Blackpool boss Neil Critchley plays down the plaudits

Blackpool’s head coach was rewarded for his sterling work with a new long-term contract last week.

The 43-year-old, who won promotion from League One in his first full season with the Seasiders, will remain at Bloomfield Road until the summer of 2026.

The new deal was well received by the Blackpool fanbase but Critchley played it down, claiming it wasn’t “big news”.

The former Liverpool academy coach, who last night received the Manager of the Season trophy at the North West Football Awards, believes he’s just doing his job.

Critchley said: “I get a little bit uneasy with people patting you on the back all the time, saying what a great job you’re doing.

“I don’t like too much praise because it’s what we’re here to do and it’s what I’m paid to do. This is what I love doing.

“We’re here to improve and get better, and we want to be relentless in doing that.

“That’s the standard we try to set every single day.

“That culture of how we improve might not be what you see on the pitch – sometimes it might be off the pitch.

“We’re always pushing the players every single day to try and improve.

“If we do that, then we’ve shown we’re heading in the right direction. I just think we can do better and we can do more.”

Critchley, whose side take on West Bromwich Albion at Bloomfield Road tonight (7.45), is keen to get involved with the club’s progress off the pitch too.

Plans for a new training ground are expected to be announced soon, while a redeveloped East Stand is also on the agenda.

Critchley added: “We think about everything all the time, that’s our job. The club would expect nothing less and rightfully so.

“We’re here working for the fans, so we want to make them proud.

“My job as head coach is to make sure we’re successful on the pitch, so I can’t take my eye off the ball of preparing the team, training the team, picking the team – that’s my job.

“But another responsibility of my job is to make sure I’m here for the club and working for the club.

“With the people I’ve got around me, that makes my job much easier.

“With the group of staff we’ve assembled we’ve got like-minded people who are humble and want the best for this football club.

“That makes decision-making quite easy at times but we’re ambitious people and we want this club to improve.”

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