Opinion: Blackpool can't afford another wasted summer but things must be quickly addressed
It’s been a difficult start to the season for Blackpool.
Opinion: Blackpool can’t act rashly for the second season running despite a torrid start to the new campaign.
It’s been a torrid few weeks for the Seasiders, and at the moment it’s hard to see it being a quick fix.
The energy and the resilience in Saturday’s 3-2 victory against Huddersfield Town does offer something to pin a bit of hope to, but at the moment that’s not a true reflection of what Blackpool are.
Steve Bruce’s side have been soft at the back and sluggish going forward. It’s a talented squad full of proven League One talent, but they’re not acting like it.
The majority of the players they have recruited currently don’t seem like an improvement on what they’ve let go, while existing figures seem to be suffering because of the change that has occurred around them.
Set piece issues
It’s hard to ignore just how pathetic the defending of set pieces has been. If you’re Plymouth Argyle and you’re desperate for a way to get your season up and running, then just play for corners on Saturday afternoon.
Equal blame should be distributed for this. At the training ground the root of the problem clearly hasn’t been discovered yet.
Bruce and his staff must take some responsibility, as clearly opposition teams are easily identifying a gap beforehand.
Meanwhile, it’s equally not been good enough from the players. They’re not showing enough battling spirit in certain situations.
Michael Ihiekwe has been brought in to bring some experience, but at the moment he’s not taking control of the back four, while Olly Casey seems more restricted after being the main man at the back last season.
Matthew Pennington left in the summer due to not having guaranteed game time at Bloomfield Road, but he would be exactly what Blackpool need right now.
Let’s not get carried away
Despite the difficulties surrounding the Seasiders at the moment, it’s still early days.
There’s still plenty of time ahead of the manager to get it right and for the players to gel.
For some of the summer signings, the only way is up following their first few appearances for the club, so hopefully that becomes apparent sooner rather than later.
George Honeyman is the one who has settled in the quickest, and has set a standard for others to follow.
A number of these players have cited Bruce as a reason for making the move to the Fylde Coast, so now it’s about matching the desire in their words with their performances on the pitch.
The experience of the head coach should instil some confidence that Blackpool won’t be defined by three of their opening four games, and that they will navigate a path away from their current troubles.
It’s ridiculous at this stage of the campaign that there are some calls on social media to part ways with Bruce.
Last year, the Seasiders pretty much wasted a whole summer’s work after sacking Neil Critchley after two league games, so for starters they can’t follow that pattern again.
It’s not in the club’s best interests at all to keep ripping up plans and restarting. It is difficult viewing at the moment, but a patient process must be followed, even if tweaks are required along the way.
What does success look like?
Bar a threat of relegation by the midway point, which realistically won’t be the case, Blackpool need to give Bruce time to figure out which pieces work best together in his squad.
Things probably didn’t click in the way the 64-year-old would’ve hoped during last season, but there were mitigating factors in play.
When the Seasiders have been good under the experienced head coach, they’ve been very good, so the carrot at the end of the stick is clear today.
In the EFL, as Blackpool know themselves, a slow start doesn’t define a season, and momentum can be important at any stage.
It will be a failure if the club doesn’t achieve a top six finish this time around, but they need to stick to the plan that they’ve believed for the last few months will deliver success.
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