English Premier League Match Preview: Blackpool vs. Liverpool
With his first game as in charge being a third round FA Cup clash against Manchester United, new Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish is up against a tough challenge. Considering he had to face league leaders United, Dalglish did not
do too bad, losing by just one goal and that too because of a controversial penalty early on in the game. His next test is a trip to Blackpool and then his side will host Merseyside rivals Everton at Anfield.
It has been only a few days since his official appointment and Dalglish has begun to make changes to the club, with one of his first tasks being to appoint Steve Clarke as the first team coach. The former Chelsea assistant coach
can make all the difference for this faltering Liverpool side. In addition to that, Dalglish is attempting to make sure star striker http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Chelsea-c38786 and Manchester City.
Dalglish said, “We have to get our own house in order. We brought in Steve Clarke (as first-team coach) and settled the place down; making sure Sammy http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Lee-c21860 (assistant manager) knew he was staying. The other people that are important
to us are the people who are here and we look after them. What is immediate for us is the staff and players we have working together and the people know why they are there and will do their very best to do that.”
Blackpool manager Ian Holloway and his side will be particularly pumped up for this fixture, hoping to get their first double over Liverpool since 1947, having secured a 2-1 win over them this October. Since the shocking win over
Liverpool, Blackpool have gone on to win against Wolverhampton Wanderers, West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City and Sunderland, but their recent form has been terrible and will be aiming to end a 3-match losing run against the Reds.
Holloway talked about their win over the Reds, which had established them in the Premier League. He said, “It was a fantastic result at Anfield. The way we played pleased me as much as the result. “We passed it so well, held our
nerve and scored two goals at the Kop end. We’ve shown what we can do at this level and I’m confident we will give Liverpool another very hard game.”
Blackpool go into the game on level points with Liverpool, a mere four points above the relegation zone. However, Dalglish’s side have a game in hand which gives them an edge in this fixture. Blackpool will be hosting a match after
few weeks, since several fixtures were postponed earlier due to the freezing weather. Meanwhile, Holloway’s side will be eager to prove themselves today, especially after a disappointing exit from the FA Cup.
Team News
Ian Holloway does not have any fresh injury concerns ahead of the clash against Liverpool, but will be without some key players like http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Marlon-c24261 Harewood, Matthew Gilks and Billy Clarke.
Grandin and Harewood are out with hamstring injuries; Basham has a broken leg while Gilks and Clarke both have knee injuries, which have made them unavailable for selection tonight.
Liverpool face their toughest challenge, as they make their comeback without captain http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Steven-Gerrard-c34196, who picked up a red card in the FA Cup 1-0 defeat to Manchester United. Gerrard will miss 3 games in the Premier League, which
will undoubtedly affect the Reds performance in the upcoming games. Another senior player, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Jamie-Carragher-c17728 is also unavailable today as he is recovering from a shoulder injury.
Dalglish said while speaking about his skipper, “Steven is fantastic; he’s been unbelievable for this football club. There are times when he’s grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck, staring defeat in the face, and we’ve got
back in the match. They’ll all be very, very important, but certainly as captain, Steven’s got that extra bit of importance as well to help to move the thing forward and I think he will do.”
Possible Starting XI
Blackpool (probable, 4-3-3): http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Craig-Cathcart-c9473, Ian Evatt, Stephen Crainey; Matthew Phillips, Charlie Adam, David Vaughan; Gary Taylor-Fletcher, Campbell,
Luke Varney
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Liverpool-c39809 (probable, 4-4-2):
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Ryan-Babel-c31971, Fernando Torres
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