Goals Galore at London Road

Records were broken in the Premier League this weekend, an astounding 41 goals were scored during the day's action on Saturday 5th February, and it is goals that today's article focuses on.

However it isn't just in the Premier League where the goals are flying in, London Road has also been the scene of many big score-lines. You can go as far back as the 1960-61 season where Peterborough managed a record that still remains today - 134 goals in a season in the old Fourth Division - but they have started to make a name for themselves yet again as a consistent goal scoring side in recent years.

The late Keith Alexander revived the trend for the Posh in the 2006/07 League Two season with some impressive 4+ goal home wins against Bristol Rovers, Accrington and Torquay. Darren Ferguson took the helm in January 2007 where his reign began with a stutter, picking up the pieces from the end of Alexander's run of six straight defeats. He had to wait 4 games for a win (against former team Wrexham) but then the goals started flowing once more, finishing the season in 10th but also notching up the most home goals in the league with 48.

[caption id="attachment_422" align="aligncenter" width="310" caption="Deadly Duo: The McLean/Mackail-Smith partnership was a big part of the free scoring Peterborough regime."][/caption]

It was in the 2007/08 season where Peterborough won promotion into League One where they really started to find their goalscoring feet. Their three most efficient forwards; George Boyd, Aaron McLean and Craig Mackail-Smith could not stop hitting the back of the net with 78 goals between them in all competitions. Notable scorelines included a 7 goal drubbing of Brentford and an even more astounding 8 (EIGHT) - 2 win over Accrington. You know their big results when you need a worded description on the vidi-printer. Yet again they managed to take the title of most goals scored at home with 46 proving that London Road was quick becoming the place for goals.

Pessimism was not favoured in the following season which saw the team gain promotion yet again, defying what was expected of the League One new boys. Although not achieving a third successive most home goals record, the trifecta of Boyd, McLean and Mackail-Smith were efficient as ever with 57 goals between them in all competitions.

[caption id="attachment_423" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Flying Scotsman: Boyd was an interest for fellow Scot, Billy Davies, but remained a Posh player."][/caption]

The Championship was where Ferguson suffered his demise, with the second successive promotion proving too much for Peterborough, finishing the 2009/10 season in 24th place and leaving the club just 2 months into the season. In terms of goalscoring, the aforementioned trio of forwards only managing 31 goals in all competitions between them however there were glimmers of the hope within the three. George Boyd's talent was obvious to Billy Davies et al, finishing the season on loan at Nottingham Forest but returning back to his parent club after a deal was not negotiated. One notable game for the club came at home against Cardiff coming back from a 4-0 deficit to level the game at 4-4.

The 2010/11 season saw Peterborough back in League One and the big results have been coming in thicker and faster than ever. Not even the sale of striker Aaron McLean to Hull for a record £1.3 million has stopped the goal train at London Road. 70% (7 in 10) of Peterborough's home wins in the league so far have resulted in the home side scoring at least 4 goals. With 19 games remaining, they have already scored 45 goals at home - more than any other team in the whole Football League and Premier League thus far.

[caption id="attachment_417" align="aligncenter" width="310" caption="Familiar Faces: Ferguson's existing relationships with the Peterborough players can only add to their aspirations."][/caption]

What is the secret to their attacking prowess? It's a tried and tested formula with familiar players leading the front line consistently and with Darren Ferguson returning to the club the familiarity can only further flourish. Peterborough also appear to be very effective on the break, with players like Boyd, Mackail-Smith and new signings Lee Tomlin and Wolves loanee Nathaniel Mendez-Laing all possessing plenty of pace to burn. George Boyd, for me, is the catalyst for the goals though. I'm very surprised Forest didn't pick him up after his loan spell or that any other clubs haven't swooped for him. He is a very technically gifted player with a mean left foot for not only scoring but creating chances too.

