Wycombe v Blackpool preview
Friday 3 August 2018 15:57, UK
Wycombe could hand a second debut to on-loan forward Randell Williams as Blackpool visit Adams Park for a Sky Bet League One opener on Saturday.
Williams spent the second half of last season on loan from Watford and has rejoined the Chairboys following their promotion. New signings Ryan Allsop, Darius Charles and Curtis Thompson will also be pushing for their Wycombe bows.
Manager Gareth Ainsworth will be keen to make a good start on Wycombe’s return to the third-tier following a six-year absence.
Blackpool finished mid-table in League One last season and a big summer recruitment drive has seen the Seasiders add no fewer than 13 new faces. The likes of Michael Nottingham, signed from Salford, and Rangers loanee Joe Dodoo are among those hoping to come into Gary Bowyer’s side.
Striker Armand Gnanduillet could make his comeback having rejoined Blackpool just two months after departing for South African outfit Baroka. The 26-year-old scored five league goals last season before leaving for Baroka but was never registered as a player at the South African Premier Division club due to their foreign player quota being matched.
Opta stats
Wycombe Wanderers are winless in their last nine EFL meetings with Blackpool (D3 L6), last winning back in September 1999 at Bloomfield Road (2-1).
Blackpool have won on four of their last five league visits to Wycombe (D1), scoring 2+ goals in each of those victories (11 goals scored).
Wycombe have only lost on one of their previous 12 occasions when kicking off the new season at home (W5 D6), last tasting defeat to Accrington Stanley at the beginning of the 2007/08 League Two season.
Blackpool will be starting the season on the road for the ninth time in the last 10 seasons, failing to win any of the previous three instances (D1 L2).
Wycombe manager Gareth Ainsworth and Blackpool's Gary Bowyer have met on three previous occasions in all competitions, with each game ending in a draw after 90 minutes - Ainsworth's men eventually progressed in a FL Trophy match 5-4 on penalties.
