Blackpool vs Blackburn Rovers, Premier League Saturday 25th September 2010, kick-off 3:00pm On Saturday Blackpool play only the second home game in the Premier League, a Lancashire derby against Blackburn Rovers. Today it was confirmed that the game is a sell out with the final 150 tickets now having been sold. Not sure whether or not Blackburn have sold out their full allocation (I think just under 2,000) but I would imagine they have. Referee for the game will be Mike Dean. The 42 year old, who has officiated in the PL since 2000, has taken charge of three games so far this season, Chelsea's 6-0 win at Wigan Athletic, Sunderland's win over Manchester City and the draw between Aston Villa and Horwich. More info later.
Some advance facts and stats: Blackpool and Blackburn Rovers have not met in any competition since February 1980. Blackpool have won 15 and only lost one of their 21 home league games against Blackburn. Rovers have only won five of 31 Premier League away games under Sam Allardyce but have lost just one of the last six. Blackburn have posted the lowest passing accuracy of any team, completing just 59% of their passes. Blackpool have been caught offside 25 times, more than any other team this season. The Tangerines have scored three goals from outside the box this season, more than any other team. Blackburn have scored exactly one goal in each of their last six Premier League matches. Blackpool have won the two Premier League games where they have scored in the first half but failed to win the matches where they have failed to net before the break. Rovers haven’t scored a goal later than the 54th minute so far this season. Blackpool have allowed their opponents 38 shots on target, more than any other side in the Premier League.
At his weekly Press Conference this afternoon Ian Holloway confirmed that defender Alex Baptiste will miss the game with a meniscus problem. He could be out of action for a maximum of 4 to 6 weeks.
Aye it is a real shame for the lad. He has certainly come a long way as when we signed him from Mansfield Town, they had just been relegated out of the Football League into the Conference National. Baps apparently aggravated a knee injury during the defeat by Chelsea. He is scheduled to have exploratory surgery to assess the extent of the damage and the setback comes only weeks after he fractured a hand. Ian Holloway (in typical fashion) said:
Early team news: Blackpool After a long and drawn out work-permit process, Ghanaian World Cup star Richard Kingson looks likely to be available for the game. He will though face tough competition for a starting place due to the current form of number one Matt Gilks in goal. Presumably Kingson will be on the bench. Holloway will without doubt revert back to the attacking 4-3-3 that has served Blackpool so well. Possible starting XI: Gilks; Eardley, Keinan, Evatt, Crainey; Adam, Grandin, Vaughan; Campbell, Harewood, Varney Blackburn Rovers After overcoming recent thigh and foot injuries, Michel Salgado and Ryan Nelsen look to have regained full fitness and should start for Sam Allardyce's side. Meanwhile, after a substitute appearance in their last PL game and a start in the midweek League Cup defeat to Aston Villa, former Manchester City striker Benjani could be in line for a place in the starting XI. The Zimbabwean striker will though face competition from on-loan Mame Biram Diouf and Nikola Kalinic. Possible starting XI: Robinson; Salgado, Samba, Nelsen, Givet; El-Hadji Diouf, N'Zonzi, Jones, Grella, Pedersen; Kalinic.
Rovers manager Sam Allardyce has spoken about his time at Blackpool. In the 1990s Big Sam was Pool manager and led the club to 3rd place in the third tier in 1995-96. In the play-off semi-final Blackpool faced Bradford City, beating them in the away leg 2-0. Coming back to Bloomfield Road, confidence was high that the Seasiders would be on their way to Wembley. However, a disastrous home-leg in which Bradford probably had three shots on target all game, Blackpool lost 3-0. After the game, then chairman Owen Oyston sacked Big Sam and he as given his thoughts on the sacking. He believes the Seasiders will do well this season, especially with Holloway in charge. He also spoke of the conditions at the old stadium, which was back then quite frankly in very poor condition, before the redevelopment began four years later:
Sky Sports have a short video on their website from Ian Holloways press conference yesterday: http://www.skysports.com/video/inline/0,26691,16493_6396372,00.html
Leaving for the game in 5 minutes. Weird that it is now nearly October and yet this is still only the second home game. Going Down To Bloomfield Road --- to see the Blackpool Aces!
I forgot - Not sure about any sites streaming the game, but try here: http://www.myp2p.eu/broadcast.php?matchid=87089&part=sports http://www.footballstreaming.info/streams/todays-links/ Both of which has links to sites that may well stream the game.
24 hours after the game and I can now just about give my thoughts. To say yesterday was devastating is a massive understatement. T'Rovers love hoofball. How their fans can enjoy watching that crap I don't know. Big Sam has his own way of playing football and it is not attractive. They also were very, very lucky - we hit the post at least twice and Paul "Let his country down" Robinson pulled off some superb saves (how come you couldn't do that for England?) to deny Blackpool. And their winning goal not only looked offside but Gary Taylor-Fletcher was assaulted in the build up to it. Oh and referee Mike Dean must be a closet Rovers fan. They also have one of the most arrogant, ignorant and quite frankly disgusting human beings in El Hadj Diouf. Quite why he has to behave in the manner he does I really do not understand. I thought he played well yesterday and when he wants to actually play he is a good player to watch. But he has this streak in him where he just has to argue. Yesterday it was Blackpool fans. OK so he got stick from the home supporters, but that will happen at stadiums like Bloomfield Road - small, tight grounds where the supporters are close to the pitch. But his reaction to the stick he got was absolutely ridiculous. Whilst his teammates were off back to their positions after they celebrated their winning goal, he stayed in the Blackpool half of the pitch to taunt the home support, gesticulating like a wild man and shouting. Then at the end of the game - when their fans and players alike celebrated like they had just won the FA Cup final, and had been crowned PL champions - he again did it but tenfold. Shouting at the Pool support in the West stand, making stupid gestures toward fans. How come he is allowed to get away with it? I am still angry. Not just because we lost, but everything about it. Mike Dean, Rovers hoofball, El Hadj Diouf, that stupid, stupid own goal which was a total joke, their reaction after winning (You beat Blackpool away, not Real Madrid away FFS). To briefly mention the game - David Vaughan and Gary Taylor-Fletcher played well as did a couple of others in my opinion - Marlon Harewood and DJ Campbell. But I can't work out what is going on with Charlie Adam. So many overhit passes and freekicks and errors. Too many players seemed static yesterday. And it was only when the subs came on with Elliot Grandin, Luke Varney and in particular 19 year old Matt Phillips on his debut, that we really improved and got back to playing passing football. Unfortunately I think Stephen Crainey is struggling in the PL at left-back and Neal Eardley at right-back is still learning to adapt to the PL but needs to do so quickly. But we don't have time for him to do so. Matt Phillips though - what a way to make your Blackpool and PL debut. Comes on for the last 10 minutes and his first contribution was to score the equalising goal. What a goal it was too, with his first touch being a series of stepovers followed by a superbly taken goal. A superb cameo performance as the Rovers players just couldn't deal with him on the right wing. He is going to be one to really keep an eye on and was a definite plus from yesterday. Such a pity for him of course that we ended up losing the damn game.
Still not happy about that result. Not quite as angry but in all honesty a result has not got me this wound up for many years. Not because of the way Blackpool played but quite simply T'Rovers robbed us and I hate the way "Big Sam" (another ignorant, arrogant err "person") has them playing. Hoofball is not football.
No surprise: Ian Holloway has been charged with improper conduct by the FA. The charge relates to his language and behaviour toward the match officials at the end of the match on Saturday. Under the FA's new fast-track procedures he has until 1st October to reply to the charges. Maybe the FA could charge Mike Dean too with the much more serious offence of impersonating a referee.