Even though the defence may be leaky, with these high scoring affairs more often than not involving the opposing team getting on the scoresheet too, the entertainment at London Road is must be stellar. I would love to see my own team, Swansea, scoring in abundance like the Posh do, but I'm not sure whether my heart could take the drama of such events after being lulled into a defensive, no score, Paulo Sousa induced coma from last season - it'd certainly be different.

League One is a very tightly contested league this year, Brighton have taken a firm grasp of the top spot, but the play-off and automatic places could be open to any of the top 8 with no clear favourites. If Peterbrough can continue they're free scoring ways throughout the rest of the season under Ferguson's second tenure at London Road then there is no reason why they may not find themselves too surprised to be back in the Championship next season.

South Wales Derby: Straight from the Jack’s Mouth

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="90" caption="@thetimmorgan: Apparently more man than Action Man."][/caption]

One of the most heated rivalries in British football is ready to re-ignite for the second time this season on Sunday when Cardiff make the short trip down the M4 to play Swansea at The Liberty Stadium.

The derby guarantees a great football match, not only for home and away fans, but for the neutral too and the stakes will be high with Swansea looking to do the "South Wales double" in the 82-year history of the feud.

So, instead of harping on about the facts, stats and history of the match, we thought we'd go straight to the fans. Representing the North Stand will be Mr. Picklive himself, Tim Morgan. He's taken a break from his duties at Picklive to answer a few questions about his derby memories and the prospects for Swansea and Cardiff in the future.

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The Twelfth Man: When was your first derby game?

Tim Morgan: A 1-1 draw at the Vetch in 1989. The most memorable game was my first visit to Ninian Park on a Monday night in January 1993. It was a glorious 2-1 extra time win for the Swans, a memorable bus journey home and a tremendous night out in Swansea afterwards. Me and the other lads that went were giving it the big one about that night for a couple of weeks afterwards.

TTM: Have you been to any other games that come close to the atmosphere at the South Wales Derby?

TM: Hmm the one that sticks in my head was Scotland vs England in Glasgow in 1999. I used to live in Birmingham and hung around with a bunch of Blues fans. We all applied for tickets and I was the only one that came out of the ballot so I went up on my own. Glasgow is a hostile place for England to play and the atmosphere was similar to Swans Vs Cardiff but it was weird for me because I was standing in the England end and a part of me was hoping Scotland would equalise (England won courtesy of two Paul Scoles goals - what a player he is).

TTM: With your busy schedule dishing out cash left, right and centre on Picklive, will you be making the trip to the homeland?

TM: I'm in Pontardawe as we speak but sadly I'm going back to London tomorrow morning  - there is a big pile of cash stacked up on my desk and I've got to give it away to lucky Picklive winners before it ceases to be legal tender.

TTM: Out of the Cardiff squad, who would you love to see don the white shirt?

TM: Aaron Ramsey - he's perfect for the 'Swansea City Way'.

TTM: Who do you think will be the most important players in the match?

TM: You have to say that Cardiff's attacking lineup is terrifying. If Ramsey can get the better of Prats and Leon and dictate the pace of the game then we could be 3 down by half time. If he can't then we've got pace to get around their full-backs. Scott Sinclair is lightening and Nathan Dyer is the most under-rated player in the Championship. Luke Moore is looking more likely to score his first goal with every passing minute. If I have to choose one person I will leave you with this Swansea Valley mantra, "when Nathan Dyer plays well, the Swans play well".

TM: After the loss of Martinez and Sousa, do you think Swansea have the right manager now in Brendan Rodgers?

TM: Yes its unbelievable how well we're doing with our wage structure and transfer budget. When you throw into the mix the fact that we've had three managers in three seasons its nothing short of a miracle. Martinez created a style of play in the lower leagues that has since been copied with great success by Blackpool, Doncaster and Brighton. Rodgers is the man to take this on to the next level. Credit should go to the Chairman as he's the one constant in all of this (and Huw if you're reading this I will make the trip down on Sunday if I can sit next to you. We're covering the game on Picklive so you can play along on my iPhone, I'll even slip an extra bonus in your account for doing such a good job with the Swans).

