Bolton Wanderers versus Blackpool preview
Ian Holloway’s team, Blackpool travel to the Reebok Stadium this Saturday to meet their exceptionally successful Lancashire rivals, Bolton Wanderers. The Wanderers sit at the number five spot in the English Premier League table this season, one below the
richest team in the League, Manchester City and one above Tottenham Hotspurs, a team that has enjoyed a superb run in form in the Premier League and Champions League. Blackpool have just been promoted to the English Premier League this season, but are comfortably
holding the twelfth spot and seem to have no intention of falling back to the previous division.
There exists only a 4 point difference between both the teams, with Blackpool having acquired 18 points by drawing 3 matches and winning 5. Owen Coyle’s Bolton have won the same amount of matches and drawn 7, but lost 2 as opposed to Blackpool’s 6 defeats.
The Trotters have scored a superb amount of goals this season, totaling a staggering 26. Coyle’s men have never scored as many goals in 14 matches, and only the top four teams in the Premier League have netted more than 26 this season. Blackpool on the other
hand have conceded 27 and scored only 21. Bolton have conceded 20 goals this season and 9 of the goals have been netted in the last fifteen minutes of the games, suggesting that it is time Coyle’s defenders put their fatigue aside and tighten up the loose
ends that could cost them their fine position in the league. The Trotters defence has a lot of answering to do as despite their brilliant form, they have not been able to retain a clean sheet since the start of the season. It has been the Wanderers “fourth-best
start to a Premier League campaign in terms of points gained.” (http://www.skysports.com/). All is not lost for the Trotters though, as Blackpool last won against Bolton in 1986, and have since then gained only a point at the
Reebok from the last four times they have travelled to lock horns with the Trotters in the Premier League.
Blackpool should be wary of the United States international, Stuart Holden who has made the most tackles this season out of all the players in the Premier League, averaging a 5.7 times out of 90 minutes. The Tangerines have their own form of arsenal, namely
Charlie Adam. The Scottish player has had a crack at the goal from outside the box more frequently this season than any other player in the League. Swedish striker, Johan Elmander has improved upon his form, as he scored two of the five goals the Trotters
managed against Newcastle in their previous match last week. Only four of the striker’s goals in the Premier League have been scored at the Reebok Stadium. Elmander and Kevin Davies have helped Bolton, over their previous four matches in the Premier League,
in terms of the six goals the Trotters have gained; by either shooting the goal or through an assist.
Elmander’s new rich form could worry Blackpool, as the Swede has eight goals to his name so far this season, which is the same amount he succeeded in netting during the previous two Premier League campaigns put together. All hope is not lost for the Tangerines
though, as Holloway’s men are much capable of pulling off an upset, as they did convincingly this season, against ‘fellow northern sides’ Liverpool, Newcastle and Wigan. Blackpool won 4-3 against Bolton during an FA Cup final at Wembley in 1953, when both
sides were still playing in the First Division of English football. The two Lancashire teams starred in the First Division from 1946 to 1964.
Coyle is likely to feature the same squad who won against the Toons last week, as he is not troubled with any new injuries. Davis and J’O Brian are still unavailable with knee injuries, Gardner with a thigh injury and Samuel with a calf problem. Ian Holloway
has a array of players out with knee injuries, namely Baptiste, Gilks, Clarke and Martin. Other than that there is Harewood and Sylvestre, both struggling against their hamstring problems.
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