Lincoln City boss Michael Appleton expecting Blackpool to challenge at right end of League One table despite slow start

Lincoln City boss Michael Appleton still expects Blackpool to be challenging at the top end of the table come the end of the season despite their slow start.
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Former Everton and Ipswich Town man Luke Garbutt makes first Blackpool appearanc...

Appleton brings his Lincoln side to Bloomfield Road on Saturday with the Imps looking to win their fourth game on the spin.

Blackpool, meanwhile, will be aiming to get back to winning ways after losing 2-0 at Gillingham last week, their second defeat of the league campaign.

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Despite the mixed start, Appleton - who briefly managed the Seasiders during the 2012/13 season - expects Neil Critchley’s side to come strong sooner or later.

“They will be right up there at some point, it will be a very tough game,” he said.

“They have spent some money, that’s been well reported. They have a new manager and there are some relatively new owners at the club.

“When I saw the opening few fixtures, I thought it was a tough start, so if we can come through the next few games in a good position, this will set us up for the season.

Michael Appleton at Bloomfield Road last seasonMichael Appleton at Bloomfield Road last season
Michael Appleton at Bloomfield Road last season
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“Blackpool have a lot of quality in their squad, we will see that over the 46 games this season.

"We will approach the game on Saturday with the same manner we have all our other games this season and we are hoping for the same outcome as our previous league matches.”

There’s been a high turnover of players at Sincil Bank in recent months but they’ve still managed to get off to a flying start, beating Oxford United, MK Dons and Charlton Athletic in their opening three games.

“We will continue to improve,” Appleton said.

“We are nowhere near where we would like to be, and I don’t mean that in a disrespectful way.

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“This is the start and hopefully we will become successful over the next few years, we have a lot of young players who will play their part in that.

“I am delighted with our performances and the results but as a group we are just starting out. It is reward for how hard the lads have worked.

“We will look to continue these performances, but we have a reality that there will be some tough periods throughout the season.”