WATFORD will be out to prove that their recent winning streak at Vicarage Road wasn`t just a blip as they host a Blackpool side in freefall on Saturday.
A flying start to the Championship season saw Paul Ince`s side find themselves in the automatic promotion places for five of the first six weeks of the campaign against all odds, before injuries and suspensions took their toll, with the Seasiders now winless since the end of November.
Ten days before the end of the January transfer window, Blackpool and Ince parted company after days of speculation that the former MK Dons, Notts County, Blackburn and Macclesfield boss would be relieved of his duties.
Veteran midfielder and club captain Barry Ferguson has since taken on the role of interim player-manager as the search begins for another new boss at Bloomfield Road.
Winless in his six games since taking over, Ferguson has inherited a side whose confidence is at rock-bottom following a run of four points – all draws – from the last 45 available.
Tom Ince – one of the few causes for optimism this season – left the club during the January transfer window after being linked with a move away from Bloomfield Road for the past couple of transfer windows. A grand tour of the Premier League clubs in the bottom-half of the table resulted in a loan move to Crystal Palace until the end of the season with a view to a permanent move when his contract expires this June, meaning the Tangerines will only picked up a loan fee plus compensation for the winger, who could have joined Cardiff City for £8m last summer.
Ferguson was able to bolster his paper-thin squad late in the window, with Faris Haroun and Elliot Grandin joining on free transfers – Grandin for his second spell at the club – and Tony McMahon signing from Sheffield United; Bob Harris moving in the opposite direction. Loan deals were also agreed for Millwall`s Andy Keogh, Middlesbrough`s Andy Halliday, Blackburn`s David Goodwillie and Crystal Palace`s Stephen Dobbie, who joined the Seasiders for the fourth time on loan.
With three forwards arriving on loan in the final week of the transfer window, it`s clear that the big task for Ferguson in the coming weeks will be replacing the goals of Ince Jnr. The winger might only have scored seven this season in an injury-plagued season, but he was the club`s top-scorer and the talisman to which the supporters all looked when in need of some magic.
Six strikers were signed in the summer – Nathan Delfouneso (loan), Michael Chopra, Ricardo Fuller, Nathan Tyson, Bobby Grant and Steven Davies – but between them they`ve managed just seven goals in 43 starts.
Republic of Ireland striker Keogh has made a bright start to life with the Seasiders, scoring twice in his first three starts following his loan move from Millwall.
Regarded as a key man for the Lions last season, the Leeds United trainee has found himself out of the picture at The Den this season, with just six Championship starts in the first half of the season under Steve Lomas and Ian Holloway.
An energetic, live-wire forward, Keogh has two international goals to his name and is the holder of 30 full Ireland caps.
In order to boost their attacking options further, Blackpool had been taking a close look at USA international and former wonderkid, Freddy Adu. The youngest athlete ever to sign a professional contract in the States, aged 14, a contract offer for Adu has not materialised though.
Blackpool have today (Wednesday) added a further loanee to their ranks, with Wolverhampton Wanderers` former Luton Town full-back Kevin Foley agreeing a month-long move to the north west.
The signing of Foley will provide Ferguson with a boost at the back, with McMahon (two games) and Liverpool loanee Jack Robinson (three games following his third red of the season) both suspended, meaning Foley should come straight into the starting XI.
Other than enforced changes, Ferguson will likely keep the same XI that lost to Birmingham City last time out.
Beppe Sannino is without Almen Abdi, Joel Ekstrand and Samba Diakite (both suspension).
Lewis McGugan had been due to return to training on Monday, so an update on his availability will be due, along with one on Fernando Forestieri. If Forestieri isn`t fit, it will be a straight choice between Mathias Ranegie and Park Ju-Young up front alongside Troy Deeney.
Predicted Blackpool XI: Gilks; Foley, MacKenzie, Broadfoot, Halliday; Angel; Haroun, Dobbie; Perkins; Keogh & Davies.
Kick-off: 15.00
Referee: Mr J Linnington
Commentary: BBC Three Counties & Hornets Player
Highlights: BBC1 @ 23.45 & Hornets Player.
