Neil Critchley’s message to Blackpool fans as major issue in League One promotion push addressed

Neil Critchley says he aims to excite Blackpool fans as he continues to try and shape the team in his image.

Critchley is in to his second spell at Bloomfield Road and he has been tasked with guiding the Tangerines back into the Championship following their relegation last season. Blackpool are currently seventh in the League One standings, and there have already been plenty of highs-and-lows watching this campaign.

At the start of the campaign, Blackpool struggled to find the back of the net, and failed to score in four consecutive league matches after their 2-0 win against Burton Albion on the opening day of the campaign. The need for a striker was a must and in came both Jordan Rhodes and Kylian Kouassi at the end of the summer transfer window, and since their arrivals things have picked up.

“I think we want to see a Blackpool team that is organised, committed but is creative as well,” said Critchley.

“We’re getting closer to that. Anyone supporter who turns up and watches a game of football wants to be entertained and excited. I think the last few games we’ve scored plenty of goals, and it was an entertaining and exciting game on Saturday.

“Unfortunately it went against us, and that can happen. I think I want us to be a team that the supporters can enjoy watching. When they come to the games, they enjoy watching ‘him and him’ and ‘he might score’, it gives you a lift before the game.

“We have to make sure we’re not easy to play against at the other end otherwise you don’t win games of football.”

Blackpool’s last five league matches have 20 goals in total with the 3-0 win against Stevenage the only clean sheet recorded in that time. The recent results have kept them in and around the play-off picture, and before tonight’s fixtures they are three points off of the top six.

A major issue that Blackpool have faced so far this season is their struggles away from home. It's got better in recent weeks after being Barnsley, and also getting points at both Charlton Athletic and Oxford United who hold ambitions of promotions, however there is a desire to improve. The win against Barnsley was their first away victory in the league of the campaign with two defeats and three draws their other remaining results on their travels.

Critchley added: “I want us to be tough to play against but I want us to impose our style of play and how we want to play on to the opposition. It’ll be no different tomorrow night.

“I don’t want us to be just hanging on for results and defending with our lives inside the penalty area. The best form of defence is to attack. If you keep the ball the other team can’t have it and they can’t score. We’re working towards that balance. Have we got it always right? No.

“We’re not going to always get it right because you have to take the opposition into account. They’re trying to do the exact same thing as us and you might have to go 10-15 minutes of a game where the opposition have the ball and you have to defend. You have to do all five facets of the game very well if you want to be successful.”