Great start for Blackpool and the Premiership

There can have been few better first performances and results for a promoted team than the one produced by Ian Holloway’s Blackpool yesterday.

Unlikely

Everyone, including me and Ian Holloway himself had written Blackpool off as being unlikely to pick up many points at all. You had to ask, just where were the goals going to come from?

Forty-three minutes into their first game at Wigan they were 3-0 up and in dreamland! A further goal was added in the second half and they ran out 4-0 winners. 1971 was the last time Blackpool were in the top flight and manager Ian Holloway earlier this week suggested that the team he has at his disposal would struggle to survive in the Championship let alone the Premier League.

Slaughter

Eight players who helped the club to promotion via the play-offs last season together with three new signings who only arrived in the past week took to the field and to all intents and purposes they were like lambs to the slaughter.

We have to accept that Wigan were truly abysmal. They are in real trouble and don’t bet against Roberto Martinez being the first Premier League manager to be shown the door. The Wigan fans booed their own players and things look pretty bleak for them.

Deserved

Having said all of that, let’s not take anything away from Blackpool. Gary Taylor-Fletcher opened the scoring and then the forgotten striker of English football, Marlon Harewood, added two more. They had another perfectly good goal not given before Alex Baptiste fluked a deserved fourth and completed Wigan’s humiliation.

Ian Holloway was very humble after the game and whilst he was full of praise for his players he was quick to point out that the trip to the Emirates next week might have a very different outcome. Despite that, he will be absolutely delighted with the start his side have made and I am sure it will take him a while to fully believe what he watched.

Difficult

Make no mistake, however bad Wigan were, Blackpool were very, very good. They passed and moved really well and played some excellent football on the deck. They will face far more difficult tests than this, in fact, apart from Wigan at home, all the tests they face may well be far more difficult than this. However, they will have made many of the Premier League teams sit up and take notice of this result.

Ian Holloway will be a breath of fresh air in the Premier League whatever happens and he will now have just a little bit of confidence. He won’t get carried away or let his players get carried away, but I’m sure he will enjoy this moment.

Fantastic start to the Premier League and a fantastic start for Blackpool. I am so glad it is back.