Five things Blackpool need to do before the end of the League One campaign

The Seasiders were defeated 1-0 away to Derby County on Good Friday, before drawing 0-0 with Wycombe Wanderers at Bloomfield Road a few days later.

Elsewhere, Lincoln City and Oxford United moved six points ahead of Neil Critchley’s side in the battle for sixth, while Stevenage remain in eighth.

Here’s some of the things Blackpool need to do before the end of the season:

Reclaim some pride

First things first, while the prospect of reaching the play-offs now seems unlikely, it’s still mathematically possible. With the current form of the Seasiders, compared to that of Lincoln City and Oxford United, you’d think that would change quite soon, but it’s up to Critchley’s side to keep that faint bit of hope for as long as possible.

There could be times in the next few weeks where the teams above do drop points, so it’d feel like an even bigger blow if Blackpool failed to be anywhere near the picture when the season ends.

Based on the campaign so far, league position doesn’t really matter when it comes to the Seasiders, as they’ve struggled at times against those towards the bottom of the table. Nonetheless, some of their remaining five games are against sides that are struggling, so now is the time to start overcoming these challenges.

Out of the last few games, Barnsley is the toughest test, but Bloomfield Road should give Blackpool an advantage. A big swing would be required to put them in the play-off picture now, but the least they can do is play their part.

Get the fans back on side

Following the dropped points in the last few games, there has been further discontent within the fanbase. Throughout the campaign, the supporters have been forced to endure a number of low points.

The poor Christmas period springs to mind, with the defeats against Burton Albion and Port Vale, as well as the midweek loss to Cheltenham Town in February. The Easter slump certainly falls into the same category as the other two.

Previously the Seasiders have weathered the storm, as the FA Cup ties against Nottingham Forest brought back some pride in January, while a decent enough run followed the disappointment at Whaddon Road.

This time it is different as we’re very close to the end of the season, so producing five good, positive performances has to be the key now.

Get the strikers firing

A recent issue has been putting the ball into the back of the net, with only one goal in their last five games- which came from Matthew Pennington.

Some big chances have been missed in that time, but there’s also been occasions where the attacking players haven’t received the service they need to get into the game.

With Jordan Rhodes absent, and his loan coming to an end in the summer, hopefully some of the strikers who will definitely be at the club next season can step up and enjoy a late scoring spree.

There should be a focus on getting the best out of Kyle Joseph in particular. He arrived at the beginning of the campaign with plenty of expectation, before being hindered by injury early on. There’s been glimpses of what he can do but not enough. The club has to trial making him the main man up front and playing a way that suits him best.

Hand Finnigan his debut

Ryan Finnigan joined the Seasiders during the January transfer window from Southampton, with it immediately being pointed out that he was a signing for the future.

During his time at Bloomfield Road so far, he’s been working his way back to full fitness after suffering an ankle injury during his time on loan with Shrewsbury during the first half of the campaign.

The 20-year-old should be able to feature before the conclusion of League One action, and therefore should feature in a few games. You’d like to think he’s someone that can have an impact next season, but a couple of cameos in the current campaign could help to set the tone.

Opportunities for youngsters

Critchley should also look to give a few other youngsters a chance in the matchday squad- especially if it gets to the point where there’s nothing to play for. Jack Moore was named on the bench in the absence of Hayden Coulson for the Wycombe game, and it'll be interesting to see further opportunities come his way.

There’s also a few players that featured in the EFL Trophy earlier this season that would benefit from being a substitute in the league.