For the first time in just under a month, Wycombe Wanderers will host a League One match at home and during that period, things have been looking up for the Chairboys.

Matt Bloomfield’s side have greatly improved since the opening back-to-back defeats against Exeter City and Lincoln City respectively, with 10 points gained from their last 12 available.

Blackpool on the other hand are hoping for an immediate return to the Championship following their relegation in May, and with the Tangerines losing just one of their opening six games, who knows what Saturday’s fixture could entail.

The lowdown on Wanderers

The international break may have come at the worst time for Wycombe following a resurgence in results that has made them one of the inform teams in the league.

Wanderers are unbeaten in their last four games in which they have won three and drawn one.

This includes impressive two away wins at a stubborn Bristol Rovers side, which was the club’s first competitive win on a Saturday since February, which was then followed up with a 1-0 victory at newly-promoted Northampton Town.

It’s fair to say that despite the win in the latter, the Chairboys were largely second best so with no game last week due to internationals, manager Matt Bloomfield admitted that he used the time to sit down and analyse the season as a whole.

One negative going into this week’s fixture is Wycombe’s injury list as Jack Grimmer, Joe Jacobson, Dale Taylor, Ryan Tafazolli and Jason McCarthy are all expected to miss out.

Lowdown on Blackpool

Since Blackpool’s promotion to the Premier League in 2010, they have become one of England’s most prominent yo-yo teams.

They were immediately relegated back down to the Championship in 2011 before suffering back-to-back demotions in 2015 and 2016 respectively.

Within five years, they went from the topflight to the bottom tier of the 92, albeit, the club were in the midst of several backroom problems that led to players not getting paid.

Blackpool did achieve an immediate return to League One with victory in the 2017 play-off final, before getting promoted again four years later.

Two seasons in the Championship followed before they dropped down to League One in May, and so far this season, it has been a mixed start.

They are one of five teams to lose just once in the league this campaign, but have drawn three of their opening six matches, winning twice.

This includes three consecutive 0-0 draws and only scoring four times in the division since the opening day.

Head-2-Head

Games: 25

Wycombe wins: Six

Draws: 12

Blackpool wins: Seven

Last five meetings

2019/20 season: Wycombe Wanderers 2-1 Blackpool

2019/20 season: Blackpool 1-1 Wycombe Wanderers

2018/2019 season: Blackpool 2-2 Wycombe Wanderers

2018/2019 season: Wycombe Wanderers 0-0 Blackpool

2016/17 season: Wycombe Wanderers 0-0 Blackpool

The man in the middle

The referee for today’s game is Neil Hair.

He has also taken charge of one game so far this season which was in Gillingham’s 1-0 win over Harrogate Town last weekend, where he showed four yellow cards.

He has taken charge of six competitive Wycombe games in his career, in which the Chairboys have won three times, lost twice and drawn once.

That one draw was the 5-5 thriller against Cheltenham in February 2022.

His assistants are Stuart Kane and Richard Morris whilst the fourth official is Jake Topp.

Miscellaneous 

  • If David Wheeler scores this afternoon, it will be his 100th goal of his professional career - 16 have been for Wycombe
  • Wycombe are unbeaten in their last seven against seven against Blackpool which includes six draws
  • After the 2003/04 season, which was the year Wanderers were relegated to the fourth tier, the two sides wouldn't meet again until 2016
  • Incredibly, 16 clean sheets have been kept for both sides across the 25 fixtures that have been played
  • This includes three 0-0 draws between 2016 and 2018