Leicester v Blackpool Preview

Posted on | September 11, 2009 | No Comments

Many people thought that these two sides would struggle this season, with Leicester returning to the Championship following a brief spell in League One while Blackpool are renowned for operating on a low budget. However, that’s not been the case at all and they sit right next to each other in 9^th and 10^th position. The game also has that little bit extra riding on it as former Leicester boss Ian Holloway is now in charge of Blackpool.

They may be classed by some as one of the bigger clubs of the division, yet still Leicester’s performance so far has raised more than a few eyebrows. The Foxes romped to the League One title last season and having invested soundly during the summer, it looks as though Nigel Pearson has put together a squad that’s more than capable of challenging in the upper reaches of the table. They’ve collected eight points so far and while they may have lost their last two games, on the whole they look to have an extremely talented squad. What’s more, the Foxes are now unbeaten in twenty two games at home – which has made the Walkers Stadium into something of a fortress.

Blackpool are one of the few sides in the division that are unbeaten in all competitions. While four of their games in the league have resulted in a draw, the Tangerines are still surpassing the low expectations set by many pundits and bookies. Ian Holloway is yet to taste defeat as Blackpool manager and he’ll be desperate to see that continue against a club who he was relegated with just a couple of years ago. Unlike Leicester, Blackpool’s form in recent weeks has been highly encouraging and it looks as though the Bloomfield Road outfit have plenty of goals in them. They thrashed Premiership side Wigan 4-1 in the Carling Cup before then going on and beating Coventry 3-0 just days later. With that, those that tipped “small club Blackpool” for the drop may have to start eating their words if such results continue.

As for team news, it’s all looking good for Leicester who have been boosted with the news that Steve Howard and Martyn Waghorn will both be available to feature. The duo were struggling with hamstring injuries yet have now recovered and will be involved in some capacity. It’s a little more mixed for Blackpool who will be without Gary Taylor-Fletcher for the foreseeable future after he damaged his ankle ligaments. However, Ian Holloway could hand a debut to Hameur Bouazza who joined the club on a free transfer a couple of weeks ago.

Blackpool are currently unbeaten in the league but we expect that to stop here. Leicester have been fantastic at home throughout the past year and we think they’ll scrape past Blackpool with a 2-0 victory.

Related posts:

1. Peterborough v Leicester Preview
2. Newcastle v Blackpool Preview
3. Man City vs Blackpool betting preview
4. Blackpool v Birmingham Preview
5. Leicester v Leeds Preview

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