Town loanee Luke Varney has warned it would be wrong to underestimate Blackpool at Portman Road on Saturday, even if they are already destined for the drop down to League One.

The Blackburn striker, who has scored once in eight league appearances for Town, remembers how he came out on top as a Leeds player at Watford two years ago and helped deny the Hornets promotion to the Premier League.

He recalled: “I’ve been in the situation before where you are made to feel you are just going along to make up the numbers and the game is a formality.

“When I was at Leeds we went to Watford on the very last day of the 2012/13 season. They needed to win to get promoted to the Premier League and it was said we had nothing to play for.

“But we ended up beating them 2-1. Before the game we were saying that no one cared what we were there for and that it was all about Watford.

“We hadn’t won away for something like 16 games but we ran about and beat them. The Championship is a notoriously tough place to get results anyway and unless we apply ourselves properly on Saturday we’ll get stung again like we did at Huddersfield on Easter Monday.”

Blackpool still need two more points to avoid going into the record books as the worst Championship side of all time, a claim that currently belongs to Stockport County after they accumulated just 26 points in finishing bottom of what was known as the Nationwide League Division One 13 years ago.

Varney added: “When I played for Blackpool in the Premier League four years ago we were so blasé, playing attacking football all the time. They will come here and be dangerous, the same as Huddersfield were, and we’ll have to start well and make our presence felt. We can’t afford to take them lightly.

“Our fans have been brilliant and we’ve put in a lot of good performances, especially since I’ve been here. If we do what we should do on the pitch the fans will be behind us.

“We won’t be treating Blackpool any differently to the other sides we have played at home and we’ll be trying to start well and put them under pressure for the first 15 or 20 minutes.

“It will be interesting to see how their mood is towards the game now that they have been relegated. They might give some players a run-out, you just don’t know, but from our point of view we will be going all-out to chalk up another home win.

“I think their fans will give me a good reception. I think they were proud of us as a team when we went into the Premier League and gave it a real go.

“We were on a shoestring budget compared to others and I like to think I have a good rapport with their supporters. When I’ve been back they have applauded me, which has been nice.

“But now it’s all about helping Ipswich into the play-offs. I’m not looking at the points total, just the next two home games because they are so important. We want to get them sorted out before we have a massive game at Wolves.

“Four wins from our last five would be great and it’s definitely something we will be looking at. We’re a point down on what we wanted and if we had nicked one at Huddersfield it would have made a big difference but we can still get that back somewhere along the line.”

Photo: Action Images

GiveusaWave added 06:15 - Apr 10 Don't know why we bother with our usual music at the beginning of matches anymore. Would be much more appropriate to just sound an air raid siren. If Blackpool play with a sweeper we could be in serious trouble. Our hoofballs won't be effective and we may have to end up playing passing football. Predict a 1-0 win from an almighty hoof from Chambers to Murphy who'll steer it in. Appropriate that our symbol is a horse I suppose. Let hoofing commence! Reminds me of that scene in Shaolin Soccer where they just hoof it as high as they can and all run after it. Varneys played well to date.

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christiand added 06:15 - Apr 10 If we can't beat Blackpool at portman road (I'd be happy with any type of win) then we don't deserve to finish in the top 6.
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bluefeast added 07:28 - Apr 10 They will try and frustrate us , it will be tight ,they will create chances ,it will be heart in mouth , but we will win.
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Benters added 07:34 - Apr 10 wtf is this T Dance Advert on here for its doing my nut in !! Score tomoz 6-0 towen innit
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carsey added 08:22 - Apr 10 Another match when we should improve our goal difference but I have said that before so many times this season. If we can't stuff Blackpool we really are struggling for form.
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RaymondovicBlue added 09:30 - Apr 10 It really doesn't matter what Blackpool are playing for - or not ... if we want top 6 by rights we have to do what we didn't against Huddersfield and play well AND positively. They have shown this year why they will be league 1 next year - we have to show why we think we might just possibly, but the slightest chance (sadly that is all we have left) be a Premiership team next year. COME ON YOU BLUES - whether we get promoted or not let's for goodness sake play as if we believe we might !

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thebeat added 09:38 - Apr 10 This is the difference between us and the better sides in this division. All they'd be thinking about is how many they were going to win by. And thats why we've taken a great chance of promotion and thrown it in the bin. Negative thinking, negative team sheets.
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afrodids added 10:31 - Apr 10 surely we should be looking to smash them off the park anything less than a win forget the play offs. Tbh I don't think we are ready or anywhere good enough to be in the PL however would like to see us in the play offs for the experience. Our form off late has been more like relegation form rather than promotion. I'm just glad we didn't get found earlier in the season or we may be facing a different battle. I dislike our style of play in the words of Brian Clough If God had wanted us to play football in the clouds, he'd have put grass up there" not that I believe in god but cloughy had a point. I really hope we win comfortably to give the team confidence going into the remaining games. COYB

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TimmyH added 15:18 - Apr 10 They should be underestimated - they're easily the worst of the division, a team looking to get in the play-offs should see them off by at least a couple of goals - no doubt we'll do it the hard way (if we win that is).
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NorwichBlue138 added 08:44 - Apr 11 MM's constant 'talking up the opposition' has spread to the players now! Blackpool have had nothing to play for since about February - they are easily the worst team in the league, and it was the worst kept secret in football that the club was in turmoil and that they were losing games. Anyone who thinks they'll change their style of play and be 'carefree' now they've gone down is kidding themselves too - they've been practically down for months, so doubt they'll have any different approach. Can't see anything less than 3-0 win today - get Murphy's shooting boots back on with a couple as he's been disappointing for me lately. Anything other than a win today and I won't believe any "we could still do it" "we might beat Wolves" hype. Must win, not only because of the fact we're at the crunch end of the season, but because this is the easiest game of the 46 we'll have this year, whether they're now relegated or not. COYB

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