Palace v Blackpool

Selhurst Park, Saturday 3.00pm

Ian Holloway

Team news

Crystal Palace manager Ian Holloway has a clean bill of health in his squad as he faces his former team. Only medium-term injured duo captain Paddy McCarthy and midfielder Jonathan Williams (both groin) are out.

Blackpool's veteran striker Kevin Phillips may play a part after being rested. Gary Taylor-Fletcher, winger Matt Phillips (toe) and defender Ian Evatt (knee) all remain injured.

Quotes

Michael Appleton

“Honestly, I can look you in the eye and tell you that facing Holloway means nothing more to me than any other game. It’s just three points, and if we get three points I’ll be delighted, no matter who it’s against.

“Ian Holloway being manager changes nothing for me at all. It’s not Ian we have to beat on the day – it’s the players he puts on the field. From a fans’ point of view, they will be desperate for the players to do well and I’m sure there will be a bit of extra spice to the atmosphere.

“But we know what their strengths and weaknesses are, and we’ll try to open up their weaknesses and nullify their threats. Everyone else is going to play the game up more than a normal game between Palace and Blackpool.

“It’s a big, big game in terms of us going down there and keeping our unbeaten record going. They are up there near the top and deservedly so.“They have a lot of talent, especially out wide, that needs nullifying if we can. But come Monday morning, that result will be out of my head and I’ll be concentrating on Blackburn.

“As a manager you don’t get to enjoy success too much. You’ll enjoy a result for about an hour after a game, then thoughts turn to the next game. I can honestly say that on the bus home from London we’ll always be talking about Blackburn.”

Eagles assistant manager Keith Millen

"We gave the lads an extra day of rest on Monday after a lot of travelling recently, but the important thing from my point of view is, because we haven't changed the team very often on the back of doing so well, the fringe players start missing out on game-time," he told Advertiser Sport.

"We need to make sure they're really fit and ready for when their chance comes, because in the Christmas period coming up you're going to need the whole squad to be match-fit.

"Quite often when you've had a lot of travelling, the subs have been there and you want to look after them, so we just want to make sure their fitness levels are topped up.

"We've just got to monitor each individual as to who needs a rest and who needs extra work, but they understand that and the reasons why. They have got to be ready when their chance comes."

Yannick Bolasie

"The Brighton game was my best performance for Crystal Palace. I am playing regularly and that is all I ever wanted to do and Palace have given me the chance to play and I am returning the favour by showing people what I can do.

“The goals will come, I am not stressing about that. Ian Holloway likes his wingers and you’ll find that they score goals in his teams.

“There is a great atmosphere in the dressing room, everyone is really buzzing. But we’re wise enough to keep our feet on the ground. Yes, we’re top at the moment, but anything can happen.

“Direct is my style, but I have watched Wilf a few times so I occasionally dwell on the ball. he attracts a lot of players so I get a lot of space, which is only going to help me and the team. But playing with him is great, he’s mercurial, Wilf is Wilf.

“I might start getting the heavy attention he gets, and a lot of people underestimate the strength that I have because I am quite slim, but they get a shock out on the pitch.

"We always go game by game and keep our feet on the ground and see what happens because not everything always goes your way.

“The players are confident, but we’re level-headed. We’re keeping our feet on the ground and whatever we do, we do as team.”

Blackpool - league stats

Full league table

Blackpool - current form

Full form table

Last five results

Date	Type	Home Team	Score	Away Team
21/01/2012	League	Blackpool	2 - 1	Crystal Palace
27/08/2011	League	Crystal Palace	1 - 1	Blackpool
20/03/2010	League	Blackpool	2 - 2	Crystal Palace
03/10/2009	League	Crystal Palace	4 - 1	Blackpool
31/01/2009	League	Crystal Palace	0 - 1	Blackpool

All time results

Last meeting

Blackpool 2-1 Palace

Saturday January 21 2012

Blackpool: Gilks, Crainey, Evatt, Baptiste, Cathcart, Basham 61), Sylvestre (K Phillips 62), Ferguson, Phillips, Fleck (Grandin 62), Taylor-Fletcher, Ince

Subs not used: Howard, Wilson

Goals: Grandin 85, Basham 90

Palace: Price, Wright, Parsons, McShane, Egan, Dumbuya, Garvan (Marrow 81), Cadogan, O'Keefe, Sekajja (De Silva 77), Andrew (Iversen 87)

Subs not used: Fitzsimons, Pedroza

Goals: Garvan (27,pen)

Bookings: Marrow

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