Why Us?

1966_and_all_that

1966_and_all_that

Well-known member
I mean, why did Blackpool FC finish 3rd and get promoted?

Statistical answer: we got more points in the league than any other team bar two. Then we won the semis over two legs and won the play-off final.

But that describes only the outcome of the rules of the competition. It provides no flavour, no insight into what turned this bunch of 'unlikely lads' into the potent League One team that they became. Some permanent signings worked well, others lost their way. Equally, some loanees adapted quicker and better than others. And yet, by all the logical reasoning of our years watching football, it shouldn't have happened. Eight first teamers out of action at one time; others slotted into unfamiliar positions; games called off at 10 minutes notice because of a water-logged pitch or frost. Don't we call that 'having to make do'? Isn't that why, at the end of a season where we should have finished lower mid-table, we would ordinarily call that 'resilience'?

There have been well-thought out reviews of the play-offs and the season on this Board. TD53 has posted a taught summary of the season on his MCLF blog. However, that is written as a reflection on how we, as fans, were reacting to our progress (or lack of it) contemporaneously. Yes, I was among those calling for Critchley's head straight after some matches. 62+ never ceased in his unwavering dismissal of the squad and Critchley - a position I don't mind posting here because he has since recanted. Yet here we are, looking forward to life in the Championship.

So, what is the magic dust that has got us to this point - what was the recipe? Over to AVFTT.......
 
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A combination of things like togetherness, belief, determination, good recruitment, rotation, coaching, a strong spine, flexibility. And feeding off all the grief of the previous few years, a massive desire to put right the wrongs and become a completely different kind of club. Hats off to Simon Sadler, ultimately.
 
voyeur said:
A combination of things like togetherness, belief, determination, good recruitment, rotation, coaching, a strong spine, flexibility. And feeding off all the grief of the previous few years, a massive desire to put right the wrongs and become a completely different kind of club. Hats off to Simon Sadler, ultimately.
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Definitely and luck thrown in too

According to an old football manager of mine Napoleon once said “Give me great generals, but overall give me lucky ones”
 
Maybe the slow start together with the other factors contributed to the subsequent togetherness of the squad. Had to look up contemporaneous. It started to give me a headache, at the same time.
 
rease4 said:
Maybe the slow start together with the other factors contributed to the subsequent togetherness of the squad. Had to look up contemporaneous. It started to give me a headache, at the same time.
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I should have written, 'as it happened'. Null points for prententiousness.
 
Also assembling the largest squad in the divison and having one of the top budgets in the division helped towards securing our promotion. The cream rises to the top as they say. That is what happened. Also throw in the collective efforts of the coaching staff, in particular Critchley and all the ingredients were there for us to gain promotion to the championship.

People seem to forget we aren't the same tinpot outfit of years gone by under the previous regime. We are a totally different beast now and all of us need to get that into our mindset. With Sadler at the helm we will truly see what potential this football club has. We are no longer 'plucky little Blackpool' battling against all the odds.
 
Said it before Colin Calderwood just look at his CV and why he was worked for Chris Houghton 3 times.
Clean sheets,didn't matter who played in defence one went out injured another came in that can only happen on the training field we even ended up having Husband playing Centre half and we all know what a disaster that was at the start of the season.
 
We quickly learned a few lessons after our poor start, from the top down.
Almost everyone at the club was starting with a clean slate, so in hindsight the poor start could have been expected? Critch is clearly a great coach, but he needed an experienced number 2 to help with formation and particularly our defence at the time. Simon Sadler appointed CC, and that (in my opinion) was a catalyst for our great run to the play offs. The speed at which SS acted gave us the opportunity and the time to catch up and (easily as it turned out) make the play offs. By then we were a well oiled machine and we rarely looked like we wouldn't get promoted.
 
IMO, it starts from the top. Positivity. The genuine and hearfelt desire and belief to succeed... and the backing to do so.

That filters down if you put the right people in place. They put the right manager and coaching staff in place and they put the right players in place.

We the fans, if we get behind that process only serve to speed it up. Our support has been nothing but phenomenal for as long as I've been alive... with one of our own at the helm it just makes it easier to forget the previous regime and support our team.

I'd say, it's a little bit of everything. The owner, the manager/ staff, the players and most importantly the fans.
 
Coaching, of course, excellent preparation for matches and adapting to changing match situations appropriately.
But these are high priorities for all teams (albeit achieved at varying levels of success).

I suspect a big factor for us was internal communication, with coaches nurturing the players not just as footballers but as young men, seeking to create priceless bonds of trust and belief that were repaid in bucketfuls as the season went on.

Some of the players may have been unused to be treated with such respect; consequently it took them a little while to buy into that sense of implicit faith that helped to propel the season, typified by fringe players seamlessly coming into the starting 11 and looking like they completely belonged there.
 
The owner, the board, backroom staff, manager, coaches, medics, players, all coming together at the right time, and as some have said, a little luck at times.

There’s only one person responsible for all this cohesion and that’s Simon Sadler, he made the investment, he chose the board, and no doubt had a big say in the manager. Once again Simon a massive thank you from us all.
 
