Bowyer planning 'massive rebuild' at Blackpool

Off-field issues may cast a shadow over Bloomfield Road but rebuilding plans for the 2018/19 season are under way, manager Gary Bowyer told The Gazette.
Gary BowyerGary Bowyer
Gary Bowyer

Don’t miss the latest football news and gossip from leagues in England, Scotland and Europe with footballwire.co.ukThe future of the club is very much up in the air as the saga involving owner Owen Oyston and former director Valeri Belokon drags on. But as he has throughout his two years at Pool, Bowyer is pressing on with plans to improve his side.

Bowyer has already repeated a strategy which proved successful last summer by recruiting top non-league talent in full-back Michael Nottingham and midfielder Harry Pritchard.

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Twelve of last season’s squad have left the club, with five more out of contract and deliberating over fresh deals: Kelvin Mellor, Dolly Menga, Clark Robertson, Jay Spearing and Kyle Vassell.

The only players to have agreed new deals with the club are striker Mark Cullen and goalkeeper Myles Boney, while the option to extend Nathan Delfouneso’s contract for next season has been activated.

Bowyer said: “We are facing a massive rebuilding process due to the number of players whose contracts have run down.

“We’ve lost Colin Daniel and Armand Gnanduillet and are in the hunt for players.

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“We have taken two out of non-league due to the success of that from last year. Curtis Tilt, Nick Anderton and Scott Quigley all developed throughout the season.

“It is a good market and one we will continue to explore.

“I’m excited for the new lads to get going and I want to get a few of the others tied down.”