Matt Scrafton column: Blackpool are in need of some good fortune

Normally I don’t pay much attention to it, I just write it off as one of those tired phrases managers often say in their interviews, usually when their side has lost a tight game by one goal.

Now we’re a quarter of the way through the current campaign, it makes perfect sense.

I’ve never known a division to be as tight as it is this season. There’s barely anything to choose between League One’s 24 sides.

You can get all your pre-match preparation spot-on, do your homework to nullify the opposition, carry out those instructions to a tee and still find yourselves on the losing end of matters.

That’s basically what happened at Doncaster on Tuesday. Darren Moore’s side were made to look ordinary in the first half – which they’re certainly not – because, tactically, the Seasiders got it absolutely right.

Eight minutes of madness at the start of the second half – and throw some questionable refereeing decisions into the mix – and Blackpool slumped to a seventh league defeat of the campaign.

At Gillingham, Blackpool had an off-day and Neil Critchley had no complaints about the result. They were outfoxed and outsmarted.

Against Ipswich, the Seasiders were punished by the away side’s clinical finishing, Paul Lambert’s side scoring with all four shots on target.

Aside from that, Blackpool have been well in games and, at other times, have dominated them – e.g. Plymouth and Crewe – without getting their just deserts.

That’s happened too often this season, Pool either finding themselves on the wrong end of contentious decisions or misfortune.

It’s so frustrating that you can do so much right, only to have the rug pulled out from under your feet through no real fault of your own, but that’s football.

It’s no good whining about it, none of the other teams are going to have any sympathy for Blackpool and go easily on them.

You create your own luck in this game, but at times, you do need certain things to go in your favour. If Blackpool continue to do so much right, let’s hope that proves to be the case.

I don’t envy Critchley at this point in time, having to deal with a large squad all desperate to play.

He’s recently hinted at making changes to ensure his players are kept fresh for a ridiculously hectic period.

When your side is enjoying such an impressive run, as they were prior to the midweek defeat at the Keepmoat, it’s hard to make wholesale changes to a winning team.

Critchley certainly comes across as a boss that will keep faith with his players if they are producing the goods and will remain loyal to them.

At some point, whether it’s tomorrow’s FA Cup second round tie against Harrogate Town, or further down the line, he’s going to have to mix it up.

He has the options to do that, he’s got a squad which is probably the best Blackpool have had since 2012.

Their bench has looked ridiculously strong in the last couple of weeks thanks to a number of players returning from injury, suspension and, in Ben Woodburn’s case, a positive Covid-19 test.

You only have to look at the players who haven’t travelled for the last couple of meetings – Teddy Howe, Jordan Thorniley, Oliver Sarkic, Dan Kemp and Bez Lubala – to realise the strength in depth.

It’s a good problem to have and much better than having no backup to rely on.

However, you must feel a smidgen of sympathy for the likes of Kemp and Lubala considering they produced stellar performances in the recent EFL Trophy win against Leeds United’s Under-21s, only to be out in the cold altogether for the following game.

That isn’t a criticism of Critchley by the way, that’s just the harsh reality of football management and the tough calls you have to make.

I’d expect changes at Harrogate tomorrow but probably not too many, the Seasiders are taking the FA Cup seriously this season and for good reason, too.

A win will seal their progress through to the third round, where the big boys enter the fray. With or without fans, such a tie could be a massive financial boost.

Just to touch on something I mentioned earlier in the column: officiating. As I wrote post-Doncaster, refereeing is a thankless task.

During my teenage years, I briefly considered training to become a referee but I’m thankful I didn’t.

Like everyone else on Tuesday night, I was furious when the final whistle blew seconds after Blackpool were denied a blatant penalty.

That anger soon turned to an overriding feeling of guilt when I witnessed the players sprint over to remonstrate.

I couldn’t hear what was being said, but you can imagine it wasn’t particularly complimentary.

Critchley, to his credit, walked over calmly despite the steam coming out of his ears. He didn’t get the answers he craved.

I don’t know what the answer is. Perhaps refereeing mistakes are just something we have to accept is part and parcel of the game? I certainly don’t want VAR...

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