Class_of_2010 said:
Also assembling the largest squad in the divison and having one of the top budgets in the division helped towards securing our promotion. The cream rises to the top as they say. That is what happened. Also throw in the collective efforts of the coaching staff, in particular Critchley and all the ingredients were there for us to gain promotion to the championship.

People seem to forget we aren't the same tinpot outfit of years gone by under the previous regime. We are a totally different beast now and all of us need to get that into our mindset. With Sadler at the helm we will truly see what potential this football club has. We are no longer 'plucky little Blackpool' battling against all the odds.
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Agreed,its so easy to say well done against all odds plucky little Blackpool. We had a top six budget,maybe a top three or four budget,massive questions would of been asked if mid table mediocrity was the outcome.Given that though the recruitment process of staff and players had to be spot on,and that is where Simon Sadler and co are to be roundly applauded.
 
Can you in fact put your finger on why it's us?
If you need to ask anyone ask Critch.

In an interview he has stated that he had no intention of leaving Liverpool at the time and the only reason he would is if something 'special ' was on offer.

What was that 'special'?

Whatever it was Simon and Neil have concocted a potion from it, sprinkled it around Bloomfield Rd and we're now basking in the glory of promotion in the only way we know how. And with those two near the top of the tree for a long time to come, the future is very much tangerine. Just lap it up🧡
 
Class_of_2010 said:
Also assembling the largest squad in the divison and having one of the top budgets in the division helped towards securing our promotion. The cream rises to the top as they say. That is what happened. Also throw in the collective efforts of the coaching staff, in particular Critchley and all the ingredients were there for us to gain promotion to the championship.

People seem to forget we aren't the same tinpot outfit of years gone by under the previous regime. We are a totally different beast now and all of us need to get that into our mindset. With Sadler at the helm we will truly see what potential this football club has. We are no longer 'plucky little Blackpool' battling against all the odds.
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2010, I'm with your reasoning and intentions. Tinpot is what the Oystons made us and they seemed gleefully happy with that. However, to give due respect to the excellent players we had during that awful era, I wouldn't want the tag 'tinpot' attached to them.
 
Scaramanga said:
Belief and togetherness.
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Spot on. But then, all managers and owners want that for their squads. I was trying to puzzle out how we managed it. Ollie achieved that belief and togetherness (in spite of the owner and Chairman), but it wasn't difficult to work out that this came from his force of personnality and tactics that he'd mulled over with his chickens whilst out of the game. This time around we have to search much deeper for the elixir that's enabled this achievement.
 
1966_and_all_that said:
Spot on. But then, all managers and owners want that for their squads. I was trying to puzzle out how we managed it. Ollie achieved that belief and togetherness (in spite of the owner and Chairman), but it wasn't difficult to work out that this came from his force of personnality and tactics that he'd mulled over with his chickens whilst out of the game. This time around we have to search much deeper for the elixir that's enabled this achievement.
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The difference is that 2010 was all on the shoulders of Holloway, we were just lucky, there was no foundation and we collapsed massively when he left.
 
A strong squad that can cover for injuries and not weaken our side when making substitutions. Add this to a coach that prepares them excellently and an unbelievable work ethic and it makes us a very good side. History shouldn't really impact the here and now but as a club it feels we approach the Play Offs with a certain amount of belief other clubs don't.
 
1966_and_all_that said:
I mean, why did Blackpool FC finish 3rd and get promoted?

Statistical answer: we got more points in the league than any other team bar two. Then we won the semis over two legs and won the play-off final.

But that describes only the outcome of the rules of the competition. It provides no flavour, no insight into what turned this bunch of 'unlikely lads' into the potent League One team that they became. Some permanent signings worked well, others lost their way. Equally, some loanees adapted quicker and better than others. And yet, by all the logical reasoning of our years watching football, it shouldn't have happened. Eight first teamers out of action at one time; others slotted into unfamiliar positions; games called off at 10 minutes notice because of a water-logged pitch or frost. Don't we call that 'having to make do'? Isn't that why, at the end of a season where we should have finished lower mid-table, we would ordinarily call that 'resilience'?

There have been well-thought out reviews of the play-offs and the season on this Board. TD53 has posted a taught summary of the season on his MCLF blog. However, that is written as a reflection on how we, as fans, were reacting to our progress (or lack of it) contemporaneously. Yes, I was among those calling for Critchley's head straight after some matches. 62+ never ceased in his unwavering dismissal of the squad and Critchley - a position I don't mind posting here because he has since recanted. Yet here we are, looking forward to life in the Championship.

So, what is the magic dust that has got us to this point - what was the recipe? Over to AVFTT.......
Click to expand...
Jeez! After all the years of make do and mend and despite “The Nameless Owners” not only did we not get relegated to non-league, not only did we not go bust BUT we only got into the Prem and then tumbled backward to League 2 but then got promoted - again

What we have achieved this season really shouldn’t have anyone puzzled, as 20’s said “It’s what we do”
 
Bottle said:
Jeez! After all the years of make do and mend and despite “The Nameless Owners” not only did we not get relegated to non-league, not only did we not go bust BUT we only got into the Prem and then tumbled backward to League 2 but then got promoted - again

What we have achieved this season really shouldn’t have anyone puzzled, as 20’s said “It’s what we do”
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Are you saying that there is continuity from the Oyston years and that these promotions are simply part of our long term make-up? If so, are we then to expect another collapse down the leagues at some later point?
 
