Blackpool look to push on

Blackpool seem to have adapted to life in the Premier League admirably, but they still find themselves just a couple of points clear of the relegation zone. Although this is far better than many expected when the Seasiders were promoted via the play-offs last season, they remain in a precarious position if they truly want to make their stay in the top tier of English football last longer than one season. The football odds still make them favourites to go down, but they've given themselves a fighting chance.

They have a number of things working in their favour of course. As well their mercurial manager, Ian Holloway, who is perhaps teaching his fellow managers a thing or two about squad rotation after wholesale changes to his line-up for the matches against Aston Villa and West Ham, games which resulted in a narrow 3-2 loss and a hard-earned point respectively, they have also learned the most important lesson of Premier League survival: don’t concede too many goals.

From their 13 games, they have conceded a total of 26 goals, a feat which seems poor on paper. However, when you take into account that they let in half of that total in just three games (against Chelsea, Arsenal and Man City), it starts to look far more respectable. After all, it doesn't matter if you lose by one or by six, they're both worth the same number of points at the end of the season and the Premier League tips reflect this.

And if defending is a team game, they also have a number of individuals to thank for their current league position. Marlon Harewood has contributed valuable goals. Charlie Adam will surely have attracted the eye of a number of established Premier League teams, and Matt Gilks, who was plying his trade in League Two for Shrewsbury just two years ago, has been a revelation and will be missed until he returns from his knee injury.

However, much hinges on their next game, at home against Wolves, if they are to push on from where they stand towards that 40 point mark, as it's a safe assumption that both teams will probably finish this season within spitting distance of one another. Forget the illuminations, this one's going to be far more exciting display.