Preview: Blackpool – Town
By Aston
January 18 2008
Town are still looking for their first away win of the season, the next possible away win is against Blackpool tomorrow afternoon.
Town are without Gavin Williams who has a thigh strain, Liam Trotter is suspended which means Gary Roberts is back in the squad after being left out by Town manager Jim Magilton recently. Alan Quinn will meet the Town players tomorrow but was not signed in time to play.
Town squad: Alexander, Bruce, Clarke, Counago, De Vos, Garvan, Haynes, Lee, Legwinski, Miller, Naylor, Rhodes, Roberts, Sito, Supple, Walters, Wilnis, Wright.
Town manager Jim Magilton:
Blackpool midfielder Keith Southern is out of the game. Steve McPhee could make his first start for Blackpool after appearing as a substitute against Charlton. Wes Hoolahan, a reported transfer target of Town hasn't left the Seasiders so is expected to play.
Blackpool manager Simon Grayson: "We've got enough reports about them, we've got enough DVD's that we've watched on Ipswich, you try and do your research regardless of whether you've played them before.
"We're just trying to make sure that we prepare properly and that we concentrate on our game but also know about the threat that Ipswich can be.
"They're obviously a bit of an enigma away from home but we know that on any day they can turn anybody over, they've produced those sort of performances at home and they'll be trying to get the monkey off their back with an away win.
"We know that we can give anybody a game on our day and if we're at it there's no reason we can't win the game.
"I'm sure Jim's looking into all sorts of things. That's for Jim to work out and hopefully it continues after Saturday that they've still not won away from home.
"They've got some good players, I know all about Alan Lee who I was at Villa with and Jonathan Walters at Blackburn, Counago as well is a clever player.
"They're a good team and they've got a little bit of money to spend which hasn't happened for them at the moment but I'm sure they're trying to improve their team all the time and they've got a good chance of being in the play-offs if they continue the way they are playing now until the end of the year."
Referee: M S Pike
Assistants: M A Astley and B Parry
Fourth Official: M J Denton
Match Odds:
Blackpool: 6/4
Draw: 23/10
Town: 9/5
Any last minute predictions? Leave them below.