For a team to succeed, they just need that spark. 9/10 it's a player who will join the club with little or no expectations and then prove to be the catalyst to future success. Whilst Blackpool's promotion back to the Championship had a number of key and important players, there was one who the Seasiders fans took to their heart and remains a favourite to this day. The Irish maestro Wes Hoolahan.
If you can find just one player who excites fans then you know that matchday will never be dull. When Hoolahan used to get hold of the ball there was an immediate roar from the crowd in anticipation as to what he'd do. Quite often he'd beat 5 men and then fail with the final ball but the fact he could do that made him both a crowd pleaser and favourite. Whilst we have had players who have made watching football at Bloomfield Road pleasing on the eye since, we've never quite found Wes's replacement although Edu Oriol in the current squad could well go on to be a worthy successor. As it is on Saturday, Tony McMahon could be in for a busy day as Wes returns to Bloomfield Road with the Canaries - a team he has served well since joining from Blackpool.
It's hard to believe we're already at the final Saturday in September and harder to accept that the Seasiders are still without their first win of the season. Even when we got promoted with Wes in the side, the second tier didn't seem to tough with each opponent looking none the less more difficult as the previous one. That said, after three really tough games, despite only getting two points, it's worth noting that Blackpool only conceded one goal and if we'd been a bit more active at the other end of the pitch, the league table could now look very different. That said, with plenty of players with Premier league experience, Norwich will prove tricky opponents on Saturday having already put a number of teams to the sword. Whether that league cup defeat to Shrewsbury leaves them with a hangover or a motivation to get back on track remains to be seen.
There had been a hope that the loans window may yield some new blood this week but all has been quiet from Bloomfield Road. We await to see whether we see the debut of Cubero or the return of some of his team mates and if we can finally get this season underway. Either way, and despite playing for the opposition, it will be good to see a reminder of what an attacking winger looks like although hopefully Hoolahan will be thwarted at his old stomping ground.