From Blackpool’s player of the season to being deemed surplus to requirements: How Liam Feeney’s move to Tranmere Rovers came about

At the start of July, Liam Feeney was voted Blackpool’s player of the season - a deserved accolade following an impressive campaign.
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Blackpool's player of the season joins Tranmere Rovers to become 18th player to ...

The 34-year-old set up 18 goals in all competitions last term, a statistic that earned him the nickname of Blackpool’s “assist King”. Only Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne could rival him for numbers.

Fast forward to today, just three months later, and the winger has been shipped out to League Two side Tranmere Rovers having been deemed surplus to requirements at Bloomfield Road.

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Feeney was left out of Blackpool’s squad for the league opener at Plymouth and had remained on the periphery during the club’s pre-season friendlies.

He wasn’t involved in Pool’s Carabao Cup tie against Stoke City either and couldn’t even get a spot on the bench in the EFL Trophy game against Barrow.

But how did his downfall come about? And how did it happen in such a short period of time?

In truth, the writing has been on the wall for some time.

Liam Feeney departs having been voted Blackpool's player of the season just two months agoLiam Feeney departs having been voted Blackpool's player of the season just two months ago
Liam Feeney departs having been voted Blackpool's player of the season just two months ago

It’s understood the club were reluctant to exercise the 12-month option on Feeney’s contract last season, even taking into account his good form.

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The former Blackburn Rovers and Bolton Wanderers man is believed to be on good money and his contract extension was eventually triggered after reaching a certain number of appearances.

The club weren’t happy about this and it’s understood there was consternation behind the scenes at how the situation was allowed to develop this way.

Tranmere fans reading this will inevitably be asking why the club were so against keeping Feeney at Bloomfield Road after he had performed so well.

He had been utilised so effectively at wing-back during Simon Grayson’s tenure, a tactic that saw Blackpool get the best out of his undoubted crossing ability, with striker Armand Gnanduillet being the main benefactor.

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But Neil Critchley, who replaced the sacked Grayson in March, clearly has his eyes set on playing 4-3-3, a system he deployed as Liverpool’s Under-23 coach to mirror how Jurgen Klopp sets out the first-team.

But Feeney doesn’t really fit into that formation. With him turning 34 in January, does he have the pace and energy to play as a wide man, akin to Sadio Mane and Mo Salah?

Blackpool’s summer recruitment has been with Critchley’s style of play in mind, bringing in players between 20 and 25 who are capable of playing on the front foot and at a high intensity.

The likes of CJ Hamilton, Oliver Sarkic, Bez Lubala and Dan Kemp, who have all been brought in this summer, are capable of playing in Feeney’s position.

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Hamilton in particular has excelled so far, terrifying opposition defences with his lightning-fast pace. Feeney, on the other hand, now finds himself well down the pecking order.

For all of his good performances last season, it was all a little one-dimensional and made Blackpool fairly predictable to play against.

As soon as opposition sides worked out how to stop Blackpool, i.e. put two men on Feeney and block his dangerous crosses to Gnanduillet, the side’s form soon began to nosedive.

That’s not to take anything away from Feeney and Gnanduillet, without them the Seasiders really would have struggled last season.

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But if Blackpool are really going to compete for the promotion mix-up this season, they require a system and a style of play that is more nuanced than ‘get it wide to Feeney and get it in the box to the big man’.

And when you take into account Feeney’s abject record in front of goal, he scored just once in 84 appearances during his two years on the Fylde coast, you can see why Critchley wanted to bring in fresh blood and go in a different direction.