Post by Tangerine Sherlock on Aug 17, 2012 10:25:34 GMT 1
So with the season only a day away I guess it’s time to look at the squad and transfers and the hopes for the forthcoming season.
Let’s start with our transfer policy
It would be easy to dedicate an entire separate post to the subject that has most Pool fans seeing red and biting their collective finger nails. So let’s start with a basic fact.
The club are never going to spend 3-4 million on a player indeed we would be pushing it to pay anything close to 2 million right or wrong if people are waiting for big name signings they are supporting the wrong club.
Now while trying to stay out of the depths of where has the money gone, going or being loaned to whom, as enough conspiracy theories already exist about it out in cyber space, The simple fact is the club is owned by the Oyston Family and run as a business and they decide what happens it is what it is. Whether it be right or wrong.
Free Transfers
Yes we are the specialist at the free transfer policy these days and maybe we have backed ourselves into a corner somewhat, The wages on offer at Blackpool are now 135% greater than 3 years ago but still not as high as other clubs are willing to pay.
With the change in wage policy comes the change in transfer policy fees, as in limited funds because the club will not live beyond its means.
Let’s not forget also Ian while frustrated at times at losing out on players seems happy to shop in the free and low end transfer fee market.
Right now that’s out the way even though I am sure many of us could put our views across till the cows come home on the subjects let’s look at the season and squad .
Most important question can we get back to the premiership this year and the simple answer is yes I really think we have a stronger and more settled squad now than last year and we all know we need 2 strikers but we have to hit the road running.
Let’s look at our new signings
James Caton
A young tricky winger with a touch of the afterburners about him, He could turn out to be one of Ian’s specials and fully expect to see him on the bench and being fed into the starting line up over the first few games
Adda Djeziri
Think the lad sadly is one of Ian’s wild cards as given away by his contract length and his destined for the development squad
Alberto Noguera Ripoll
Now this lad has the quality and skill to make a impact and like Caton will be in and around the first team and was one of Ian’s main summer targets
Scott Robertson
The new Gnasher a midfield hard man that can also score 8-10 goals a season so maybe not like gnasher in that respect but I can see him and Ferguson fighting it out for the middle spot
Tiago Gomes
He looks good and is likely to figure in the first team fighting ludo for his place in the squad, A free kick and corner taker something we sadly missed last year
Isaiah Osbourne
Another Ian rescue mission and will probably be in the development squad for the first half of the year but might get his chance as there is defiantly something raw about him and looks a good prospect.
Jake Caprice
One for the future there is no doubt about that but needs a year yet I would imagine before he is ready for the Holloway school of football.
So not to bad so far and hopefully if the club can clear up the deal for Banvo who is my one to watch for the season as he really knows where the net is as fast as Dicko but can finish more often than not.
Not well known household names and no mega transfer fees signings but a couple with experience a couple already on the fringe and a couple to be developed, let’s hope they are given the chance they deserve by the fans
Take new ingredients and add to mixture and bake
These are my own personal views as a fan on the squad and I am sure many will disagree or debate ;D otherwise.
Matthew Gilks
Probably the best keeper we have had for some time and an utter nutcase but the improvement since the arrival of George is clear for all to see if he can stay injury free we will be fine
Mark Halstead
Understudy to Gilks and highly rated by George and that is good enough to me
Neal Eardley
No doubt he can make a pin point pass but frightens the life out of me when defending can back of too much and allow the opposition to push into the box and sometimes given to losing his rag early on.
Ian Evatt
The new Mr Blackpool, towards the middle part of last season a new belief and pride seem to be installed and he was fire and brimstone, admittedly not the quickest but gives it his all and always entertaining when he decides that he is a centre forward and sets of up the pitch (my hot tip to score the most outlandish goal of the season by sheer chance of course)
Alex Baptiste
Probably the best 13k Blackpool ever spent, you just know when in trouble and the ball is heading over the line with the keeper beaten, more often than not he will appear from nowhere and save the day. As for going forward he must be a nightmare for the opposition when the CB comes steaming through the middle. Will be good for 5-6 goals this season
Stephen Crainey
Really turned the corner in my book and is as solid as a rock and gets up and down the pitch all day long and is the most likely candidate to introduce the opposing players to the advertising boards and will Harris with back up we look solid down the left.
