Blackpool will like that form goes out the window in derbies with Preston North End next up

The Seasiders have tumbled closer and closer to relegation over the last few months, even after changing their head coach.

Former PNE man Michael Appleton was put in charge at the start of the season, after Neil Critchley left Bloomfield Road to be assistant to Steven Gerrard at Aston Villa, but was sacked after a long winless run with Blackpool in 23rd in the league.

Three months later, not much has changed. Since Mick McCarthy’s appointment Blackpool have two wins from his 11 games in the Championship, with three draws – and a defeat in the FA Cup.

Results will not be easy to come by for any manager taking over a struggling side in the Championship but the manner of some defeats will be cause for concern, in five of their six defeats under McCarthy Blackpool have been by two or more goals.

Their last two games ended 6-1 and 4-1 – a win against fellow strugglers QPR and a heavy loss to Coventry City.

Still, with form out of the window, there’s a huge risk-reward element about Saturday’s game for Blackpool. They have their previous win over PNE to draw on, having been victorious 4-2 on the Fylde coast in October, and another victory would be historic with a double over their arch rivals. But should they lose, things are levelled up – as they were last season – and a defeat is another nail in the coffin for a side who could well be playing in League One next season.

They’re four points from safety as things stand, though 21st placed Cardiff City do have a game in hand, so a defeat in the grand scheme of things is not catastrophic for the Seasiders, though there will of course be the concession of the bragging rights.

Keeping the back door shut will go a long way to securing a result for Blackpool, with QPR and bottom club Wigan Athletic the only sides to have conceded more goals than them in the Championship this season.

The visitors will be hoping that Jerry Yates' return to form continues, after he's scored in back to back games. They were heavy defeats but goals are goals and the no.9 was once top scorer in the division, and scored twice in the reverse fixture. His 11 goals so far this season is the best amongst the Blackpool squad. Yates is coming off the back of a run of just one goal in 20 games, in the FA Cup, before bagging those two in his last two games.

A strike partner is his, Gary Madine, will not be involved in the game – having scored in the reverse fixture – after suffering a season ending ACL injury.

Elsewhere, McCarthy will be hoping that Josh Bowler is able to provide a bit of spark for his side, after he returned to the club in January. Nottingham Forest bought his services in the summer and immediately loaned him out to Olympiakos, where he barely played. He's back in Lancashire though and Blackpool will be hoping he can help get them out of trouble.