TTM: With Cardiff and Swansea both performing very well in the domestic league, do you think it's a good sign for the future of the Welsh national squad?

TM: It's fantastic. Fans of both clubs should be united in their gratitude to each other for that. Ash Williams, Adam Matthews, Jazz Richards, Aaron Ramsey, Joe Allen, Craig Bellamy, Joe Ledley (actually not Joe Ledley) - a stellar list of local talent. England in the 90s were net beneficiaries of the work being done with Man United's youth system and I hope we have a similar knock-on effect from the high standards being achieved at Swansea and Cardiff.

TTM: Will we see two Welsh teams in the Premier League next year?

TM: No but we'll see two Welsh teams in the playoffs...

TTM: And finally, the toughie - the double over Cardiff or promotion to the Premier League?

TM: I can take or leave the premier league but I'd like to be try it for a season while I'm young and able to go to the matches so let's go for promotion.

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Don't forget, Picklive is the most modern take on football betting, breeding fantasy football with betting.  Join up here and be part of la Revolución!

We Literally Need a Replacement, Richard.

January is normally the month that is dominated by the transfer window in terms of football, however with the recent sexism row at Sky, it's had to settle with second place.

Typically, I was expecting to be writing an article about a pending multi million pound move of <insert player here> to <insert team here... probably Manchester City> which would be a waste of money/worth it's weight in gold [delete as appropriate] but I certainly didn't expect to be speculating over who will be taking the leading seats for Sky's football coverage.

So after the stream of videos being leaked about Gray's chauvinistic tendencies and Keys' live publicity funeral on talkSPORT we are left with two empty seats at one of the world's biggest sports channels.  Sky are hardly scraping the barrel for cash, so the may not necessarily internally recruit for the position, but there are also a lot of prospective applicants within the company too.

Who will be 'cut' out to be the new Keys?

Ben Shepherd (Best Odds*: Evens)

Shepherd has recently joined Sky to present their Champions League shows during midweek, this could be the chance of a lifetime for him if he manages to jump to Sky Sports' flagship show in his first year at the company.  However, I think this will be his hindrance - would the Sky exec's want to rush him straight into the role?  He is a well known presenter after all... albeit not in sport.

Jeff Stelling (5/2)

Stelling has already proven himself to be an esteemed presenter who has an excellent chemistry with all the members of the Soccer Saturday crew.  He combines a good mixture of humour, knowledge and passion for the game but will his other commitments hinder him from taking the position? Would Sky want to risk losing the "unbelievable, Jeff" (unless Kammy comes with him of course) moments by moving him from Soccer Saturday to Super Sunday and Monday Night Football?

David Jones (7/2)

Jones has risen up through the ranks at Sky, starting as a pitch side reporter for the Premier League games, he moved to become a presenter for Sky Sports News and regularly hosts the prime time reports for the channel.  He also takes the presenter role for any Football League games, so he has experience already.

Ed Chamberlain (10/1)

Chamberlain, like Jones, started off as a presenter for Sky Sports News and has worked his way up the chain landing a role as the  host of the midweek Soccer Special programmes.  Like Stelling, he has experience interacting with the crew but always does seem like the "midweek replacement".

Gabby Logan (12/1)

Logan would certainly be a very interesting choice, appointing a woman to take over from a man who was fired for being sexist? It makes a lot of sense.  She is already hosting the BBC's equivalent of Sky's Soccer Saturday, in the form of Final Score and is a renowned presenter within entertainment and sport.  She has the CV for it, she would prove that Sky are not a "sexist company" but would it all seem a  bit forced?

James Richardson (20/1)

The absolute outsider, but if Sky want to go in a different direction then Richardson would be the answer.  Renowned as a charismatic presenter who has a fantastic knowledge of the game and has vast experience in the hosting role after the success of Football Italia and the Football Weekly podcast via The Guardian.  But would Richardson take the role?

