This weekend sees the return of the FA Cup, as we enter the 4th round.
My latest “Glory Hunt” team are Blackpool, who in the the last round managed to overcome Championship side Barnsley.
It took a 0-0 draw at Bloomfield Road, followed up by a close encounter at Oakwell, which was eventually decided when midfielder Bright Osayi-Samuel struck in the last minute of extra time to propel the Tangerines into the next round of the cup, when it looked like penalties where on the cards. Kelvin Mellor had put the visitors ahead on the half hour mark before an early second half equaliser from Tykes defender Angus MacDonald,squared the game and ultimately sent the tie into an extra 30 minutes.
The last minute winner and no doubt the battling performance from the League Two outfit would have increased the confidence around Blackpool and there is absolutely no reason why they can’t continue their giant killing feat in Saturday’s showdown away to another Championship club Blackburn Rovers.
The truth is Blackburn are struggling in the second tier of English football this season, whereas Barnsley are sitting in the top half of the Championship, so by rights, having beaten a team like Barnsley, a win against a poor Blackburn side should be a given for Blackpool, right? Well we all know it doesn’t work that way and despite Rovers languishing near the foot of the table, they did manage to beat QPR away in the last round of the cup, so a little cup run and a bit of money would suit the former Premier League champions. However the pressure to stay in the Championship may be little too much on Owen Coyle’s shoulders and he may decide to rest key players for the fight ahead and prioritise the League above the cup competition. It would be a shame for the FA Cup if Coyle decided to do that, but with the way football is and the finances that are involved these days, the difference between staying in the Championship and being relegated to League 1 would be massive, so you couldn’t really blame him for that.
Bearing all this in mind and with the fact that Blackpool, although not in great form in League 2 are probably going to be mid to top 10 finishers in the table this season, coupled with the confidence of beaten Barnsley in the last round and the fact that this weekends fixture is a bit of a free hit, I can potentially see another upset, and I can see the Pool marching on to the 5th round.
Blackburn’s Liam Feeney has said in a recent interview that Rovers will be doing everything they can to get through to the next round, although the midfielder is aware that it will be a difficult game and that Gary Bowyer’s team will be a tough nut to crack.
This could to be a very close game, there may only be a goal in it. If Blackburn take it seriously then it will be a much harder game for the visitors, however I have a feeling that the Tangerines will continue their little run and it will be another scalp for the team in orange.
As seems to be more of regular thing these days, away from the football itself, both sets of supporters will be protesting against their respective owners during the match. It is such a shame that some football clubs are run by people who don’t understand English football and run these clubs, solely as a business, with no thought for the fans or the local community, who are basically the people who matter the most. I hope the protests for both clubs get the exposure it deserves and will go some way to remedying, what is becoming a unwanted but much more common problem in the modern game.
Lets hope on the pitch though this game will be a ding dong battle and sum up what this weekend should all be about. The magic of the FA Cup!!
Up the Tangerines!!
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