Pitch Inspection 3 Hours before KO

24 December 2010 18:57
The Seasiders will hold a pitch inspection three hours before their scheduled 3pm kick-off against Liverpool on Boxing Day to see if the match can go ahead. The Seasiders do not have undersoil heating at Bloomfield Road and despite covering the pitch there is still some doubt over whether the surface will be playable. "Ground staff at Bloomfield Road have been working throughout the night and will continue to work round the clock to try to ensure that the fixture takes place," said a statement on blackpoolfc.co.uk. "While it has been well documented that the club does not have undersoil heating, several industrial hot air blowers have been sourced along with additional frost protection covers. "The timing of the pitch inspection has been made in consultation with the Barclays Premier League, match referee Mike Oliver and officials from Liverpool. "Club officials remain in regular contact with all parties and will continue to monitor the weather forecasts over the next 48 hours." Blackpool captain Charlie Adam misses out as he serves a one-game ban.The Seasiders remain without a number of injured players, including striker Marlon Harewood and goalkeeper Matt Gilks. Liverpool welcome back skipper Steven Gerrard, who has recovered from a hamstring problem. Daniel Agger is also available after injury, while Fernando Torres will return after being rested for the Reds' Europa League game with FC Utrecht. MATCH PREVIEW If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Having seen glamour games against Manchester United and Tottenham frozen off at Bloomfield Road, Blackpool will be desperate to avoid a hat-trick of postponements on Boxing Day, when Liverpool are the visitors. We can almost certainly guarantee the pitch will be playable but it is the prevailing conditions once the covers have been removed Blackpool chairman Karl Oyston The Tangerines' ground lacks undersoil heating, and while covers can protect the playing surface in the build-up to games, little can be done to prevent the pitch from freezing after it is uncovered for kick off. Chairman Karl Oyston says there are no immediate plans to install undersoil heating, and believes fixture congestion caused by the postponements is unlikely to trouble Ian Holloway's side. However, the bad weather has certainly come at an inopportune period for the top flight's surprise package, who will not want to lose momentum. The undoubted highlight of Blackpool's campaign so far was their 2-1 win at Anfield in October, and a repeat performance would give them their first league double against the Reds since the 1946/47 season. Although Blackpool sit in the top half of the table, they have the poorest home record in the Premier League. The Seasiders have claimed only eight of their 22 points at Bloomfield Road, albeit they have played three home games fewer than many of their rivals. In contrast, Liverpool's weakness has been their away form, the Reds having lost six of their nine league games on the road. Owner John W Henry recently gave his backing to manager Roy Hodgson, although the American admits results in 2010 have been "unacceptable". MATCH FACTS Head-to-head • Blackpool are unbeaten in their last four games against Liverpool, winning two of those matches. • However, it is 56 years since the Reds' last defeat at Bloomfield Road (a 3-0 top-flight loss in 1954). They are unbeaten in their last six games at Blackpool, winning five of those matches. Blackpool • They have scored six goals from outside the penalty area, more than any other side in the top flight. • The Seasiders' only defeat in their last seven matches was when they made 10 changes to the starting line-up at Aston Villa (W3, D3, L1). • Blackpool have allowed their opponents 106 shots on target this season, the highest figure in the Premier League. Liverpool • The Reds have claimed only five of their 22 Premier League points away from Anfield. Only three top-flight clubs (Aston Villa, West Ham and Wolves) have poorer records. • The last time Liverpool won a Premier League match in which they conceded the opening goal was 3-2 at Bolton in August 2009. • Goalkeeper Pepe Reina is set to make his 200th Premier League appearance. • Roy Hodgson has won only one of his last 27 away games as a Premier League manager (including 18 as Fulham boss). LEADING GOALSCORERS Blackpool Harewood & Varney: 5 goals (5 league); Adam: 4 goals (3 league) Liverpool Ngog: 8 goals (2 league); Gerrard: 7 goals (3 league) MATCH OFFICIALS Referee: Michael Oliver Assistant referees: Mick McDonough & David Richardson Fourth official: Oliver Langford LAST LEAGUE MATCH LINE-UPS Blackpool (W1-0 v Stoke, a): Kingson, Eardley, Cathcart, Evatt, Crainey, Grandin (Phillips 80), Adam, Vaughan, Taylor-Fletcher, Campbell, Varney. Subs not used: Halstead, Carney, Southern, Ormerod, Euell, Edwards. Liverpool (L1-3 v Newcastle, a): Reina, Johnson, Kyrgiakos, Skrtel, Konchesky, Kuyt, Meireles, Lucas, Rodriguez (Jovanovic 85), Torres, Ngog (Babel 72). Subs not used: Jones, Aurelio, Cole, Poulsen, Kelly. Blackpool boss Ian Holloway has vowed the club will not being doing anything "crazy" to persuade players to stay at Bloomfield Road. Among the members of Holloway's squad who are out of contract in the summer are midfielder David Vaughan and goalkeeper Matt Gilks. The manager is keen for the pair to sign new deals but has stressed that no agreement with any player will be allowed to threaten the club's current structure."What we have to do is run the club efficiently and successfully for the fans, for the future," Holloway told the Blackpool Gazette."I had a phone call the other day from an agent I've got two players with. Neither of them is playing at the moment, but he was very nice to me, talking about their future and what they might want."If they had longer contracts, like their agent wanted them to have, they could be moaning now, and they could be causing all sorts of trouble because they're not being picked."If that was the case, I might have a mutiny on my hands, like some managers have. But I haven't got that, because I have the power."My chairman (Karl Oyston) very cleverly gives me that, because he holds out for what he wants and he isn't going to change."Takes the likes of David Vaughan and Matt Gilks, both out of contract at the end of the season. We have made them offers and we want them to stay."But are we going to go crazy? No, because if we push it for one or two, we will have to do it for them all eventually, and that is something my chairman won't do.

Source: FOOTYMAD