If the newly promoted club are to keep themselves above the relegation zone come May then they will have to score goals and that would mean some fairly unlikely Premier League players hitting the back of the net. Marlon Harewood, an average striker who has spent the past few years either on Aston Villa's bench or on loan in the Championship looks to be their most likely source of goals.
Alongside Harewood, the Premier League debutants have today clinched the signing of Derby County forward Luke Varney on a season long loan. With out trying to sound to harsh, this is a player that the fans of very few Championship clubs would get even slightly excited about turning out for their team. The fact that Varney was being linked just last week to a move to former club, Crewe, in League Two suggests that Varney is likely to make very little impact against world class defenders and Titus Bramble.
To compliment the duo of Harewood and Varney, Holloway also has Gary Taylor-Fletcher who three years ago was playing in League One with Huddersfield and Brett Ormerod whose only previous spell in the Premier League with Southampton brought about just 17 goals in three and a bit seasons.
 |
| Used to be a Terrier, now a brightly coloured fruit |
Their opening weekend success over Lancashire rivals Wigan seemed to suggest that they could surprise a few people this season, although 4-0 seems to be the par score when playing Roberto Martinez's side at the moment. Then the tangerines were struck with a stark dose of Premier League realism at the Emirates when the pace of Theo Walcott tore their defence to pieces in a 6-0 loss. The acid test for Ian Holloway's men will be how they react to that thumping at home to Fulham on Saturday. A defeat to the Londoners and all the momentum gained from the victory over Wigan will disappear, but if they grab a positive result then the Arsenal loss will simply be seen as a blip.
The statistics don't look too positive for Blackpool and the signings that Ian Holloway has been able to make during the summer highlight how unprepared the club is financially for life in the Premier League, yet with three points from two opening away games, perhaps the Seaside club can produce a magnificent surprise and stay in the League beyond this season, it seems so unlikely it may just be worth a bet.
Hmm, I wonder what the odds are on Harewood and Varney being England internationals this time next year?
No comments:
Post a Comment