Matt Scrafton column: Blackpool players have a chance to stake their claim

Only Pool’s second defeat from their last 14 outings, you’d like to think the 1-0 reversal against Shrewsbury Town will be just a bump in the road for Neil Critchley’s men.

The Shrews, while a fairly limited outfit, are also a team bang in form since Steve Cotterill took over at the end of November – having stretched their unbeaten league run to eight games with the victory against Pool.

They afforded Blackpool very little in the way of clear-cut chances, although the Seasiders must also take their fair share of the blame for a lack of creativity in the final third.

If we’re going to pick out one main criticism from the season so far, that would probably have to be it.

Blackpool have scored just 19 goals from their 19 league games, after all.

That makes CJ Hamilton’s injury absence all the more frustrating, with the winger now set to be sidelined for at least two or three weeks – but probably longer.

With five goals and three assists, the 25-year-old has been Blackpool’s most threatening forward player this term.

As offensive weapons go, there aren’t many better in the third tier.

Thanks to his blistering pace, even when he’s having a rare off-day he still poses problems for the opposition full-back.

The former Mansfield Town man provides an outlet when Blackpool are under the cosh and often chases down aimless long balls and turns defence into attack.

His main drawback is his end product, whether it be his finishing or the accuracy of his crossing, but that has been worked on and was improving prior to picking up this injury.

On Tuesday night, the Seasiders didn’t deal with Hamilton’s absence particularly well.

Dan Kemp replaced him on the right wing and showed no shortage of effort or endeavour, but the West Ham United loanee struggled to get himself into the game.

With Hamilton out, more creative responsibility fell on the shoulders of Sullay Kaikai over on the other flank, but I think it’s fair to say he endured a disappointing night against his former side – failing to make a noticeable impact before conceding the needless penalty that decided the encounter.

With the games continuing to come thick and fast over the coming weeks, the likes of Kemp, Ben Woodburn and Bez Lubala all need to step up and grasp their opportunity if and when it comes their way.

Even when Hamilton returns to the fold, Blackpool could still do with bringing in another body in the attacking department.

The Seasiders are fairly limited in terms of numbers for strikers, with only Jerry Yates and Gary Madine capable of playing the number nine role.

Ask a lot of Pool fans and they will tell you Yates and Madine are most effective playing together in a two and that’s hard to argue with.

With no back-up and Critchley opting to change his system and personnel depending on the opposition, we’ve often seen Madine start one week and Yates the next.

Should a forward be acquired during the January transfer window, that could afford Critchley the luxury of playing two up front more often without the fear of losing one to injury, something that can’t be discounted given the ever-worsening congested fixture schedule.

It’s also been suggested that, with Hamilton out and Kaikai not exactly hitting the heights we all know he’s capable of, the Seasiders could consider lining up in a 3-5-2 formation, with the width being provided by the wing-backs.

I can certainly see the logic in this and I wouldn’t rule it out, but I’d be surprised if we saw it at Bristol Rovers this weekend.

Another possible alternative, as has been mooted in recent days, would be to bring back Armand Gnanduillet for a third spell at the club.

The 28-year-old is now a free agent following a short-lived spell in Turkey that lasted just four months.

Gnanduillet, who is reportedly keen to return to English football, flew into Manchester Airport on Tuesday.

Would you have him back at Bloomfield Road? It’s a tough one.

Blackpool need a striker and Gnanduillet is a forward who knows the club inside out, netting 18 goals in 36 games in all competitions last season.

It’s going to be difficult to find a better striker that is currently unattached.

The Frenchman still splits opinion among Blackpool’s fanbase and I wouldn’t be surprised if he had burned his bridges with the club following the manner of his exit, when he opted to turn down the offer of a new contract in search of a move to the Championship – something that never transpired.

Let’s not forget, it was the second time Gnanduillet opted to leave the Fylde coast to seek pastures new.

He also left Blackpool at the end of the 2017/18 season to move to South Africa, only to return with his tail between his legs two months later. If he’s still with the same agent, he might need to reconsider...

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