* - correct as of 27th January 2011.

Who will bring the colour back to Gray's old seat?

Jamie Redknapp (Best Odds*: 8/13)

Redknapp has been nurtured into this role and it almost seems a given that he'll be taking the lead pundit role from Gray.  He's been one of the secondary pundits alongside a mixture of relative guest pundits relevant to the covered match for the past couple of seasons and has cemented his position in the television booth at the matches.  Jamie does literally have some odd interpretations of the word 'literally' but we've all grown to love it, right?

Graeme Souness (9/2)

Souness, like Redknapp, is a regular in the studio for Sky's live matches.  As an esteemed an experienced ex-pro and manager, he comes with all the right credentials to give the interesting and inspired views for the thinking points of the matches, hence his re-appearances on the show.  But when you think of Souness, do you think Sky presenter? Or do you think ex-pro/manager who gives his thoughts on Sky?

Chris Kamara (10/1)

Kamara and Stelling, the "dream team" of Soccer Saturday, could they make the move to Super Sunday and Monday Night Football in a way that people would not just be hoping Chris spurts out the word "unbelievable" followed by his colleagues Christian name?  There is more to Kamara than the token catchphrases we've grown to love, though.  He's the host of Sky's Goals on Sunday and comes across in a much more professional way on the Sunday programme in comparison to his pitch side demeanour on Soccer Saturday.

Ron Atkinson (250/1)

...Nah, scrub that thought.

* - correct as of 27th January 2011.

So from the potential candidates, whom I have only just brushed upon, there is plenty of competition both within and outside Sky. Certainly more candidates for the punditry position, but it once Gray's successor is made, will he be the new partner to Martin Tyler? Or just merely a studio pundit? A lot of questions, soon to be resolved.

Swans Not Firing on All Cylinders

The 2010/11 season has sparked a thought into many Premier League and Championship fan's minds - could this be the season that see's a Welsh side promoted to the Premier League?

Cardiff City have certainly come the closest in the past two seasons, in 2008/09 narrowly missing out on the final play-off position after an unpredicted 1-0 defeat against Sheffield Wednesday on the final day of the season, whereas they were pipped to the near £90 million post by Ian Holloway's superb Blackpool side last season.

[caption id="attachment_347" align="aligncenter" width="310" caption="Rodgers: The Ulsterman has made a very promising start at Swansea"][/caption]

However, this season it seems apparent that Brendan Rodgers' Swansea side will certainly be in the mix-up come the end of the season.  Last season the Swans suffered a similar fate to that of their South Wales neighbours, by throwing away an almost certain play-off spot due to a terrible run of form at the tail-end of the season.  One significant factor in this bad form - their lack to score goals.

In the 2009/10 season under Paulo Sousa, Swansea had 2nd meanest defence in the league, conceding only two goals less than league winners Newcastle but also only managed to score 40 goals - the lowest in the league.  Fast forward to the start of the current season and Sousa was recruited by Leicester (who's reign lasted a measly 3 months) which paved the way for former-Reading, Watford and Chelsea youth team boss Brendan Rodgers to take the helm at the Liberty Stadium.

Rodgers suffered a bumpy start, losing 2-0 to ex-Premier League Hull on the opening day of the season, but began to show potential in a 4-0 win against Preston followed by a string of good results later in the season including 1-0 wins over Burnley and local rivals Cardiff.  Currently they sit in 4th position, comfortably in the play-off places and only off the automatic promotion spot by goal difference.

Whilst the Swans fans are extremely happy with their progress in the league, they fear an old enemy in the form of lacking a clinical goalscorer will be their demise.  They will be eased by the fact that Swansea are only 9 goals off meeting their number goals scored last season, but the points they have lost out on due to the lack of a out-and-out goalscorer does not bear thinking about.

Home results such as the 1-0 loss to Bristol City, the 2-1 loss to Portsmouth and the 1-1 draw to Millwall are all games the Swans felt they could've won if they had a player with an eye for goal.

