Blackpool boss sends warning to Sheffield United and Sunderland as ex-Sheffield Wednesday man misses out v Blades

The Seasiders registered their third successive draw at Hull City on Boxing Day, despite being reduced to 10 men when former Wednesday man Jordan Thorniley was shown a straight red card, having lost four games on the spin before that.

They go into the game 22nd in the Championship table, against a Blades side second and with seven wins in their last eight games. But Appleton is not too concerned about his side’s form, pointing to their performances of late.

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“You wouldn’t have thought that [no wins in seven] having watched the players play, and that’s the big thing,” the Blackpool boss told our sister paper, The Gazette.

“The reality is that you can go on winless runs. But for me, the performances and reaction of the players is the big thing.

“Luckily from my point of view, we couldn’t have run any harder, worked any harder, defended any better at times - apart from [Hull’s] goal - than what we have done. Certainly when we went down to 10 men.

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“We don’t worry about that in terms of numbers. We just focus on the next game and we’ve got an opportunity against Sheffield United and Sunderland at home, in front of our fans, to have a right go at two teams who are in a good place at the minute.”

Former Owl Thorniley will miss out against United after being sent off at Hull.

Big Berge decision pending for Blades after verdict on his display v Coventry