Pearson Eyes Return To Winning Ways

And the Foxes boss has challenged his side to put Tuesday’s League Cup setback against Burton behind them, while rediscovering some of their early-season promise.

Points may not have been plentiful for Pearson’s team in the campaign’s opening three fixtures, with the home win over Peterborough United their only Championship success to date.

But displays in the second-half of their 2-1 defeat at Charlton and throughout the narrow loss at Blackburn were extremely encouraging, and it is that standard Pearson thinks can topple the table-topping Seasiders.

“We’re playing against a side currently at the top that have started the season very well and our level of performance needs to be what it was prior to the midweek game,” Pearson said.

“If we can get that type of performance on a regular basis we will win games. That’s the benchmark performance we’re looking for and we also have to turn those performances into results.

“The focus for this weekend is to win this game. We’ve got to get our minds fully on this game and getting the performance and result we want.

“Hopefully it’ll be a big crowd on Saturday and it’s important for us to get back to winning ways.”

Ian Holloway’s Blackpool have been extremely impressive in the season’s opening fortnight, picking up three wins from three games with the kind of exciting, attacking football Holloway’s teams have become renowned for.

“They have had a settled side, but they have one or two options in certain areas,” Pearson said of Saturday’s opponents.

“Whichever way they line up against us they’ll play the same style of football and those players that do face us will be well-versed in how to make it work.

“Ian’s teams have played the same style for a long time. Their main strengths are the way they attack, we have to deal with that and make sure we exploit their weaknesses.

“They’ll be looking at it in a similar way in terms of knowing and respecting our strengths and trying to exploit what they perceive to be our weaknesses.

“Both teams will be trying to win the game and I think that’s a good prospect for any neutral.”