It has nothing to do with history or tradition, although we like to pretend it does. It has no bearing on what we did in previous years, or what we do in the future. It isn't in our DNA either - and we like to pretend about that as well.

It is down to the players and staff who were (or are) in place whenever it has happened. They have all found ways of getting us in the top six and in good form at the right time. The fact that it has happened so often is just coincidence.
 
Sir Neil Critchley’s coaching skills, never seen us limit the opposition to so few chances in 50 years of watching
 
I don't think we should be surprised how things have panned out and it's all been said before.
New inexperienced manager, lots of new players, everyone learning and wanting to learn and eventually putting theory into practice.
UTMP
 
An inexperienced Manager has learned fast, aided by Calderwood.
Neil didn't rate Thorniley, (still doesn't by the look of it), had to use him because of injuries, and but he responded magnificently.
Turton was on his way out, knew it, but still put in good shifts.
So he struck lucky with some decent characters, good team spirit, and some good signings.
But full credit to Neil, he has come on leaps and bounds this season and deserves his success.
 
Building new foundations based on trust, loyalty and belief, and with an owner who loves the club and also has the benefit of an astute business mind and some financial support to play with. Plus a decent board and back room staff.
The manager fits perfectly into the ethos of steady solid foundations, patience, encouragement, and the players have bought into that and blossomed throughout.
Plus a fanbase full of passion and emotion that they know is there for them when the restrictions allow.
Promise and hope.
COYP 🙏
 
As poolseasider said calderwood made a massive difference,probably made critchley look at things a bit differently,how many times when the back 4 changed did you feel uneasy, critchl will of took this onboard and will grow from the experience,onward and upward
 
LimerickTangerine said:
Definitely and luck thrown in too

According to an old football manager of mine Napoleon once said “Give me great generals, but overall give me lucky ones”
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Yeah, but if you plan the conquest of Europe on luck you tend to get mashed.
Napoleon did.
Sharp battered him, although I’ll give your lad Harper credit for an assist.

😉
 
Cool headed decision making from the board.

They gave Critch their full backing when other clubs would have parted company

They gave him what he needed and trusted him when others would not have done.

Unlike their predessors this lot know what they are doing.

Unlike their predessors every single decision made is in the best interests of the football club not themselves.

With Simon and his lieutenants the helm we can look forward to some very good times.
 
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It always,always needs a slice of luck even for the more successful clubs. I watched the Liverpool documentary the other night about how Howard Gayle was used in the run in to the 1891 European Cup triumph, where he was suddenly thrust into the team after King Kenny became injured, but it got them through and they won the trophy.

If you get the big decisions right on managerial appointment, on the field tactics,squad selection and substitutions then by and large the luck goes with you.
 
An excellent coaching team and a good set of player, partly inherited and also due to some good recruitment, who were willing to take on board the coaches ideas and, in the main and after a poor start, take these ideas onto the pitch and apply them.

Also a lot of attention to details regarding opposition systems and players and flexibility in how to negate opponents strengths and eploit their weaknesses. Add in a real continuous improvement philosophy, consistency in emotional responses from Critch and a supportive management team you have a basis for a team that could mount a promotion challenge.

Stir in a modicum of luck, a deep squad and, most importantly, the coach taking onboard the input of Phil, Memphis and other AVFTT geniuses then promotion was a foregone conclusion.
 
Lytham_fy8 said:
Took time for everyone to settle and then we were probably the best team in the league.

There's so many comparisons to 2007 it's spooky. First full season for the manager, great backbone with some astute loans, early calls for the manager's head, best team in the league by May.
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Spooky- Roy jay 1948-2007 .....spooky.. legend
 
Plumbs said:
It always,always needs a slice of luck even for the more successful clubs. I watched the Liverpool documentary the other night about how Howard Gayle was used in the run in to the 1891 European Cup triumph, where he was suddenly thrust into the team after King Kenny became injured, but it got them through and they won the trophy.

If you get the big decisions right on managerial appointment, on the field tactics,squad selection and substitutions then by and large the luck goes with you.
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You're right about the need for luck. As for the European Cup I thought Celtic were the first British side to win it. From your post though it looks like Liverpool beat them to it by some 76 years!
 
1966_and_all_that said:
Are you saying that there is continuity from the Oyston years and that these promotions are simply part of our long term make-up? If so, are we then to expect another collapse down the leagues at some later point?
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I’m saying that Blackpool FC are like the proverbial Brides Nightie - so expect the unexpected Sir/Madam, or get off the train at the next station!
 
1966_and_all_that said:
You're right about the need for luck. As for the European Cup I thought Celtic were the first British side to win it. From your post though it looks like Liverpool beat them to it by some 76 years!
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Yeah sorry.
I was getting confused with the original Blackpool side beating South Shore in the Lancashire Combination final.

Time just doesn't diminish the memories of that day 😁
 
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