Birmingham City out to break away hoodoo at Blackpool

Birmingham City have endured a poor season so far and they dropped to second bottom of the Premier League following their home defeat to Arsenal on New Years Day.

Their home form has contributed 14 of their 19 points accumulated in the campaign and the Blues record on the road, being the only team without a victory away from home in the Premier League, has been a major factor in their struggles.

Birmingham travel on Tuesday night to face a Blackpool side who will just be happy to be playing in front of their home fans. The Tangerines last played at Bloomfield Road on November 20th, however this has not stopped their scintillating form as they have taken seven points from a possible 12 in four consecutive games on the road and are priced at 13/10 to keep all three points on the seaside.

Brum boss Alex McLeish could take some solace from the fact the statistics show Blackpool are better on their travels, as they have won only two of six games at Bloomfield Road and have yet to keep a clean sheet at home in the Premier League so far.

Birmingham go into this game with a poor record showing only one win in their last ten league matches, while they have also only kept two clean sheets in 18 games.

With five draws from their nine fixtures on the road McLeish knows his side need to convert more draws into wins if they want to climb away from the Premier League relegation zone. The Blues are 13/5 to win on Tuesday night, while bookmakers see them at 9/4 to get yet another draw on the road.

The away side will definitely be without midfielder Lee Bowyer, as the volatile star begins a three-match ban after the FA found him guilty of violent conduct for stamping on Bacary Sagna during the Arsenal defeat.

McLeish could give a start to on-loan midfielder Alexander Hleb as he looks to add some invention to his struggling team. The former Arsenal man has not started a game since November through injury, but has been named on the bench for the last two matches and could give Brum some added goal threat if he starts.

Blackpool boss Ian Holloway, whose side has scored in all their games at Bloomfield Road so far this season, will be without David Carney after he was called up to the Australia squad for the Asian Cup. Elliot Grandin faces a race to be fit after missing the last game with a hamstring strain, while Matt Gilks, Chris Basham, Billy Clarke Marlon Harewood and Louis Almond are all still out.

The travelling defence will have to keep an eye on the dangerous DJ Campell though, as he scored twice against Sunderland on December 28th and is 6/1 to get the first goal in this game.

Both teams know a win in this game could catapult them up the table as the Premier League is so tight this season. It is especially tight at the bottom and Birmingham will be looking to break their away duck as McLeish's side could jump six places to 13th if they get a good win at Bloomfield Road.