As others have said, the most disappointing thing about Tuesday for me (other than the result and performance) was KR’s seeming failure to learn anything from the 2-0 League defeat in March.
We knew they would employ a high press and be strong at set pieces. Both goals in March came from corners....the second corner courtesy of a ridiculous pass by Kelly towards Hanson, which went nowhere near him and Kelly barely has played for us since). The first goal on Tuesday came from a set piece given away needlessly.
Hanson has no confidence to make a pass or take on a player or perhaps he was instructed not to. He and high presses don’t mix. He just played backwards or sideways or hoofs the ball up the line. Forde simply has to play tonight. Our entire right side was a disaster on Tuesday and it makes us easy to defend against when Blackpool only have to worry about Barker.
As others have commented, one would hope KR spent some time in the 10 days after the Burton game looking at how teams like Ipswich comfortably beat Blackpool twice or how Rochdale beat them in the run-in but there was little to no evidence of that on Tuesday. It seemed to be that we’ve won 6 of the last 7 so let them worry about us which is strange given our record against the top 6 this year.
I don’t expect a 3-0 win, obviously, but I do expect KR to change something to give Blackpool something new to think about because employing the same tactics and formation for a third straight game and expecting a different result would be insanity. Three at the back or straight 442 is never going to happen under KR and you can’t play a brand new formation for the first time in the second leg of a playoff semi!! Could we see 4231 or the diamond formation that we occasionally used this year with two up front? They were clearly troubled by pace so let’s put some more pace on the field and try something different and perhaps we can get an early goal or one of them sent off early. Agyei has to start! I would play something like:
Stevens
Forde Moore Atkinson Ruffels
Gorrin Sykes
Agyei Henry Barker
Taylor
As North Melbourne Ox says, the one thing that gives me a little hope is that this team never knows when it is beaten. Let’s see that spirit tonight. COYY!