Blackpool legend provides honest attacking assessment and pinpoints the player who can make a real difference

As a player I was always glad when pre-season finished, it’s a long six weeks, and there’s a lot of running involved. By the time you get to your last friendly you’re just raring to go.

I was very impressed by the performance against Crewe - it was the best I’ve seen them play for a long time.

They were looking forward. Instead of going side to side, they were passing with purpose. It wasn’t just keeping the ball for the sake of keeping it, they were doing it with a pace.

They were getting balls in behind when they could, and it stretched Crewe - they couldn’t handle it, and they didn’t really lay a glove on them. I don’t think I’ve seen CJ Hamilton get forward so many times in that wing-back position.

It was a really good performance to cap pre-season off before they go to Crawley. I came away feeling happy and optimistic.

People might say ‘it’s only Crewe,’ but they can be a handful. I couldn’t pick too many faults. If they can go into the season on the front foot then it’ll stand them in good stead.

Lee Evans and Ollie Norburn were fantastic in midfield, that could be a really good pairing this year.

Evans dropped a bit deeper, and that gave Norburn a bit more licence. His cover play for the back three was excellent, defensively he read everything, but he’s also got that passing in his locker - which was fantastic.

Kyle Joseph looked really lively, he got his goal in the first minute. He came with his injury problems last year, but he looks like he’s had a really good pre-season.

He looked really sharp, I was really pleased. He had a stop-start first campaign, but it’s hard. I’ve come back from a broken leg and missed pre-season, and I got through the first few games with adrenaline, but I was blowing, you’re just playing catch up.

He looked really good on Saturday. He’s willing to run the channels, he can hold the ball up, and he took his goal really well; as did Jordan Rhodes, who looked better without all the pressure being on him.

For strikers, goals are massive. It’ll stand them in good stead confidence wise.

Based on the Crewe performance they’d be my starting pair to take on Crawley, I can see the whole starting 11 being pretty close, only time will tell whether it will be.

There might be one or two changes, but I think it was an indication of what Neil Critchley will go with.

There’s plenty of competition up front. There’s enough quality there, I like all the strikers and they’ve got the talent to go on to have a good season. I think it’ll give the manager a headache, but it’s a good one.

The club will still be looking to bring in players to strengthen, but there’s no point signing someone if they’re not going to make the team better, and I think Neil Critchley will be more than satisfied with the attackers he’s got.