Marcus Braddock looks ahead to the weekend trip to Blackpool
With just four short days until Christmas, Shrewsbury Town are off to the seaside to face fifth-placed Blackpool. It's been a pretty good season so far for the Tangerines, who have lost just four times this season in Skybet League One this season. Just like Coventry last weekend, they've drawn quite a few times although much more so away than at home. Of their ten home games this season, the Seasider's have won six, drawn two and lost two, with their most recent home defeat occurring in October when they lost 2-1 to Rotherham at Bloomfield Road. That's also their last defeat in League one, meaning that they're unbeaten in their last seven league games. Recent form has seen Blackpool win three of their last five games and drawing two, scoring 12 times and conceding seven.
Top scorers
Armand Gnanduillet 11 (2)
Sully Kaikai 4 (2)
Nathan Delfouneso 2(3)
Assists
Liam Feeney 9
Sully Kaikai 2
Clean Sheets
Two at home and four away from home.
Referee
Sebastian Stockbridge from Tyne and Wear. Games this season: 20. Yellow cards: 64. Red cards:4.
Squad News
Town midfielder Ollie Norburn will miss the match through suspension.
Neither team has any new injury problems.
Pre-Match Press
Sam Ricketts has been refuting claims by the current Coventry Manager that Town are an overly physical team. The post-match comments were voiced after Coventry's defeat last weekend, a game in which Coventry committed two more fouls than Town.
Simon Grayson has been talking about the importance of squad rotation at this time of year when games are more frequent.
Summary
This will be yet another tough game for Sam Ricketts' team, Blackpool are not in the top five places without good reason. From the stat's you can see that we have two main threats to counter and that's Liam Feeney and Armand Gnanduillet, who get most of Blackpool's assists and goals. It would be a mistake to think that these are their only real strengths. We have first-hand experience of how good Sully Kaikai is from his short spell at Montgomery Waters Meadow. He represents the level of the Blackpool squad, extremely able and equally dangerous. This is another one of those games when a draw would be a decent result and a win would be a great gift, particularly to our away supporters who turn out in all weathers, whatever the time or place.
COYB!!!
Marcus