A busy deadline day to cap off a hectic transfer window: Matt Scrafton gives his verdict on Blackpool's summer business

Keshi Anderson was the first man through the door on July 1, which feels like a lifetime ago now.

He was soon followed by Marvin Ekpiteta and Oliver Sarkic, all three arriving on free transfers - highlighting the impressive work the club’s hierarchy had done during the lockdown period, having been kept off furlough, to identify talented out-of-contracted players.

At the same time, head coach Neil Critchley was ruthlessly going about his business of re-shaping Blackpool’s squad - releasing nine players in total.

Among those to depart on free transfers were last season’s top goalscorer Armand Gnanduillet and club captain Jay Spearing, who both opted to move on despite being offered new terms.

With the likes of Ryan Edwards, Nathan Delfouneso and Liam Feeney also departing this summer, the Seasiders lost a large chunk of decent experience from their ranks.

Nevertheless, Simon Sadler laid down a marker on July 21 when he paid fees for both Jerry Yates and CJ Hamilton, who arrived from Rotherham United and Mansfield Town respectively.

It was at this point that Pool’s League One rivals, many of them struggling to navigate the financially crippling effects of the coronavirus, began to sit up and take notice of the Seasiders’ ambitious summer business.

While Ethan Robson, the next man in, was a free transfer, his acquisition was another deal that turned heads, the Seasiders seeing off competition from a number of other clubs to seal his signature.

The next two through the door, MJ Williams and Alex Fojticek, strengthened Blackpool’s squad rather than bolstering their first XI, a necessary move given the sheer number of individuals moved on from the end of last season.

With Delfouneso out of the door and Feeney on his way out, the Seasiders needed to bolster their forward options. They did exactly that on the first day of September, bringing in the talented but raw Bez Lubala for an undisclosed fee from Crawley Town.

With James Husband being utilised as a centre-back during pre-season, and Calum Macdonald making a surprise loan move to Tranmere Rovers, Critchley moved quickly to bring in two more attacking, more direct left-backs in Demetri Mitchell and Luke Garbutt.

Mitchell had previously been training with Sunderland, who had also come close to sealing a move from Garbutt - who was also wanted by Ipswich Town - only to have their transfer plans thrown up in the air as a result of the introduction of the salary cap.

Despite a flurry of summer activity, it soon became abundantly clear that Blackpool were severely lacking in the centre of defence.

Despite being linked with a host of names, Critchley initially remained patient before bringing in two names on the same day in the form of Dan Ballard and Daniel Gretarsson, who we’ve yet to see in tangerine but should bring added quality and leadership.

Ballard was the club’s third loan signing, following in the footsteps of Dan Kemp and Jordan Gabriel who have had mixed success since joining from West Ham and Nottingham Forest respectively - although it’s still early days.

What has been a surprise is how cold-blooded Critchley has been in terms of moving players on. Don’t be fooled by his calm and cool demeanour, he’s someone that takes no prisoners when the situation requires it.

Added to the likes of Macdonald, Edwards, Feeney, Delfouneso and co, Joe Nuttall, Ryan Hardie, Michael Nottingham and Ben Garrity also found this out to their cost after being told game time would be limited at Bloomfield Road.

The transfer saga that rumbled on for far too long during this window was that of Jamie Devitt. From the start I had my suspicions it would come down to the final day and so it proved.

It benefitted neither party having Devitt stick around, collecting his pay packet while never seeing a minute of action. Thankfully all sides came to an agreement and the midfielder, who has still yet to make a competitive appearance for the club, made the loan switch to League Two side Newport County.

On a side note, Devitt becomes the eighth of last summer’s nine permanent to have already left the club - a sure sign of the major upheaval at Bloomfield Road in recent months. For those interested, Sullay Kaikai is the one that has stuck around.

Given Blackpool’s hectic transfer window up to this point, it was only fitting that the deadline would pass in busy style.

Ben Woodburn was the first of two deadline day arrivals, the Liverpool and Wales star arriving on loan until January.

The 21-year-old is a classy operator, but he’s been troubled by foot injuries in recent times and needs to get regular game time to prove his quality. Hopefully he can get it at Blackpool.

Where Woodburn will feature in the side remains to be seen. He’s normally a number 10 or a player that likes to drift in from the wings, so not the out-and-out number nine that a lot of fans were screaming out for.

He also featured in midfield for Oxford United last season and by all accounts performed well, so he’s another that brings flexibility and versatility - another key theme of Blackpool’s summer recruitment.

Blackpool’s business was finally wrapped up with the addition of Kenny Dougall, an experienced operator who likes to break up play and control the game from the middle of the park, which is exactly what the Seasiders were crying out for.

With a lot of youngsters in the team - the average age of the squad is now just 23.8 - a calm head among the sea of youthful exuberance was badly needed.

In total, Pool finished the window by welcoming 17 new arrivals and moving on a further 21 players, a quite simply staggering turnaround in personnel. Dougall being the last - but not least - to step onto the Magic Roundabout.

Is it too much, too soon? We simply don’t know, it’s too early to tell. The success of this window will only be gauged later on into the campaign.

It’s clear Critchley wanted to stamp his own authority on this squad and bring in players, most of them in their early 20s, that were capable of playing his high tempo, high pressing and high intensity style.

He’ll need time to bring everything together but, after losing four of his opening five games, results need to come sooner rather than later.

But once again Blackpool have been backed to the hilt by their owner, who appears to be hell-bent on doing whatever it takes to get the club out of League One.