Blackpool boss says competition for places is healthy ahead of next season

Blackpool boss Neil Critchley has challenged all his players to perform over pre-season to try and stake their claim for a place in the starting XI on the opening day of the new season. The Seasiders played a different set of players in both halves against Plymouth Argyle over the weekend.

They ended up losing 2-1 to the Championship new boys but the game was more about getting fitness. Attacker Shayne Lavery was on the scoresheet for the hosts at Bloomfield Road.

Blackpool have signed five new players so far this summer with more expected to come through the door over the coming weeks. Critchley believes competition for places is always healthy and has told the club website: “We’ve given the players two lots of 45 minutes so far, and we will start to increase that now.

“The players have to know that they’re pushing for places. I said to them in the dressing room that if they keep playing like they did in the Plymouth match, then they’re going to give me a good problem because there were lots of good performances out there. I think the players recognise that. They feel that there is competition, which is healthy and that is what we want.

“With the next three weeks that we have lined up and the opposition that we will be facing, it’s up to each of them to stake a claim to be starting for that opening match of the season.”

He also said: “Overall, I think we’ve had a really good week with the training camp and the fixture against Plymouth.

“We’ve done a lot of tactical and physical work whilst we have been away in Ireland, and to then come back and play a team like Plymouth with quality players was really good for us. Over the first few weeks, we’ve concentrated a lot being in possession of the ball and not a lot without it. Plymouth tested us in that sense, but I thought we gave a really good account of ourselves. We played with desire and aggression.”

Blackpool are back in friendly action this weekend away at League Two side Barrow. The Bluebirds head into that one after beating Preston North End last time out.