Chris Basham
Poor old bash not had a fair rub of the green since arriving but I really think he will be pushing Eards for the right back position and would add something to the team with his height, the chances of him getting a berth in midfield are rather slim now if he can get his foot in, I would expect him to keep it in, maybe the forgotten talent
Bob Harris
expect a fight from him for that left back space once recovered from injury can see him and crainey fighting for the starting role all season
Craig Cathcart
Suffered last season with a back injury for best part of the season, will find it hard to displace evo and baps but bloody good back up to have and gets on the score sheet from corners
Ludovic Sylvestre
Probably the most bloody frustrating player in the squad and is in last chance saloon for me as when he is good he is bloody good but when he goes missing you have more chance of finding the invisible man , come on Ludo show us your brilliance for a full season
Elliot Grandin
Glad he is back, not everybody’s cup of tea but can see him starting more from the bench has been playing out wide pre season so might find him sat there at the start of the season if Matty leaves
Barry ferguson
A seasoned pro who we all know about only started to see the best out of him towards the end of the season and will have a fight on his hands with Robertson for that starting role. If he gets of to a bad start this season can see him becoming a regular on the bench at best.
Ángel Martínez Cervera
For me the first name on the team sheet for midfield took him a while to find his feet but has turned out to be probably one of the best signings from last year , very much in the mould of Vaughan and people often forget he is on the pitch as the ball is normal pinged to a another player within seconds of it arriving at his feet, not scared to put himself about either and had the best pass completion record of all the midfield in the second half of the season
Gary Taylor-Fletcher
A unsung hero and for some strange reason seems to get stick from a section of pool fans, but he takes a beating every match and still gets up and carries on. Not the quickest in terms of speed but his ball control and foot speed is second to none in the squad and the amount of headers he wins are vital to the team’s performance
Gerardo Bruna
Frustration is probably the best word for the lad, he has the skill and talent but until he learns to track back rather than standing in the final third when he loses the ball he will find it hard to find a place on the bench
Matt Phillips
Divides opinion between pool fans and at the moment still a pool player, needs to get his head up more when going forward and work on his finishing and more importantly his heading as he should be scoring 6-8 with his head during a season
Thomas Ince
Not much can be said about tom that we all don’t already know a talent and is set for great things let’s hope it is with us this season. He truly is unplayable at times
Tom Barkhuizen
I will stick my neck on the line with the other Tom, He will make the bench and start some matches and even though he is given a hard time by fans this lad can play the front line needs a couple goals to get his confidence but could have a impact this year.
Kevin Phillips
We all know about Kev not much to say but will probably bag 12-14 goals this season from the bench alone lol
So its just down to Chef Holloway now to mix and bake well
Let’s start with our transfer policy
It would be easy to dedicate an entire separate post to the subject that has most Pool fans seeing red and biting their collective finger nails. So let’s start with a basic fact.
The club are never going to spend 3-4 million on a player indeed we would be pushing it to pay anything close to 2 million right or wrong if people are waiting for big name signings they are supporting the wrong club.
Now while trying to stay out of the depths of where has the money gone, going or being loaned to whom, as enough conspiracy theories already exist about it out in cyber space, The simple fact is the club is owned by the Oyston Family and run as a business and they decide what happens it is what it is. Whether it be right or wrong.
Free Transfers
Yes we are the specialist at the free transfer policy these days and maybe we have backed ourselves into a corner somewhat, The wages on offer at Blackpool are now 135% greater than 3 years ago but still not as high as other clubs are willing to pay.
With the change in wage policy comes the change in transfer policy fees, as in limited funds because the club will not live beyond its means.
Let’s not forget also Ian while frustrated at times at losing out on players seems happy to shop in the free and low end transfer fee market.
Right now that’s out the way even though I am sure many of us could put our views across till the cows come home on the subjects let’s look at the season and squad .
Most important question can we get back to the premiership this year and the simple answer is yes I really think we have a stronger and more settled squad now than last year and we all know we need 2 strikers but we have to hit the road running.
Let’s look at our new signings
James Caton
A young tricky winger with a touch of the afterburners about him, He could turn out to be one of Ian’s specials and fully expect to see him on the bench and being fed into the starting line up over the first few games
Adda Djeziri
Think the lad sadly is one of Ian’s wild cards as given away by his contract length and his destined for the development squad
Alberto Noguera Ripoll
Now this lad has the quality and skill to make a impact and like Caton will be in and around the first team and was one of Ian’s main summer targets
Scott Robertson
The new Gnasher a midfield hard man that can also score 8-10 goals a season so maybe not like gnasher in that respect but I can see him and Ferguson fighting it out for the middle spot
Tiago Gomes
He looks good and is likely to figure in the first team fighting ludo for his place in the squad, A free kick and corner taker something we sadly missed last year
Isaiah Osbourne
Another Ian rescue mission and will probably be in the development squad for the first half of the year but might get his chance as there is defiantly something raw about him and looks a good prospect.
