Blackpool start the new League One season this weekend.

Opinion: The mood around Bloomfield Road should be positive when Blackpool take to the field against Stevenage on Saturday.

For long periods this summer things did feel good. Players with proven League One winning records had been added to the squad, and were willing to turn down others to make the move to the Fylde Coast.

It’s also hard not to be excited by what Steve Bruce could do with a full summer under his belt. He’s a coach who’s worked at a much higher level, and has clearly already got a tune out of a number of players.

Despite having plenty to be positive about, the mood has been dampened in the last couple of weeks, with a bit of panic setting in.

Apter sale changed mood

After feeling as if business was coming along nicely, the sale of Rob Apter clearly changed things.

The club had not planned to let the winger leave, and it was only his will to complete a move to Charlton Athletic that made it happen.

You can’t blame him for wanting to make a step up to the Championship, and to collect a higher wage, but it was still a huge blow for all at Bloomfield Road.

The fact that Sonny Carey had already left on a free transfer meant the Seasiders were suddenly short of wide players.

This has been one of the main problems of Bruce’s time in charge so far, with the issue reoccurring every few months.

The shortage of players in this area was initially down to the club opting to sign wing-backs during Neil Critchley’s time in charge, but there has been time to address that since.

One thing that can never be accounted for are injuries. CJ Hamilton dislocating his shoulder against West Brom is massively unfortunate, as was the fact that Tom Bloxham has been unavailable due to a calf problem.

With both absent for the final pre-season games, it just amplified the problem. If even one had been fit then the level of panic ahead of the opening weekend wouldn’t have been the same.

That was also paired with the fact that beyond Ashley Fletcher and Niall Ennis, there’s also a shortage of strikers with League One experience.

Time for calm

It feels like any winger will do at this stage to allow Bruce to play his preferred 4-4-2 formation on Saturday, but the club clearly remains focussed on ensuring they don’t panic and get exactly who they want.

There’s still a month for things to be sorted, even if the start of the season does feel like an unofficial deadline.

Ideally two more wingers will be added, one for either side, alongside two additional strikers.

For now, it should just be about enjoying Saturday - even with Albie Morgan, Danny Imray and James Husband already ruled out alongside those previously mentioned. Regardless of the shortages in attacking areas, the club is in a better spot than 12 months ago.

There’s plenty of big names in League One this time around. The three coming down will be a threat, while the likes of Bolton Wanderers and Huddersfield Town have their own projects, so it’s not going to be a straightforward campaign, but it’ll be a good scrap.

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