Blackpool boss expects Pilgrims to progress up League One

Derek Adams’ side have yet to pick up a league win so far this season, having lost four of their opening seven games.

But Plymouth, who finished in seventh position last season, endured a similar start to the campaign last time out.

The Pilgrims found themselves bottom of the table after 14 games, winning just once, but they produced a remarkable turnaround to finish just three points off the play-offs.

McPhillips expects a similar thing to happen this year and believes there is too much quality in their side to remain in the bottom four.

“Plymouth is a big club and it’s a long way away, but we’re expecting a tough game,” he said.

“I know a few of the guys there so I know it’s going to be a tough game, there’s no doubt about that. We had already started planning for it straight after Saturday’s game.

“I think they’re all tough games in this league.

“But it will be about what we do. We need to get better when we’re on top. When it’s 0-0 we need to score the first and second goals and getting ourselves in the lead.

“I know they started slowly last year and finished very strong. I know their squad and I know a few of their players personally and I don’t think they will stay down there with the players they have got.

“They’ve got a good manager, it’s a big club with a big crowd and I think they will rise up the table – but hopefully that doesn’t start on Saturday.”

Despite failing to produce a league win so far this season, Adams is confident that particular statistic is just an anomaly.

He said: “We’ll be fine this season, we’ll be in a good position. We’ve got a very good squad and we’ll be pushing on.

“We just need to get the wins together and we’ll get that if we play as we did last weekend at Bristol Rovers for the next 39 games; we’ll be in a very good position.”