Blackpool continued to defy the odds last night as Ian Holloway led his Tangerines to a 2-1 win over nine man West Bromwich Albion, securing their first top flight home win since 1971 in the process.
The win was not as comfortable as it could and probably should have been, as West Brom played surprisingly well with a two man disadvantage. Roberto Di Matteo's tactics of replacing both strikers for midfielders meant everyone was behind the ball, making it hard for Blackpool to break them down.
Blackpool looked nervous for large parts of the game, an ominous sign for the rest of the campaign. The pressure of a suddenly expectant home crowd demanding goals against nine men was seemingly playing on the minds of Holloway's players. The post match interview revealed that fans sat behind Holloway were disgruntled, calling the lack of goals "embarrassing". The goal tally should have been much higher when you see the statistic that Blackpool had 21shots on goal throughout the match, a certain lack of ruthlessness.
Nerves of steel were needed when a penalty was awarded for a foul on DJ Campbell by Pablo Ibanez, which saw the Spaniard sent off, and talismanic captain Charlie Adam showed his were steady by stroking the ball into the net. Less than 10 minutes later Gonzalo Jara saw red for a wild lunge on Luke Varney, leaving his assistant manager Eddie Newton with his head in his hands.
A cautious Blackpool looked less than convincing until a second half goal by Varney, and even then West Brom valiantly battled back scoring through Mulumbu and almost equalising late on when Steven Reid had a guilt-edged chance. Holloway admitted after the game that his side are "Still learning how to play in the Premier League, especially in a match such as this" and that they "Weren't sure whether to push for goals or settle for what we had in the situation we were in."
However disappointed sections of the Blackpool crowd were with the performance, the fact is Blackpool currently lie 9th in the Premier League on 13 points. They have won praise and admirers alike in their opening 10 games, which have included sensational wins against Liverpool at Anfield and Newcastle at St James' Park. Few would have predicted the rise of Holloway's men this season because the unfashionable seaside club have defied all the odds to be where they currently stand.
Blackpool have the smallest budget in the Premier League, with a reported wage cap of £10,000 a week, a stadium that needed emergency upgrading from a 8,000 capacity to 16,000, and a chairman that was eager to sell the club. The transfer window proved fruitless for long periods of time before a late spending spree on lower league players, cheap foreigners and Marlon Harewood bolstered their small squad. Even with the transfer deals, critics were waiting for them to fail in the top flight.
Three months later and Holloway has proved that Blackpool deserved their promotion and can certainly match some of their Premier League opponents with a style of play that is aesthetically pleasing. It is a far cry from the old Holloway stereotype of direct football played at his previous clubs Queens Park Rangers and Bristol Rovers. He even had a bite back at his critics who predicted they would finish with less points than the eleven Derby County did back in 2007. "They were unfair. They judged us far too early, we're a good side and I believe in my players."
For a club with a home ground as enclosed and intimidating as Bloomfield Road it is a surprise that their points total is mostly taken from their away form. Excellent wins at Wigan, Liverpool and Newcastle proved that the Tangerines can play with the big boys, and the points won there makes the unsurprising heavy defeats at Chelsea and Arsenal less of an issue.
It is interesting to look at the 2008 season where Hull City, a side of similar stature were joint top after nine games on 20 points, and despite only winning two more matches all season they still survived relegation on the final day (culminating in the infamous rendition of Sloop John B by Phil Brown) which shows the importance of getting points on the board early, something Blackpool have already done.
There is still a long way to go this season, and plenty of time for refereeing decisions, injuries, player departures or loss of form to put a spanner in the works. However, no matter what happens between now and May, the charismatic Bristolian who has waited so long to manage in the top flight, is certainly making a lasting impression.
