Blackpool will begin life back in League One on Saturday, when they host Burton Albion in their curtain-raiser.

The Tangerines were relegated from the Championship last term and head into the new campaign with Neil Critchley back at the helm, while their visitors finished 15th in England's third tier last term.

Match preview

Blackpool will begin the new League One season on Saturday following their relegation last term, with Neil Critchley back in charge at Bloomfield Road.

Critchley guided the Tangerines to promotion from England's third tier in the 2020-21 season and a positive first campaign back in the Championship, in which they finished 16th before he departed over the summer.

The Lancashire outfit then experienced a much tougher term last time around, and in a season in which they spent time managed by Michael Appleton, Mick McCarthy and Stephen Dobbie, the Tangerines would be relegated in 23rd place with just 44 points from their 46 outings.

Following that disappointment, Blackpool turned back to their former boss over the summer, and his second spell at Bloomfield Road in pre-season as they recorded victories over Southport and Barrow alongside a defeat to Plymouth Argyle and a draw with Morecambe, before finishing their preparations last Saturday with a 3-0 beating of Hibernian in the last friendly, as Shayne Lavery, Kenneth Dougall and Owen Dale all netted second-half goals at Bloomfield Road.

Now with the aim of making a quick return to the Championship this season, the Tangerines will be keen to kick off the League One campaign with a three-point haul on home turf.

They meet a Burton Albion side heading into their first full season under the management of Dino Maamria, after he took over early last term.

Following the Brewers' dismal start to the 2022-23 season, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink departed in early September, and Maamria stepped up as they sat on just a single point from seven outings.

He was able to inspire a positive turnaround in Staffordshire, as Burton steered well clear of the threat of relegation, eventually finishing 15th with 56 points from their 46 outings and ending with a 1-0 victory at home to Cambridge United and a goalless stalemate against MK Dons.

Following that positive end to the term, the Brewers headed into pre-season with optimism back in the camp, and they began their preparations with a test against Nuneaton Borough, before losing to Burnley and beating Alfreton Town 4-1 and playing out consecutive draws with Crewe Alexandra, Brackley Town and West Bromwich Albion in July.

Maamria's men then finished their preparations with tests against Stoke City and Scunthorpe United, eventually suffering defeats in both, and they will now turn their attention to the new League One term with the aim of kicking on further under Maamria, starting with what would be an impressive result at Bloomfield Road.

Team News

The starting XI from Blackpool's test against Hibernian last weekend could give a good indication of how Neil Critchley could line up the Tangerines in their curtain-raiser this weekend, having seen many departures over the summer including goalkeeper Chris Maxwell, defenders Curtis Nelson, Jordan Thorniley and Luke Garbutt, midfielders Liam Bridcutt and Kevin Stewart and key attackers Jerry Yates and Gary Madine.

They have strengthened with the captures of defender Matthew Pennington and midfielders Albie Morgan and Oliver Norburn, with all three likely to start on Saturday, while Kyle Joseph has also arrived from Swansea City and will be keen to establish himself as a key man up front.

Shayne Lavery and Jake Beesley will likely feature in attack from the outset, while at the other end of the pitch, Pennington should join Marvin Ekpiteta and James Husband in a back three.

The visitors have also seen plenty of change to their squad over the summer, with Craig MacGillivray, Jonny Smith, Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, Conor Shaughnessy and Louis Moult having all departed.

Their ranks have been boosted by transfer business, though, with Jamal Blackman and Max Crocombe arriving and competing to start in net, while defenders Ryan Sweeney, Jasper Moon, Steve Seddon and Jake Caprice have also joined alongside midfielders Rekeem Harper and Kgaogelo Chauke and attackers Mason Bennett and Cole Stockton.

Among the new signings, captain John Brayford will continue to play a key role in defence, while Stockton and Bennett should both start up front.

Blackpool possible starting lineup:
Grimshaw; Pennington, Ekpiteta, Husband; Hamilton, Norburn, Morgan, Dougall, Connolly; Beesley, Lavery

Burton Albion possible starting lineup:
Blackman; Brayford, Hughes, Moon; Caprice, Harper, Oshilaja, Seddon; Carayol, Bennett; Stockton

We say: Blackpool 2-1 Burton Albion

The return to League One will certainly not be straightforward for Blackpool, who have lost several key players over the summer, but we do fancy the Tangerines to get over the line on the opening day at Bloomfield Road against Burton Albion.


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