Swansea v Blackpool Competition - Sky Bet Championship Venue - Swansea.com Stadium Date - 15 February 2023 Kick off - 7:45pm Following their 0-3 defeat away at second-placed Sheffield United, next up for Russell Martin’s beleaguered Swansea squad is a home fixture against Mick McCarthy’s relegation threatened Blackpool. Last Saturday, the Blades stretched their unbeaten Championship run to 10 games thanks to a comprehensive 3-0 victory over an increasingly forlorn looking Swansea side. Sander Berge's precise finish put United in front and Jack Robinson lashed in the second on the rebound after Ollie Norwood hit the bar. Former Swan, Oli McBurnie, tapped in a late third to complete a miserabke day for his old club. The second-placed Blades' fifth straight home league win means they stay 10 points clear of third. A second successive defeat for the Swans leaves them 15th, with hopes of a play-off push fading fast after a run of only two victories in 14 Championship games. Whilst the Swans were losing at Bramall Lane, Blackpool were slipping to the bottom of the Championship table after a goalless draw with fellow strugglers Rotherham that saw both sides go close to winning it in added time. After 90 dour minutes, the game exploded into life as the clock ticked down as Millers goalkeeper Viktor Johansson denied the Tangerines a first win under manager Mick McCarthy with a fine save from Jerry Yates. With the Seasiders fans still rueing their luck, play switched to the other end and Rotherham striker Chiedozie Ogbene crashed a shot against the bar. The Yorkshire side could easily have taken all three points after a strong second-half performance, with the outstanding Cohen Bramall seeing a 25-yard free kick strike a post. The draw keeps Rotherham, who have recently eked out draws against promotion-hopefuls Sheffield United and Watford, and beat Blackburn 4-0, on the edge of relegation scrap just four points of the bottom three. Blackpool's winless run now extends to 13 league games, whilst Blackpool sit in bottom place, they are nonetheless only 1 point below 4th from bottom Cardiff and, like Wigan and Huddersfield, have a game in hand over the Bluebirds. The Swans have played Blackpool on 46 previous occasions, winning 14, drawing 17 and losing 15. In the corresponding fixture last season, the teams played out a 1-1 draw, with Keshi Anderson’s late equaliser cancelling out Joel Piroe’s outstanding first half strike for the Swans: Turning to Wednesday evening, having not won in 13 Championship matches who better for Blackpool to play to try and break that run …. yep, the Swans …. I again have ‘bad vibes’ about this, and recognising that the Swans are short of confidence and will be up against a team fighting for their Championship lives, I think the Seasiders will run out 1-2 winners. I really hope I’m wrong
Thanks as always Taff. Call me stupid but I think we will be too good for Blackpool on Wednesday and surely we will tighten up at the back! So its a comfortable 2-0 win for me
The benefit of losing this one could well mean that Cardiff drop into the bottom three. I think we’ll continue to be trash and lose by the odd goal.
Mick McCarthy admits Blackpool plan to capitalise on any Swansea mistakes when they face Russell Martin's side on Wednesday night. The Tangerines have dropped down to the foot of the Championship table following a run of 13 games without a victory. However, former Cardiff City manager McCarthy - who took charge of the Bloomfield Road outfit in January on a short-term contract until the end of the season - aimed a cheeky dig at the Swans ahead of the contest between the sides by stating that goals count, not possession. “They keep the ball and they will have a lot of possession, but it will be nice travelling back to Blackpool at 10pm with three points," he said. “They’re a possession-based team and they will make it difficult for you, but we’ve got to try and make it hard for them. “If we have to catch them in transition…we have our way of scoring goals, just like they have theirs. They are a very good footballing team and keep the ball as well as anybody in the league, but they make mistakes and it’s goals that count, not possession.” Meanwhile, McCarthy was less than impressed with the English Football League's scheduling of the contest. “Whoever thought it was a good idea for Blackpool to play in Swansea on a Wednesday night is a complete clown,” he added. “Maybe it’s the computer, is it? Maybe it’s the computer that’s a clown. “Could no-one have had a look at that and go ‘oh yes, let’s go and make Blackpool travel down there on a Wednesday and they’ll be back at daft o’clock on Thursday morning to prepare for Stoke on Saturday’. “Whoever that was, thanks very much. I really appreciate it.”
Yes thought as much, man we are ****! Own goal very welcome, but we are a car crash at the back, and worse it has got over the season.......
