Port Vale v Blackpool preview – a ninety mins display and home win needed
After a classic game of two halves on Boxing Day, Vale fans will be hoping for more of the second-half display and none of the first as they take on Blackpool. Here’s our preview.
PREAMBLE
- Opposition: Blackpool
- Competition: League One
- Venue: Vale Park stadium
- Date: 29th December, 7.45pm
Must do better. After their poor opening 45 minutes against Barnsley cost them the game, the pressure is on Andy Crosby and co to calm an increasingly discontent Port Vale crowd. A decent display against Blackpool would certainly be a start.
TEAM NEWS
Line-Up
What will Andy Crosby do after his switch to two upfront worked to some extent against Barnsley? Vale looked far more potent with their rejigged formation but the problem is – can Vale start with James Wilson and Uche Ikpeazu considering their fitness issues? Elsewhere, some will be calling for the return of Nathan Smith at the back.
Injuries
Tom Sang joined a midfield injury list which includes Funso Ojo and Ollie Arblaster. With Tom Conlon seemingly out of the picture, it leaves Vale short in midfield. Meanwhile, Josh Thomas, Mitch Clark and Dan Jones all remained sidelined.
OPPONENTS
- League position: 8th
- Form: W-L-W-W-L
- Top-scorer: Jordan Rhodes (15)
- Manager: Neil Critchley
Season so far
Sitting around the play-off places, Blackpool will have high hopes of competing for promotion, especially if they can keep hold of prolific loanee Jordan Rhodes.
Last game
In something of a surprise, Blackpool lose 1-0 to Burton Albion on Boxing Day. They also have a lengthy injury list for this game.
Man in charge
Neil Critchley was appointed in May for a second spell. His current record stands at 17 wins from 32 games in charge.
ARCHIVE
Taken from our very own onevalefan YouTube channel, here’s the full ninety minutes of a match from 1993.
CONNECTIONS
Current
Port Vale’s interim captain Ben Garrity was snapped up from non-league by Blackpool. He never played for Blackpool before Vale snapped him up for an undisclosed fee. The midfielder has since proved to be a huge success – twelve goals, promotion and player of the year in his first season and nine goals so far this season.
Former
There’s been several players to appear for both sides in recent years. The list includes goalkeeper Jak Alnwick, midfielder Danny Pugh, striker Steve McPhee, midfielder Callum Guy and striker Mark Cullen.
HISTORY
- Port Vale wins: 33
- Draws: 11
- Port Vale losses: 33
Matches
The two sides first met way back in 1898 when the Valiants delivered a couple of thrashings. They won the first fixture 4-0 and followed up with a 6-1 win in the return game. The last game earlier this season ended in a 0-0 draw at Blackpool.
Brief History
Blackpool were founded in 1887 and moved to their Bloomfield Road ground in 1901. In the late 1930s the club entered a golden period reaching three FA Cup finals and winning the trophy in 1953 during the so-called Matthews final. Stanley Matthews was one of a number of stars to appear for the club alongside Stan Mortensen and Jackie Mudie. Despite the controversy of the Oyston family being in charge, Blackpool reached the Premier League for the first time in 2010. However, relegation saw the side tumble to the fourth division in 2016. The Oystons were removed in 2019 and the club reached the Championship again in 2021 only to be relegated back to League One at the end of last season.
In addition to their FA Cup triumph Blackpool have won the Anglo-Italian Cup (1971) and two Football League trophies.
Predict the score
And finally
Discuss
Our dedicated match thread on the forum is the place to go to discuss the match before, during and after the action. View the thoughts of fellow fans and add your comments…
Quiz time
- Who is the current Blackpool manager?
- In what year was the club formed?
- How many appearances did Ben Garrity make for Blackpool?
- Who is Blackpool’s current top-scorer?
- What was the score the last time the two sides met?
Quiz Answers (no cheating)
- Neil Critchley
- 1887
- None
- Jordan Rhodes
- Blackpool 0-0 Port Vale