Bottom of the league, but closer to safety: Blackpool dealt the ultimate irony after Rotherham United stalemate

Only one point separates the Seasiders and free-falling Cardiff City, having been three points adrift at the start of the week.

There’s not been much to cheer about in recent times for those of a tangerine persuasion, what with their side slipping to bottom of the table having not won in 13 league games, so any positive is a bonus.

But this was another tough watch. It was advertised as such prior to kick-off, so we weren’t necessarily surprised, but it really was an ugly battle devoid of any quality. Perhaps we better buckle in and get used to it for the final 16 games.

Style or substance

Now of course, Blackpool – and Rotherham too, for that matter – are in a relegation dogfight and are fighting for their lives, so it’s results that matter, not entertainment. That’s not up for debate.

But what is up for debate is whether this approach is the right fit for this squad of players.

Is it going to get the best out of Josh Bowler when he’s very rarely receiving the ball to feet and having to deal with bouncing balls in his vicinity?

Are Blackpool going to regularly win headers in the final third in the absence of Gary Madine, who remains suspended for the next three games?

What should we read into the absence of Ian Poveda, who has played just nine minutes of football since being praised by Mick McCarthy.

A tough watch

If we’re being truthful, there was a lot of aimless stuff on show. On the one hand I get it, Blackpool are bottom and need to scrap and fight their way to survival. But I’m just not sure if the Seasiders have the tools at their disposal to effectively play that way.

As I wrote after the midweek draw to Huddersfield, the players will give it a bloody good go. They’ll follow McCarthy’s instructions and give their all for the cause, as they always do.

But as we saw in the final 10 to 15 minutes against the Terriers, Blackpool are at their best when the ball is on the deck and they’re getting at teams amidst wave after wave of attack and with the backing of the boisterous North Stand behind them.

The fans certainly played their part from kick-off against Rotherham because it was a wall of noise for the opening 10 minutes or so.

Blackpool started brightly enough and tried to utilise that energy, but it soon petered out and, once the game diminished into a game of head tennis and long balls, any semblance of a raucous atmosphere was killed.

McCarthy will point to the fact they’ve picked up another point, which can’t be sniffed at, while also keeping a clean sheet, which has certainly been a rarity this season.

But you can’t help but feel Blackpool would be better served playing to their strengths, i.e. their attacking players, the Bowler’s, Poveda’s and Rogers’ of this world.

That’s not to say the Seasiders should go all-out-attack and completely regard any semblance of team structure and shape, by the way.

But if Blackpool are going to create chances, which were in short supply on Saturday, they’re going to need to find a way to get the best out of these aforementioned players and, as a result, you’d like to think top goalscorer Jerry Yates will thrive on the service.

Goal drought

At the moment, you can’t help but feel sorry for the 26-year-old. He’s the only fit and available striker and he’s having to run himself into the ground for 90 minutes every three or four days.

It’s no coincidence Blackpool haven’t won a game since he last scored in the league, which was at Coventry all the way back in October.

If the Seasiders are going to have any chance of staying up, they need to get Yates firing again.

To be fair, he did have one chance deep into stoppage-time when the ball was played over the top to him. Having won the foot race with the defender, the former Miller reached the ball before the onrushing keeper only to be thwarted by Viktor Johansson.

Rotherham rushed down the other end and almost snatched the three points themselves when Chiedozie Ogbene rattled the crossbar with a swerving long-range effort.

It was the second time Matt Taylor’s side, who remain five points ahead of Blackpool down at the wrong end of the Championship, had hit the woodwork, having earlier gone close through Cohen Bramall’s free-kick which clipped the outside of the post.

Other than that, that was about it in terms of genuine chances. There were a couple of other bits and pieces, like Josh Bowler fizzing a dangerous low ball across the face of the six-yard box and Jordan Thorniley having a shot blocked, but goalmouth action was otherwise severely lacking.

Still in with a chance

Given the respective league positions, it will be Millers boss Taylor who will be the happier of the two managers as this result maintains that gap.

But for McCarthy, this was another missed opportunity to take points off a direct rival and finally end that league hoodoo.

And yet, as I started the piece, Blackpool are only one point adrift of safety. It seems ridiculous even typing those words given their woeful form but Cardiff are certainly doing their best to drag themselves into the bottom three.

It’s Wales where Blackpool are next in action, albeit Swansea City on Wednesday. If they’d like to do the favours and pile more pressure on their rivals, that would be most welcome.