Brett Ormerod column: Blackpool face a big learning curve this season

The guy (Viktor Gyokeres) looked to be offside to begin with and then the ball appears to go in off his hand.

Some are saying it hit his face but I’m still not convinced. I just thought we were in an age now where things like that wouldn’t happen anymore.

I was at Bloomfield Road last Saturday for the game against Cardiff City and, I have to say, I thought the away side were fantastic.

This is all a learning curve. It could be a big learning season for Blackpool because they have still got a lot of young players and the Championship is a massive step up from League One.

Cardiff had absolute giants in their team, didn’t they? They were very organised and Mick McCarthy had clearly done his homework.

I thought they were sensational with the way they did the horrible side of the game – the closing down, not letting Blackpool get their game going. Tactically, they were spot on.

It was a real learning curve for Blackpool, so I think coming across a team like that should actually stand them in good stead.

It’s a difficult league and there will be plenty of ups and downs, but I have every confidence in Blackpool having a good season.

Don’t be surprised though if they initially struggle a bit when they come up against the top teams, because I honestly feel Cardiff will be up there in and around the play-offs.

When they come up against sides that have come down from the Premier League – and still have the money from the parachute payments which allows them to buy top quality players – then it’ll be a struggle.

That’s all part of football though.

Neil Critchley’s squad is a very young one, so this is a good experience for them.

Nevertheless, don’t be surprised if they come across a few teams like Cardiff who dominate.

Blackpool like to have a lot of possession but they will face sides who won’t allow them to have a lot of the ball.

There’s no need to hit the panic button though. You have to adjust to your surroundings and the Championship is a big step up.

Blackpool are trying to implement a new style but it isn’t going to happen overnight, so we have to remain patient.

No-one gives you three points in this league, it’s an incredibly tough league. It’s one of the hardest leagues around.

I’d defy anyone to pick five results in the Championship because you never know what kind of day you’re going to get.

With the squad Blackpool have got and the man in charge, I’m still confident they’ll have a good season.

It doesn’t get any easier though as it’s Bournemouth away this weekend.

They have spent a lot of money and they’re one of those teams who still have the parachute payments from the Premier League. They have got a good investor as well.

They possess a standard of player capable of pushing into the Premier League, so it will be an incredibly tough game.

However, it doesn’t matter who they’re playing, they’re all tough in this division. You have to earn every point.

Just going back to the Cardiff game for a minute, it was great to see the fans back at Bloomfield Road in their numbers.

They had a bit of a lay-off before, didn’t they? So the timing of lockdown was especially cruel for Blackpool fans.

They were fantastic and I just hope they remain patient with the side, because they have got the nucleus of a good team.

I’m not writing off their chances at all, but it’s going to be a difficult season because of the step up, it’s as simple as that.

I’m still confident they’ll have a good season. You know what, they might even push on and surprise everyone, who knows?

That’s the beauty of football, no-one can tell until it happens.

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