Jake Caprice
One for the future there is no doubt about that but needs a year yet I would imagine before he is ready for the Holloway school of football.
So not to bad so far and hopefully if the club can clear up the deal for Banvo who is my one to watch for the season as he really knows where the net is as fast as Dicko but can finish more often than not.
Not well known household names and no mega transfer fees signings but a couple with experience a couple already on the fringe and a couple to be developed, let’s hope they are given the chance they deserve by the fans
Take new ingredients and add to mixture and bake
These are my own personal views as a fan on the squad and I am sure many will disagree or debate ;D otherwise.
Matthew Gilks
Probably the best keeper we have had for some time and an utter nutcase but the improvement since the arrival of George is clear for all to see if he can stay injury free we will be fine
Mark Halstead
Understudy to Gilks and highly rated by George and that is good enough to me
Neal Eardley
No doubt he can make a pin point pass but frightens the life out of me when defending can back of too much and allow the opposition to push into the box and sometimes given to losing his rag early on.
Ian Evatt
The new Mr Blackpool, towards the middle part of last season a new belief and pride seem to be installed and he was fire and brimstone, admittedly not the quickest but gives it his all and always entertaining when he decides that he is a centre forward and sets of up the pitch (my hot tip to score the most outlandish goal of the season by sheer chance of course)
Alex Baptiste
Probably the best 13k Blackpool ever spent, you just know when in trouble and the ball is heading over the line with the keeper beaten, more often than not he will appear from nowhere and save the day. As for going forward he must be a nightmare for the opposition when the CB comes steaming through the middle. Will be good for 5-6 goals this season
Stephen Crainey
Really turned the corner in my book and is as solid as a rock and gets up and down the pitch all day long and is the most likely candidate to introduce the opposing players to the advertising boards and will Harris with back up we look solid down the left.
Chris Basham
Poor old bash not had a fair rub of the green since arriving but I really think he will be pushing Eards for the right back position and would add something to the team with his height, the chances of him getting a berth in midfield are rather slim now if he can get his foot in, I would expect him to keep it in, maybe the forgotten talent
Bob Harris
expect a fight from him for that left back space once recovered from injury can see him and crainey fighting for the starting role all season
Craig Cathcart
Suffered last season with a back injury for best part of the season, will find it hard to displace evo and baps but bloody good back up to have and gets on the score sheet from corners
Ludovic Sylvestre
Probably the most bloody frustrating player in the squad and is in last chance saloon for me as when he is good he is bloody good but when he goes missing you have more chance of finding the invisible man , come on Ludo show us your brilliance for a full season
Elliot Grandin
Glad he is back, not everybody’s cup of tea but can see him starting more from the bench has been playing out wide pre season so might find him sat there at the start of the season if Matty leaves
Barry ferguson
A seasoned pro who we all know about only started to see the best out of him towards the end of the season and will have a fight on his hands with Robertson for that starting role. If he gets of to a bad start this season can see him becoming a regular on the bench at best.
Ángel Martínez Cervera
For me the first name on the team sheet for midfield took him a while to find his feet but has turned out to be probably one of the best signings from last year , very much in the mould of Vaughan and people often forget he is on the pitch as the ball is normal pinged to a another player within seconds of it arriving at his feet, not scared to put himself about either and had the best pass completion record of all the midfield in the second half of the season
Gary Taylor-Fletcher
A unsung hero and for some strange reason seems to get stick from a section of pool fans, but he takes a beating every match and still gets up and carries on. Not the quickest in terms of speed but his ball control and foot speed is second to none in the squad and the amount of headers he wins are vital to the team’s performance
Gerardo Bruna
Frustration is probably the best word for the lad, he has the skill and talent but until he learns to track back rather than standing in the final third when he loses the ball he will find it hard to find a place on the bench
Matt Phillips
Divides opinion between pool fans and at the moment still a pool player, needs to get his head up more when going forward and work on his finishing and more importantly his heading as he should be scoring 6-8 with his head during a season
Thomas Ince
Not much can be said about tom that we all don’t already know a talent and is set for great things let’s hope it is with us this season. He truly is unplayable at times
Tom Barkhuizen
I will stick my neck on the line with the other Tom, He will make the bench and start some matches and even though he is given a hard time by fans this lad can play the front line needs a couple goals to get his confidence but could have a impact this year.
Kevin Phillips
We all know about Kev not much to say but will probably bag 12-14 goals this season from the bench alone lol
So its just down to Chef Holloway now to mix and bake well