Rodgers has attempted to solve the striker solution with various players.  Frank Nouble was recruited from West Ham, scoring 1 goal in 6 appearances before being recalled by the Hammers.  Marvin Emnes joined on a months loan from Middlesbrough, proving reasonably successful with 2 goals in 4 games (including a South Wales Derby winner) but was recalled by new Boro boss Tony Mowbray after his impressive spell.  Recently Rodgers has resorted to looking down the leagues for a short-term solution, bringing in Welsh international Jermaine Easter from MK Dons on loan-deadline day - a move that was not met with optimism by the fans after being linked with bigger names such as Carlos Vela, Daniel Sturridge and Eidur Gudjohnsen.  Recently Easter has returned to his parent club after a disappointing spell with only 1 goal in six appearances.

[caption id="attachment_345" align="aligncenter" width="310" caption="Sinclair: Leading the way for the Swans [Empics Sport"]"][/caption]

It is one of Rodgers' signings that has provided goals for Swansea though, ex-Chelsea player Scott Sinclair has provided the Premier League-esque flair and willingness to the squad, contributing 14 goals in all competitions thus far.  But the squad can't rely on the England Under 21 star for all their goals.  The total of goals scored by other attacking players Darren Pratley (6), Stephen Dobbie (4) and Craig Beattie (3) don't even equal the number of goals scored by Sinclair.

The fans at the Liberty will no doubt be yearning for another player in the mould of ex-Swansea players Jason Scotland or Lee Trundle both achieved a 1-in-2 goalscoring ratio during their time in South Wales.

[caption id="attachment_346" align="aligncenter" width="320" caption="Moore: Will it be Moore the merrier in South Wales?"][/caption]

However, they will be hoping that Rodgers' eye for talent has shone once again after the club bought striker Luke Moore for an undisclosed fee from Premier League side West Bromwich Albion.  Moore was bought by WBA for £3 million from neighbours Aston Villa in the summer of 2008 and climbed up the ranks with players such as Gabriel Agbonlahor at Villa.

Rodgers' is slowly clearing the deadwood in the Swansea side, loaning out inefficent striker Gorka Pintado to Cypriot side AEK Larnaca, terminating the contract of holding midfielder Jordi Lopez by mutual consent, casting doubt on the future of winger Cedric van der Gun and giving no involvement to Finnish striker Shefki Kuqi who recently returned from a loan deal at Derby.

Surely these cuts would be suggesting that the Swans are not finished in this transfer window, with fans keeping their fingers crossed for more attacking players to join the ranks at the Liberty Stadium.  Thus far they have been linked with out of favor Stoke players Eidur Gudjohnsen and Tom Soares in addition to Southampton attacker Jason Puncheon who recently had a very successful, goal-scoring spell at Millwall.  But with the recent long-term injury to captain Garry Monk, Rodgers' will also be casting his eye on a short-term replacement in the back four, with names like Chelsea youngster Patrick van Aanholt and promising Motherwell defender Mark Reynolds on the shortlist.

Swansea have already established themselves as one of the top teams in the division, if not by position, by the style of play they implement.  By combining this reputation with the fantastic knowledge of youth players in the Premier League from Rodgers' tenure at Chelsea and some diamonds in the rough are sure to be found.

For example, Scott Sinclair was always going to be an unknown quantity in a full season in the first-team due to only having played at most half a season at numerous different clubs, but has shone under the manager's guidance and confidence in the player.  The fans can only hope that this would be the case with new recruit Luke Moore, as Rodgers' looks to bring out the best in another young prospect who has yet to fulfil his potential.

With just over two weeks remaining in the window, only time will tell if Moore is the solution to another potential goalscoring problem at the Liberty, or maybe it will be another signing who becomes the catalyst for the Swans' promotion bid.

Bolton Wanderers: Coyle’d and ready to spring

Saturday saw Owen Coyle's Bolton gain another valuable 3 points in an emphatic 5-1 win over Newcastle at the Reebok moving them into 4th place before the Sunday fixtures had kicked off (Manchester City overtaken them into 4th spot after their win over Fulham).

