Could Blackpool’s season end in tears?

I have expressed my admiration for Blackpool and their manager Ian Holloway on numerous occasions this season.

However recent form must be concerning Holloway and Blackpool fans.

They ended a losing run last weekend with a 1-1 draw at home to Aston Villa but they are now in desperate need of a victory to take them away from the relegation zone.

Form

Blackpool haven’t won in six games and five of those were defeats. That is a rather concerning run of form for any team and seems like relegation form to me. The Tangerines are just two points above the drop zone with a game in-hand.

Holloway’s face a difficult game at home to Champions League chasing Tottenham in the Premier League next and then travel to relegation rivals Wolves after that. It doesn’t get any easier as they face a tough trip to champions Chelsea after the Wolves clash.

That is a tough run of games and before they know it they could be in the dreaded drop zone. One saving grace for Blackpool is the amount of other teams who are in the relegation dogfight.

Expectations

At the start of the season Blackpool fans must have been hoping just to survive in the Premier League but their incredible start to the season had raised expectations. However I’m sure most Blackpool fans would have taken this position at this stage of the season if they were offered it before the start of the campaign.

Style

Blackpool’s style of play has earned them praise from most Premier League watchers. They have been a breath of fresh air to the Premier League with their brand of attacking football. It has proved superbly entertaining for fans and neutrals.

Unfortunately their style of play leads them to be very open to the counter-attack. This style of play wasn’t as brutally exposed in the Championship last season, as the second tier teams don’t tend to be as clinical in front of goal as Premier League sides.

Defence

All season long Blackpool have been awful in defence and it’s been their attacking players who have bailed them out on so many occasions. If you have such an attacking approach to the game you have to make sure that you have a good defence.

Most of the players in the Blackpool defence are lower league defenders and at times this season it really has shown. I believe Ian Holloway knows his team’s weaknesses and that is why he tries to set up his team to outscore the opposition.

I don’t understand why Holloway didn’t strengthen his defence during the winter transfer window. The club have been conceding goals at an alarming rate and surely if he would have signed a few quality defenders then they would have a better chance of survival.

Manager

Even if the club are relegated I hope they keep faith in manager Ian Holloway because he has done a fantastic job at Bloomfield Road. Keeping the Seasider’s in the top flight would be the biggest achievement of his career.

Survival

Blackpool are now in the relegation fight despite enjoying a superb start to the season. They are no longer a surprise package and nobody takes them lightly. It will be hard for Blackpool to regain their form but they deserve to stay up just for the entertainment they have brought Premier League fans this season.

Will Blackpool stay in the Premier League this season?