Blackpool take on struggling Rochdale at Bloomfield Road as they seek a return to winning ways after postponement break

Neil Critchley’s side have not played a game since their 2-0 defeat away to Ipswich on 6th February, and they will be hoping a return to winning ways is on the cards back in home comforts.

Blackpool have made Bloomfield Road somewhat of a fortress in recent times and will welcome a chance to build some momentum ahead of the back end of the season, with games coming thick and fast.

The Seasiders have played the least games in the league following two consecutive postponements and as such they are playing catch-up on their competitors. Results have been relatively kind to them during this time, meaning victory in all of their games in hand would see them a point behind the play-off places.

Now that is easier said than done and Tuesday’s opponents Rochdale will be more than happy to go into this one as underdogs.

Brian Barry-Murphy’s side have been well-praised for their attempts to play entertaining, expansive football despite their limit resources. However, this style of play has left them as the team with the highest goals conceded in the division with 54 goals in 27 games so far.

They will need to keep tight at the back if they have any chance of taking something out of this one, but they will take solace in their attacking options with Matthew Lund on 11 goals this season, with Stephen Humphrys not far behind on seven.

Young prospect Kwadwo Baah, who looks to be destined for Manchester City at the end of the season, has forced his way into a starting place for Dale, providing three goals in that time.

Rochdale have won just once in their last five games and have conceded thirteen goals in that time, albeit scoring eight themselves in that same spell.

So whilst Dale look increasingly vulnerable towards the bottom of the table, there is no doubting they have fire power up top and are willing to go toe-to-toe with any opponent, no matter the opposition, to their credit or downfall that will be decided come the end of the season.

Critchley has made it clear that he looks to match up opponents and tweak his formation and style in order to counteract an opposition’s strengths. However, on a number of occasions that has left Blackpool playing to stem the opponent rather than playing on the front foot themselves, the latter being where their success has come from this season.

It is vital that the Seasiders do not fall into that same trap on Tuesday night against a side that are more than happy to be expansive and aggressive.

This one should promise plenty of goals but what end they are at is mainly down to how the hosts organise themselves. Despite injuries meaning Daniel Gretarsson, CJ Hamilton and Gary Madine remain out for this one, they can still call on the likes of Dan Ballard and Marvin Ekpiteta to head the defence, with Ellis Simms a keen deputy to Madine.

Blackpool have shown an ever-increasing solidity in their defensive play in recent months and in Ekpiteta they have found the colossus required to marshal that backline. Expectations are that Ballard will return to the side in place of Jordan Thorniley for this one.

It is a big opportunity for the home side to make a charge for the play-off places against a team that have shipped goals for fun this season, but underestimating Rochdale has been the downfall of many in the division and if Blackpool are not up to it defensively on the night, Dale are always a likely outfit to score more than one.

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