Blackpool squad overhaul was necessary says boss Neil Critchley

Neil Critchley says Blackpool’s summer upheaval was essential to mould the squad in his image.
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The Seasiders made the most signings of any League One club, bringing in 17 players before the deadline. A further 21 departed in another major turnaround.

Pool’s head coach said: “We’ve obviously done a lot of work during the last few weeks and months. We’re trying to build something for the future in terms of how we want to play and you need players to be able to play that way.

Neil Critchley hopes such upheaval in the Seasiders squad won't be needed in futureNeil Critchley hopes such upheaval in the Seasiders squad won't be needed in future
Neil Critchley hopes such upheaval in the Seasiders squad won't be needed in future
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“We want Blackpool to be known for a certain style of football, for having attacking players who give their all for the shirt. We thought it was necessary to do what we’ve done.

“It is now going to take some time for those players to get used to playing in a certain way that might not be natural for them.

“They’re also getting to know each other on the pitch in terms of their combinations, understanding and relationships, which can take time. Those relationships get stronger the more you’re together.”

Pool can still sign free agents but Critchley suggests they won’t add to the squad before the next window. “We’re done and I’m glad it’s done, so we can get to work with the players we’ve got until at least January. With the way we want to take the club forward, we thought the changes were necessary,” he said.

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“But ideally we don’t want to be in that situation in future. We might want to improve the squad but not with the amount or volume we have this summer.

“If you have a succession plan, then it should be tweaks here and there in future, and identifying one or two that might add something to the team and the way you want to play.”

Blackpool return to Bloomfield Road tonight to face Charlton Athletic (7pm), their first game on home turf since the 4-1 drubbing by Ipswich Town.

Critchley said: “Sometimes you have to block out the noise from the outside. A lot of what we did in that game was good. We’ve played well in a lot of games and I don’t think we’ve picked up the points we deserved.

“We’ve now got home games back-to-back and it’s up to us to stamp our authority on the game and give our supporters at home something to shout about.”