I recently read a very persuasive article about how football should bring back local competitions like the Lancashire Cup as an antidote to the world where the biggest teams have annexed all the glory.
I agree and I'd suggest a twist, with a tournament along the lines of the 'Coastal Resorts Cup' where teams like ourselves, our opponents today, Southport and perhaps New Brighton and Silloth FC could play in a group to be the North West kings, before playing against the winners of a different group, featuring Brighton, Eastbourne Borough, Torquay etc. You get the idea. If you've got a beach and a B+B, you're in. If you don't, fuck off and play inland football.
I'll write to FIFA as soon as this blog is done.
I live quite nearby, so today is easier than a home game for me. The train across is fun with Pool fans merrily serenading their fellow passengers. Everyone always agrees football fans are jolly good fun on trains. I'm early and I don't fancy daytime drinking, so I go for a walk around the West End. Whilst not quite as commercially successful as its London namesake, there's an incredible faded beauty to Morecambe. It might literally be the coastal town they forgot to close down and it might have slumped even further since Morrissey shot his video there, but it's got some incredible buildings and a timeless quality to it.
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| Every day might be like Sunday, but it you don't have to wish it could Christmas every day in sunny Morecambe because it really is. |
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| Think of the glamour the Coastal Resorts Cup could bring to world football... |
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There's a good turnout and a decent noise at kick off. Pool start in the expected manner. We control the first 15 minutes. Keshi looks bright as usual but he doesn't really seem to have the end product which worries me a bit. I really want him to step up and be as good as he threatens to be. Demi has a decent shot. Yates links up nicely with others but doesn't really get much chance to shoot himself. At Southport, the proximity to the pitch made me realise how good Garbutt's delivery is, here, it's a thrill to see Grant Ward's touch up close. Whilst he doesn't have his greatest game, his ability to cushion the ball and the way he glides about is something. The only way I can describe it to say, it seems as if his boots are softer than everyone else's.
Morecambe don't offer much beyond dogged and organised resistance for a while. Their manager is very involved and alert, coaching from the touchline. He looks like the absolute archetype of a football manager. If you wanted someone to act like one in a TV drama, you'd show them Stephen Robinson. He's got the pointing, the gesturing, the bodily responses to the way the game unfolds, the leaning forward and shouting. At one point, Mike Garrity, who likes a good shout himself, trips over a bit of tape in the dugout then tries to act like he didn't. Exactly like a cat would.
The opening stages are played at a decent pace before it settles into a bit of a preseasony (that's a word) rut and very little happens. I watch Keogh quite intently. He has a habit of receiving the ball, wandering forward but going in a massive circle and ending up where he was before making the pass he could have made before going on a wander. He does this about 5 times. He's decent in the air and he plays a few sharp balls forward where others might have hoofed it but I'm not alone in noticing that the one time he gets run at, he's like an old Ford Granada getting overtaking by a superbike. He leads with authority and organises well though. Time will tell if he's a masterstroke or not. I think to myself 'we wanted Dan Ballard back, but we got Dan Ballard's dad instead' and then feel a little uncharitable. He is definitely the oldest looking Pool player since I don't know who. Brett always looked ancient, even when he was young, but he ran like whippet. My mate who comes with me (who isn't a Pool fan) comments that 'he runs like an old man' and I can't argue.
We make the odd chance, they go over the top or straight at the keeper. CJ (again played mostly on the left), Demi and Keshi keep not quite breaking through. The rare occasion that Morecamble come forward, we snap quickly back on the break and look impressive in our ability to go the length of the pitch quickly but we haven't brought the cutting edge with us today.
When Morecambe do score, it's a bit of soft goal. Garbutt has possibly wandered a bit out of position and is done by a neat ball played behind him to an overlapping Morecambe player. Husband comes across but can't get a tackle or a block in and the ball is turned across the goal and then home with the minimum of fuss. Perhaps they're better at breaking than us after all.
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There's nothing particularly wrong with the way we've played but again, we don't look to have much creative spark. I don't think we're especially well balanced either. Garbutt and Husband (despite the goal coming from their flank) are starting moves, but Keogh and Connelly don't really work in the same way on the other side. I still yearn to see Connelly in the middle where his skills just seem to fit. At full back, I'd say it was fair to suggest Turton got forward more naturally. Connelly steps out like a centre half, rather than hares wide like a full back.
