a good point mate

I personally don't want to see CJ playing if it disrupts the team and current shape/tactics
 
I think that is spot on and a very good post and I absolutely agree the fuck out of it. 🤓 I think Critch is cautious, it's his first job and it's a career that takes no prisoners, he holds back, he wants to establish himself first. Crewe were much more caution to the wind. Two possible reasons for that - as a club, they don't have big aspirations, no big investment. They exist to develop youth and follow a football philosophy, to entertain as much as succeed. And they have also hit some form, as their performance against Sunderland suggested, and were full of confidence too. Critch has a remit to get us into the Championship. That is the over-riding aim. I've been criticised on here (by 20s) for saying that I'm ultimately not that bothered what division we are in. I really just want to watch matches like last night's. I want us to win obviously, every game. At whatever level we happen to be at.
I think thats a very good post

I have the utmost respect for Crewe and what they do as a club throughout the age groups

I've been there several times with my boys and have been on the end of a couple of footballing master classes from the Crewe kids

A couple of years ago they fielded a team in a lg 2 game which was one to eleven of players who had come through the Academy

The youth set up at Crewe is something we should aspire to be like
 
I think thats a very good post

I have the utmost respect for Crewe and what they do as a club throughout the age groups

I've been there several times with my boys and have been on the end of a couple of footballing master classes from the Crewe kids

A couple of years ago they fielded a team in a lg 2 game which was one to eleven of players who had come through the Academy

The youth set up at Crewe is something we should aspire to be like
And we appointed the right person to do that, of course. 😉
 
I would be a lot happier if that was his job to be honest ;)
We aren't Liverpool though. And he has an experienced manager as his assistant. Part time?

How much credit does Artell get for the way Crewe are playing? How good a manager is he I wonder? Could he switch clubs and do well?
 
We aren't Liverpool though. And he has an experienced manager as his assistant. Part time?

How much credit does Artell get for the way Crewe are playing? How good a manager is he I wonder? Could he switch clubs and do well?
Its a good point 👌

Crewe have a blueprint from top to bottom on how they play

I watched their under 8s a couple of years ago, high press and intensity moving the ball around quickly just like the first team
 
Its a good point 👌

Crewe have a blueprint from top to bottom on how they play

I watched their under 8s a couple of years ago, high press and intensity moving the ball around quickly just like the first team
They've been doing it for years, will take us a while, of course.
 
I do agree that Critch is cautious for the precise reasons Voy gives.
Critch's positives though are he's hardworking, a great student of the game and willing to learn. All IMO of course.
So I think he will prove to be a good manager given time and I'm happy that Simon seems to backing him to achieve that.
 
I admire his ability. He is what he is and he's very good at being him. That's all. I always like players who know their own game well. He's a collar turned up sort, he plays with an air of arrogance. We lack that strut sometimes.

I think whatever the system is, we're short of the speed of thought or possibly the intent (the two are linked) to be that really exciting attacking side.

What I noticed was how explosive Crewe were, how they threw caution to the wind because they believed they could overload us.

We don't have that look about us. We probe, we play some nice stuff but the moments where it seems we totally commit to overwhelming a side are quite rare.

I think Critch is actually quite cautious and has coached us to keep shape first, attack second. Yes, we do look to move the ball and attack, but we don't have that explosive quality as a team. CJ has it, yes but as a collective. No, not yet.

We're going in the right direction though and fee teams I've seen this year have really had that either.

We're a better side now with Madine but of course, a hypothetical side could be better.
Totally agree with that. I believe if Crewe had that bit of rutlessness and cutting edge about them they would be the team to beat. If they can keep that side together with the addition of a quality striker and playmaker then they will be right up there next season.
 
One of my favourite games of yore was 0-0 with Allardyce vs Gradi. The Crewe side then was stupid in terms of youth. Off the top of my head they had Danny Murphy, Dele Adebola, Neil Lennon and Robbie Savage. Possibly Dean Ashton was there or thereabouts in the squad.

Those are just the ones who went on, not mentioning the ones who were just good players at Div 3 level and did a job for them.

It goes to illustrate they've been doing it 25 years plus and in the interim, we've really not invested till now so it will take time.

I think if we can aspire to do that, but with the prospect of higher tier football and retaining more of what we produce for longer as a result, I'll be very happy.
 
One of my favourite games of yore was 0-0 with Allardyce vs Gradi. The Crewe side then was stupid in terms of youth. Off the top of my head they had Danny Murphy, Dele Adebola, Neil Lennon and Robbie Savage. Possibly Dean Ashton was there or thereabouts in the squad.

Those are just the ones who went on, not mentioning the ones who were just good players at Div 3 level and did a job for them.

It goes to illustrate they've been doing it 25 years plus and in the interim, we've really not invested till now so it will take time.

I think if we can aspire to do that, but with the prospect of higher tier football and retaining more of what we produce for longer as a result, I'll be very happy.
Yeah Crewe have produced some great players over the years

Rob Jones and David Platt have to be up there as well in terms of quality internationals they have developed through their Academy

I don't think there has been any other club at this level who have done what Crewe have done in terms of producing young players

Lets not forget the Cafu of league one and our very own Oli Turton also came through Crewe as did the Welsh maestro David Vaughan

It looks like they have another good group Lowery, Kirk and Pickering all looked quality
 
I do agree that Critch is cautious for the precise reasons Voy gives.
Critch's positives though are he's hardworking, a great student of the game and willing to learn. All IMO of course.
So I think he will prove to be a good manager given time and I'm happy that Simon seems to backing him to achieve that.
And I agree with that. 👍
 
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