Since Coyle's arrival at Bolton after the dismissal of Gary Megson almost 12 months ago, much to the dismay of the Burnley fans that idolised the Scotsman, Bolton have started to adapt well to his attractive style of play. One player that has been remoulded under Coyle is Johan Elmander.

[caption id="attachment_291" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Super Swede: Elmander finishes off his wondergoal at Wolves in Bolton's 3-2 win at Molineux"][/caption]

Elmander never made the mark he was expected to make on the Lancashire side, but this season he has excelled alongside Kevin Davies, scoring 8 goals so far in this campaign - pretty impressive considering he scored 11 goals in total in his previous two seasons for the Trotters.  With Davies also gaining plaudits from the England camp as of late, confidence will be high for the two frontmen.

It's also worth noting that their strike partnership is debatably one of the most efficient in the league right now with 14 goals between them, 3 goals more than any other partnership in the Premier League (with Newcastle's Carroll (8) / Ameobi (3), Sunderland's Bent (6) / Gyan (5) and Tevez (9) / Balotelli (2) all contributing 11).

But all good strikers need good providers, which Bolton have in the shape of Matty Taylor, Lee Chung-Yong, Stuart Holden and Martin Petrov. Taylor and Petrov provide good Premier League experience, whilst competing for the left wing role, whereas Lee and Holden have promising futures ahead of them with their stellar recent performances.

Finally, at the back, there is the dedicated, consistent Jussi Jaaskelainen with future England prospect Gary Cahill leading the defence in front of him and his central defensive partner Zat Knight has pulled out some great performances too.

By no means am I suggesting that the Bolton squad would out perform the calibre of talent that you would find at top 4 clubs, however, the level of talent that Coyle is working with now as opposed to the players he worked with at Burnley obviously show that he is a manager that can get the best out of players.  To transform a side that was very physical and direct under Allardyce (and quite frankly a little lost under Megson) into a side that tries to outplay their opponents and have started to score freely is a wonderful accolade.

[caption id="attachment_296" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Owen Money: Coyle has brought success to Bolton recently, but has it come at a cost?"][/caption]

One worrying aspect for Bolton is the recent news of their spiralling debts.  In the last year their debts have almost trebled, rising from £13.2m to £35.4m with their net debt lying at a worrying £93m.  This is partially to do with the recruitment of new players in this season and last, such as Lee Chung-Yong, Jack Wilshere and Ivan Klasnic and also retaining all their current squad too, which wasn't necessarily the ideal outcome for the board.

"We wanted to shed players in the summer to bring the wages down but we couldn't because the market has died."

Claimed chairman Phil Gartside, however he does insist that they will not be forced to "sell" their key players, however "trades" may be used in the near future.

However, can these debts be solved by the successful football that Coyle has been demonstrating via his Bolton squad lately?  Based on current performances, a Europa League spot would be in the minds of the fans, and should be a possibility provided that the players keep their performances up to this standard but we all know things are never simple in football.

Teams like Aston Villa have had a rocky start under new manager Gerard Houllier, but are they due a good run?  Will they make any inspired signings in the Summer? And will their impressive youngsters, such as Albrighton, Hogg, Clark and Delfouneso start excelling further?  It's almost inevitable that Roy Hodgson will turn things around at Anfield too, after their disappointing start, they will be looking to push their way into the European spots - not to mention their Merseyside neighbours, Everton.

So, there's a long road ahead for Coyle and his Bolton squad, but things are looking bright up North and maybe there'll be a few European teams suffering the ultimate test of a wet, windy Thursday night at the Reebok next season.

The Unwritten Policy of Team Selection

[caption id="attachment_277" align="aligncenter" width="320" caption="Outspoken: Holloway's views have been widely agreed with by the public."][/caption]

Last Wednesday's clash between Blackpool and Aston Villa saw Ian Holloway's team lose 3-2, however spotlight was raised on the team selection applied by Holloway for the match, which saw 10 changes from the team that drew 2-2 with Everton in their previous match.

