Christmas Day journey frustrates Seasiders' defender

Blackpool defender Andy Taylor admits travelling to Hartlepool on Christmas Day in preparation for their Boxing Day fixture is 'far from ideal'.
Pool defender Andy TaylorPool defender Andy Taylor
Pool defender Andy Taylor

The Pool squad will be given the chance to spend time with their families on Christmas morning, but will be setting off for the North East later on during the day.

Taylor, who signed for the Seasiders following his release from Walsall during the summer, accepts it is just part and parcel of the job.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He said: “It’s a tough time of year because obviously you want to be at home with your family, but it’s just one of those things.

“I’ve been doing it for years now and it’s just something you accept.

“Obviously Hartlepool is a long way away so we can’t be doing that on the day, so we go up the night before.

“If it wasn’t Christmas Day you wouldn’t think anything of it.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Obviously the main thing is to make it worthwhile and to come back down the motorway with the three points.”

Blackpool face three games in the space of eight days during the busy festive period, with a trip to Grimsby coming up after the Hartlepool game before starting the New Year with a home game against Mansfield Town.

And Taylor believes it presents the team with a perfect opportunity to get back into the League Two play-off spots after losing 2-0 to Luton Town last time out.

He said: “It’s obviously a busy part of the year football wise, but it’s perfect for us because we’re obviously disappointed with how it went against Luton last week.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“It wasn’t the result we wanted against a team we are competing with to get promotion.

“But there’s plenty of games coming up fast and lots of opportunities to bounce back.”

The 30-year-old is confident Pool’s strength in depth will shine through and predicts a number of fringe players will get their chance to shine.

“I think we’ve shown when we’re on our game, there aren’t many teams that can compete with us,” he added.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We’re focusing on ourselves because we know what we’ve got in the changing room and we know what potential we’ve got.

“There’s nine points up for grabs so if we can get a good return out of that, we will shoot right back up there again.

“Every player prefers playing games than training, but this is where the squad comes into it because I doubt the team that starts against Hartlepool will be the same as the one that finishes the game against Mansfield.

“There’s going to be people coming in and out purely because of the games coming thick and fast.

“I can’t emphasise enough how much it’s going to be a squad game.”