Blackpool have a mouth-watering run of games to look forward to, but Lancashire derbies must wait for now

With back-to-back Lancashire derbies in the space of five days right on the horizon, it’s only natural excitement is beginning to build among the fanbase.

But up first is a mouth-watering home clash against a buoyant Forest side, who will be backed by around 3,300 fans by the seaside.

Perhaps it’s the anticipation of not having a game for two-and-a-half weeks, but I’ve got a feeling this game could be an absolute cracker.

It goes without saying games between these two sides tend to be entertaining and high-scoring affairs - 39 goals have been scored in the last 12 meetings at a rate of 3.25 goals per game. Only once have we seen a goalless draw during that run.

The fact that Blackpool have absolutely nothing to lose between now and the end of the season and can throw caution to the word should only heighten the chances of it being an end-to-end affair.

With it being an early kick-off, the Seasiders have a priceless chance to get a win on the board and apply some pressure to those teams ahead of them. A victory would cut the gap to the top six to six points ahead of the 3pm kick-offs.

Those of us on the outside can say the pressure is off for Blackpool, but I’m sure internally Neil Critchley and his staff won’t be saying that. They won’t want complacency to creep in and they’ll want to ensure everyone is at their absolute maximum.

If Blackpool are serious about launching a late play-off challenge, their margin for error between now and May is absolutely miniscule. They must pick up at least five or six points from their next three games just to keep themselves in the equation.

Realistically speaking, we all know it’s unlikely but while it’s still a possibility, why not dare to dream? If there’s a side that historically has been capable of putting a run together at the back end of a season, it’s Blackpool.

If they still fall short and finish in let’s say 13th, their current position, then nothing has been lost and it’s still been an excellent first season back in the Championship.

While the last two-and-a-half weeks have dragged and felt like a lifetime at times - seriously, I barely remember the Sheffield United game - the time away will hopefully have helped recharge the batteries.

It was good to see some of the players posting pictures and videos on their social media pages - most noticeably Jordan Thorniley soaking up the history of Rome and the Trevi Fountain while CJ Hamilton opted for Dubai.

It’s important to switch off at times. Football in the EFL can be absolutely relentless and there’s no better example of that than this month, when Blackpool play eight games. Compare that to March, when they only had three.

The time off should also help ease the club’s injury list, which was still frustratingly extensive before the international break.

The likes of Chris Maxwell, Richard Keogh and Keshi Anderson should all be close to making their return.

Jordan Gabriel, Luke Garbutt and even Matty Virtue shouldn’t be a million miles away now either, although we won’t get official confirmation of that until later today when Critchley holds his pre-match press conference.

Just a quick word on Maxi, I can only imagine he’s busting a gut to put himself in contention for Tuesday night’s trip to Deepdale.

I know first hand how much he was looking forward to renewing his acquaintance with his former club once Blackpool clinched their promotion from League One last season.

Unfortunately he missed the initial fixture at Bloomfield Road in October having suffered his first quad injury of the season only three weeks earlier in the win against Blackburn.

For the 31-year-old to miss both derbies would be a cruel blow, but unfortunately in football there’s no room for sentiment and you can’t justify dropping Dan Grimshaw given how well he’s done since taking over in Maxwell’s absence.

What a major boost it would be to have Keshi Anderson back involved though.

The Seasiders have done incredibly well to perform as well as they have in Keshi’s absence given how influential the winger was during the first part of the season.

The 26-year-old brings something different from the wing, a cuteness to his play and an intelligence to break in-between the lines and see the forward run of his teammates.

In some games that might be exactly what Blackpool will require, while in others the sheer unadulterated pace of CJ Hamilton may be favoured.

But what a time in the season to have that choice, eh? And that’s without mentioning Owen Dale and Charlie Kirk, too, who have both contributed at times this season, albeit in smaller sample sizes.

One can only imagine where Blackpool would be in the table had they had the luxury of this choice for the majority of the season, but that's just the way football goes.

A final word on Kenny Dougall, who should remain fresh having played a grand total of zero minutes during Australia’s two World Cup qualifiers in Sydney and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia respectively.

Jet-lag aside, you’d imagine the midfielder should be fine to continue in the middle of the park on Saturday but again, it’s a far from ideal situation for the 28-year-old.