Blackpool suffered defeat in their final fixture of 2021. 

A 2-1 loss to Middlesbrough has left the Tangerines in 13th place heading into the New Year.  

Shane Lavery’s 91st minute equaliser ended up being nothing more than a mere consolation, as Duncan Watmore sealed all three points with an even later winner for Chris Wilder’s side. 

Blackpool have now only won once in 10 Championship matches. Their last win came against Peterborough on December 18, coming out on top through a 3-1 scoreline. 

It’s been a tumultuous few weeks for Neil Critchley’s men, who are without up to 10 senior squad members coming into this game due to Covid-19 infection.

Some of these players will be coming back soon, but it is unlikely that they will be thrown straight back into the starting team so soon.

Instead, Critchley may opt to stick with the three-at-the-back formation that he used against Middlesbrough.

If he does decide to stick with the 5-3-2 formation then it is likely he will name an unchanged side. 

While it was likely that the 43-year old only chose that formation so as to match up with Wilder’s side, it proved effective enough that it should be worth considering again. 

 

 

Considering players are already playing through the pain barrier to ensure games can go ahead, there is simply very little wiggle room for Critchley to rotate with the side presently. 

Blackpool’s opponents Hull City are 19th in the Championship table. The Tigers lost their most recent game 2-1 away to Nottingham Forest. That meant they are now three games without a win going into Saturday’s tie.