Around The Grounds: Blackpool.

So, the trials and tribulations of being a Blackpool fan, eh? Three managers since 2000, around 100 players, half a ground and a tight chairman. Does not sound good! But, a Latvian millionaire has bought “substantial” shares in the club, believed to be worth around £4.5million, with it all “being spent strengthening the playing squad”. Well that was the official line anyway! To be honest, we all expected a mass of players coming in for hefty transfer fees with big wages paid. That clearly has not happened, but on a bright note we have signed players we wouldn`t normally get near! Rhys Evans, Adrian Forbes and Wes Hoolahan to name three. The squad has backbone, but still lacks something, a striker!

We have got a temporary solution in the form of Middlesborough striker Danny Graham who has joined us on a month loan. The youngster has had time on loan at Derby and Leeds recently but hasn`t hit the net often. We were after another Graham a week ago, David Graham of Sheffield Wednesday, who has hit the net in the past for Torquay and most recently on loan at Huddersfield. After agreeing a fee with the owls, so the cash nearly was splashed, Graham didn`t even have the decency to go into talks sighting the distance from his Yorkshire home to the Seaside much.

So after the disappointment of Graham, the David one that is, we are still short of some real power upfront. The old warhorse John Murphy has a back problem, young and still unproven striker Matty Blinkhorn has a groin strain. The only two fit forwards are Scott Vernon, who has a confidence problem. But we do have Keigan Parker the star man of the squad but even the Scot has the problem of inconsistency.

And it doesn`t help when you compare our strikers to those at the City Gorund, Forrest have an abundance of striking power such as the young powerhouse Tyson and experienced due Jack Lester and Grant Holt.

So, is it all doom and gloom? No, we have a great new keeper in former England under-21 Rhys Evans who joined his former England team mate, and our captain Peter Clarke. The former Everton defender has been out all close season and is just getting back to full fitness. In midfield we have the services of Hoolahan who looks an exciting prospect and Rory Prendergast who on his day can delivery pinpoint cross.

With 6 days to go to the start of the new season I`m still hopeful that there will be a few more fresh faces in the squad, which will be required if we are to have any chance getting anything out of our first home match against Forrest.

I recently completed a season preview looking at all the teams in the division, I`ll finish this article with my view of Forest`s prospects for the season, I think you`ll like what you read.

Manager – Colin Calderwood
Star Player – Nathan Tyson
Last Season – 7
Expected finish 1
Not getting promotion first time round for Forrest was crippling and Megson paid the price. But with Calderwood at the helm Forest are my favourites for promotion.

Thanks again jc.

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