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I would like to think that as a Captain I am a relatively positive person, preferring to build belief and expectation than berate and rant at people. Sometimes however, I find myself driven to do these things….
Blackpool 1st team are stuttering at the start of this season. The play and work rate of the pre season friendlies is gone. Players now think that they don’t have to put the effort in, that they are just playing each Saturday until they are spotted by an England Scout who will whisk them away to play the level of hockey they were destined for.
In the meantime, they will plod away for Blackpool, lacking the sufficient concentration, belief and commitment required for the team to be successful, in what is proving to be, a very competitive Division 3.
If this wasn’t enough, a number of players believe that it is perfectly ok to let the rest of the team down by going out, getting wasted and partying until the early hours of the morning, because that doesn’t affect their ability or skill levels the next day! They are hockey gods, nothing affects their game! Its not like they can’t go out the other 6 nights of the week is it? I mean we only live in Blackpool, partying capital of the north west, what right do I have to expect them to stay in on a Friday night…right?
WRONG and the game on Saturday proved this to be true. If anyone in Division 3 thinks (even at this early stage) that they are relegation material then fear not because Blackpool will help you get a vital 3 points. Against the poorer sides in the league, the sad truth is, Blackpool deteriorate and play badly. They don’t have the ability, discipline or belief to break teams down who play defensively against them. So cheer up whoever you may be, just put 8 of your players behind the ball and the end result will be what happened on Saturday.
I’m not going to bother writing about the game, the highlight of which was the final whistle.
I will note though that Runcorn played hard, defended well and hit Blackpool on the break. They deserved to beat us. Blackpool however, let themselves down AGAIN.
Individuals have to start realising they are not the hockey gods they believe themselves to be. We will only beat teams in this league if we work hard for one another and as individuals, keep our discipline and structure and play as a team. Its not rocket science lads.
On a more positive note, Man of Match was Joe “The Dog” Boniface.