Pool display frustrates Ollie

Blackpool boss Ian Holloway slated his side's first half showing as"absolutely useless"but admits his tinkering failed to come off in their defeat to Chelsea.

The Tangerines went down 4-0 to the Blues with each goal coming inside the opening period before the visitors re-shaped after the interval.

Salomon Kalou opened the scoring after less than two minutes before a Florent Malouda double either side of Didier Drogba's strike put Chelsea in cruise control.

Despite a drastic improvement after the break, Holloway believes the home side eased up their urgency and allowed Blackpool to see more of the ball.

The former Plymouth boss admits his side had given themselves too much to do and never expected a comeback to materialise.

"I thought we were absolutely useless first half, but they showed a champion's mentality from the first corner,"Holloway toldSky Sports.

"And all our game plan went out the window after a minute or so. I was much happier with the second half but they took the foot off the gas.

"We drew the second half and created a couple of chances but it was all about pride then, it was too late.

"We're all very proud people here and I thought we would have given them a much better game than that but sometimes you have to say how good they are."

Tactic

Holloway admits he tried to thwart Chelsea's game by playing a defender in an advanced role in order to break up the play but his tactic failed to pay off and Blackpool reverted to their usual formation.

"I put a centre-half in midfield today and we didn't get near anyone,"he revealed.

"The minute we switched it and went back to what we normally do, we looked a little bit better.

"But you try and do things, you look at things, and I've learnt today."

Despite the defeat, newcomers Blackpool have taken seven points from a possible 15 and now have away fixtures to Chelsea and Arsenal behind them.

Holloway has reason to be pleased with the start his unfancied side have made but he admits he has one or two reservations about their defensive qualities.

"I think we've got to look about going forward because defensively we're not good enough at this level, collectively.

"They're[Chelsea] light years ahead of us, but everyone expected that anyway."

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