"We'll have to see if anyone else does it but, come on, it's been put there as a deterrent. It has set a precedent and I've accepted it."

Mick McCarthy, 18/02/2010

Wolves were fined for an identical "breach" of policy which saw them make 10 changes in a game against Manchester United which they lost 3-0.  It took the FA two months to make a decision, but Mick McCarthy's side were eventually fined £25,000 for making the changes.

McCarthy accepted the fines with no argument, stating "We'll have to see if anyone else does it but, come on, it's been put there as a deterrent. It has set a precedent and I've accepted it." Holloway, however, does not seem to be rolling over to the authority of the FA.

The outspoken Bristolian has been quoted in saying that he'll "quit if fined" and that the FA can't dictate which players are first-team players and which are not and he has an unquestionable point.  Due to the new rules of squad registration, every team must submit a roster of 25 players, with U21 players not required to make up those numbers.  Where does it state that some of those players must be played week-in, week-out?

"Let them try and fine me, it's an absolute disgrace. I'll show the Premier League."

Ian Holloway, 11/11/2010

These 25 players have all been picked to be used in competition, and of course the system could be "exploited" if a squad of U21 players were fielded, which would essentially give the whole 25 man squad a rest and would more likely be a weakened squad. Let us not forget that often a top 4 team playing in the Carling Cup would no doubt field an almost full side of youngsters or a general "weakened" side, but this is the Premier League - not the Carling Cup. Was this the case with Blackpool's squad against Villa though? Let's have a look at the squad run-down;

Richard Kingson - Ghanian national squad goalkeeper, 83 caps, played in the 2010 World Cup.
Chris Basham - a young player signed from Bolton, but still at 22 - thus must've been registered.
Rob Edwards - played 20 games for Blackpool in their last campaign.
Dekel Keinan - Israeli defender signed from Maccabi Haifa this season, 11 caps for Israel.
Keith Southern - a Blackpool player since 2002, played 45 games for Blackpool last season.
Ludovic Syvlestre - another new player, signed from Czech side Mlada Bolesav, has made 2 appearances for Barcelona.
Matt Phillips - youngster signed from Wycombe, part of the England U19 team.
David Carney - signed from FC Twente, part of the squad that won the Eredivisie last year, 31 caps for Australia.
Marlon Harewood - established Premier League player, playing for West Ham and Aston Villa previously.
Brett Ormerod - 36 games played last season, scored the deciding goal for Blackpool in the play-off final.
Jason Euell - Premier League veteran, playing for Wimbledon, Charlton and Middlesbrough - also the club-captain.

So, that's one U21 player, a few full international players and players who have featured heavily for Blackpool in the past.  Granted there a few new signings which haven't made as many appearances, but does that make them part of a weakened side?

[caption id="attachment_280" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Fringe?: Sylvestre is one of many new signings for the Tangerines yet to make a name for himself."][/caption]

Have we reached the stage where a squad registration must also come with a Football Manager-esque squad status attached to it?  Will Charlie Adam be the "Key Player"? With names like Jason Euell making up the "Backup to the squad" numbers?  I wonder how the new players such as Keinan, Sylvestre and Carney feel about making part of a weakened squad too?  From my perspective, it looks like complete ignorance on be half of the FA.

But on one side you have this logical view at the Blackpool squad, and the other side you have the notion of if Wolves suffered the fine, then so should Blackpool?  And if Blackpool do escape a fine, then it would be double standards.

Whatever decision the FA make, I hope it is a fair one, but I'm sure many will agree with me when I say that I really hope we don't lose Ian Holloway as a result of it.

We'll Be Right With You...

Apologies for the lack of content lately, starting a new job and running this blog just didn't seem to end up hand in hand.

We'll get some new articles up as soon as possible!