Prediction: Bolton vs Blackpool

26th November 2010

Bolton climbed to 5th place after trashing Newcastle at Reebok Stadium and they now aim to do the same with Blackpool. The Tangerines managed to stop their fall down the Premiership standings with an important victory over Wolves, but they still have the to be considered the underdogs against high-flying Trotters.

I really like Owen Coyle as a manager and this new-look Bolton side, which I’m sure you have already concluded from some of my last previews. There was not much to like about the Trotters over the past few years, so their fans must be pinching themselves every day and wondering whether all this is just a nice dream. Owen Coyle has changed things considerably upon his arrival from Burnley and while rash changes rarely do the trick, the Trotters have proved to be an exception to the rule, having exploded under the new regime. The team are scoring goals for fun thanks to revived Johan Elmander, exciting Chung-Yong Lee and arguably one of the best Premiership strikers, Kevin Davies, while all other areas of the team are looking as solid as ever. After taking 10 points from last 4 league games, Bolton climbed to 5th place and now Blackpool have every reason to fear the trip to Reebok Stadium. With no fresh injury worries, Owen Coyle is likely to field the same side that hammered Newcastle last weekend, meaning Matt Taylor should again be preferred to Martin Petrov.

Blackpool are determined not to give up easily on their hard earned Premiership status and they are showing that week in week out. Ian Holloway’s side obviously lack the quality to match most of the top flight sides but the Tangerines compensate for the lack of quality with hard work and never-say-die attitude. That is precisely what brought the Seasiders so many points at the start of the season, although the good start didn’t last too long. Blackpool’s form seemed to be on the downtrend when they hosted Wolves last weekend but the Tangerines again showed a lot of character and won the game after scoring two first-half goals. The victory did help the players restore some of the lost confidence before the game at Reebok, but I just can’t see Blackpool getting something against high-flying Bolton. Marlon Harewood and Ludovic Silvestre have joined the lengthy injury list, but there won’t be too many changes to the side that started the Wolves game.

Conclusion

Bolton are slowly becoming a genuine top table side and I’m sure the Trotters will not miss the chance to add some more points to their tally, especially with the players brimming with confidence at the moment. Blackpool are doing their best to survive the maiden Premiership season, but they will have to look elsewhere for survival points.

Verdict: Home win Bolton (1)

Best Odds: 8/13

Bookmaker: Paddy Power