Can Blackpool stay in the Premier league?

Just before last season’s Championship play-offs I was singing the praises of Blackpool and their boss Ian Holloway.

I said they would be in dreamland if they won promotion. Here we are seven games into their first Premier League campaign and Blackpool are in the top half of the table with 10 points.

Favourites

Every betting shop in England made Blackpool favourites to be relegated. They were one of the smallest clubs to play in the top flight for awhile.

In terms of stadium size, player quality and recent history Blackpool are minnows.

I never believed that they would be such pushovers as I had seen them play numerous times last season and thought they played really good football.

Upsets

Sunday afternoon’s 2-1 victory at Liverpool was a big upset but they deserved the result. They deserved the result for the fact that they have a very attacking approach to the game. And have had this approach since Holloway took over at the Seesiders .

I’m sure they will upset a lot of sides this season with their up and at them approach. They have to use their attacking assets to the best of their abilities as their defence isn’t the greatest.

However they are trying their best and Holloway has stuck to his promise of not making wholesale changes when they were promoted. He has given last season’s heroes their chance in the big time and not one of those players have let him down.

They will have their days when they receive hammering’s but if they keep playing like they currently are then they will win more than they lose. Blackpool’s approach to game is refreshing.

Surprised

Blackpool’s progress has even surprised Holloway himself. He told the Gazette: “I am absolutely gobsmacked with this football club and how we’ve made progress,”

“I am gobsmacked by the boys – the people they are, how hard they are working and how much they care about others, not just themselves. It all bodes well for the future.

What we don’t want to do is let any outsiders in who aren’t like-minded. And I don’t want any fans coming along who expect us to start winning because they are wrong and shouldn’t expect.”

Character

Holloway is certainly a character and has worked hard to get where he is today. He has always done a decent job usually in tough circumstances under budget restraints at lower league clubs. He hasn’t had a massive budget at Blackpool but he managed to sign good enough players to get them promoted.

With promotion to the Premier League comes extra money. Holloway hardly spent anything during the summer but club president Valery Belokon has promised to provide Holloway with funds to spend in the winter transfer window.

That means if Holloway will get the opportunity to strengthen his squad to try and keep the club in the top flight, which would have been Blackpool’s aim at the start of the season.

Survival

Even though they have made such a decent start to their Premier League career I’m sure that Ian Holloway and Pool fans would still accept finishing 17^th at the end of the season. And I wouldn’t back against the Tangerines achieving their goal.

Will Blackpool stay in the Premier League?