Reece James hasn't had a mention so far. He does OK. He looks a competent player. Everyone looks sort of 'tidy' and that's kind of the problem. It's not that anyone isn't any good, it's that no one seems to have that pass or that run. It's preseason though. It is what it is. It's like everyone is Grant Ward today. Grant Ward is great. I love Grant Ward, I absolutely adore Grant Ward but 11 Grant Wards?
(Don't mention S---- K-----)
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One change at half time as Jimmy departs and Big Marvin comes on. What we didn't need was Demi 'all of the goals' Mitchell to go down injured but that's what we get. He gets up and seems ok, but then, as he trots back on, he seems to worsen the injury somehow and then he really doesn't seem ok. That's not good as definitely, again Mitchell has been the biggest goal threat and also, surprisingly shown a nice deft touch in the air a couple of times.
Bowler comes on and he immediately gives us a bit of something we've lacked thus far. It's his lovely ball from the right that creates our goal, a well weighted and early ball into the path of Keshi who belts it, it hits the bar, bounces down, someone (Jerry?) piles in and the ball is hacked away again, only for CJ to slot home the third effort and score the first non Demi Mitchell goal of the year.
I wasn't sure first time I saw Bowler, but I think he takes his chance quite well today. He makes a couple of chances, he has a half decent shot and he looks willing to run right into the box. I thought his delivery was quicker and less frustrating than last time I saw him and I've got to be honest, from what I've seen of the preseason games, I'd be starting him as he seems the most likely player to unlock things and create space even if he's the player who will probably lose the ball more than others. Risk/reward etc.
Garbutt has a decent free kick tipped over. We have some more subs. Sonny Carey doesn't do a great deal today. He's out wide, where he doesn't seem so natural as he did in a deeper role against Southport or in a no 10 type role against the Clampetts. Lavery does impress though. His closing down of the keeper and defenders makes Jerry's seem almost half hearted. He's an absolute terrier and he gives a defender no rest. He looks a great example of a player making the most of his attributes and he has one great effort on the turn, running towards the ball, then twisting to shoot and getting real power behind a shot that most players would probably trickle towards goal. Is he a championship forward? I don't know, but I like his style.
John-Jules is a bit less noticeable but links nicely enough with Lavery and has clear technical ability. There's one turn where he leaves his defender tackling air that signposts his pedigree and his movement looks intelligent.
It looks for a while like we might take control and go on and win, but then as the game drifts to a close, we make several weird mistakes at the back. Marvin gets away with one. He and Casey don't seem to have struck up the kind of telepathic partnership we were used to last year. There's a really good bit of defending by Connelly from a deep cross that draws applause, a terrific stop from Maxwell after a load of hesitancy in the box then a last minute near calamity where we gift Morecambe the chance to run through the middle and again Maxwell saves the day.
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| Not what we needed... |
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It was a good atmosphere and a reasonably full blooded friendly. There was some great baiting of their sub keeper for reasons I don't quite understand but enjoy anyway. Someone gets escorted out for going on the pitch when we score as well. It's had a decent vibe. I think deep down, everyone knows it's the Coastal Resorts Cup and it *matters* (even though I only invented 30 mins ago when I started writing this)
Morecambe emerge from the draw with a lot of credit. At a glance it looks like they've ridden the disaster of losing the promotion winning manager and kept the fighting spirit that got them up. They had a lot less of the ball and used it pretty well when they got a chance to do so.
We struggled in the way we struggled against what we might patronisingly call 'lesser' teams almost all through the season. Come on to us, and we'd unpick you. Make us try to break you down and we'd sometimes run out of ideas. It was a bit like that again. It's probably not very typical of the challenge of the championship but I think it's clear we're missing the King (of course we are...) and are a full back short. I'm not so worried about Connelly defensively, I just don't think he looks natural going down the flanks at all and when we're probably set up to counter, that surely matters. At the back, I think it was telling that I heard someone say 'Where's Thorniley?' Marvin doesn't quite look to have ever played himself back into the imperious form he was in when he got injured.
I've got a feeling that Madine is going to be more important than we think in the coming months. Yates, Lavery and the new lad all seem fairly skillful players, better on the floor than winning it in the air. Again, Yates was a little isolated and like early last year, it felt like at times we needed that focal point. If Madine's operation leaves him fit, I'd say he could surprise us and that all three of the other strikers might enjoy playing off him. Lavery in particular looks like someone who might relish chasing Gaz's back to goal blind passes and flicks.
Are we ready? Not sure. Are we the finished article? I don't think so. Will we be reet? Of course we fucking will! It's pre season, everyone is playing within themselves and we've still got loads of players out to return and likely more to come in (and go out)
Onward.
utmp
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