The Matt Scrafton column: Why Blackpool are thriving in adversity

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Blackpool’s impressive form from the end of October onwards, which saw Neil Critchley’s side win 10 in 14, began when the Seasiders missed key players through injury and suspension.

While that streak began with a fairly uneventful home win against MK Dons, it was followed by a dispiriting defeat at AFC Wimbledon which saw Blackpool end the game with nine men.

The following game, the trip to League One strugglers Burton Albion, is where the season really turned around for me.

Dan Ballard and Ethan Robson were both suspended, Ben Woodburn was self-isolating having tested positive for Covid-19, while Luke Garbutt, Matty Virtue and Keshi Anderson were out through injury.

Kenny Dougall, a key figure in Blackpool’s revival, was handed his debut, while Jerry Yates scored his first goals for the club in their 2-1 victory, the club’s first league away win in 13 months.

Having failed to score in his first eight appearances for Pool, Yates now has nine in his last 17.

After learning that chasing every lost cause isn’t always necessary, the 24-year-old has remodelled himself as a striker who is always in the right place at the right time.

It wasn’t a pretty display at Burton, far from it. The Brewers were bottom of the league at the start of the day and, while limited, were scrapping for everything.

The Seasiders, who had started the campaign wanting to play like Liverpool – with intensity and pressing high from the front – soon learned you have to adapt if you’re going to win games regularly in League One.

They learned that the hard way, having lost six of their opening nine league games.

That isn’t to say you can’t play good football in the third tier because you can – but there’s a time and a place for it, and you have to be able to roll up your sleeves and do the dirty side of the game too.

Blackpool are now able to do a bit of everything. They can press, they can play it out from the back, but they can also get stuck in and go a bit more direct into Gary Madine if required.

Speaking of Madine, the striker has also been a key factor in Blackpool’s turnaround.

In partnering the 30-year-old with Yates, Critchley quickly scrapped his 4-3-3 system and went to a more rudimentary 4-4-2.

Madine has been instrumental ever since and continues to wreak havoc on League One centre-backs.

It wasn’t lost on me that Burton had been due to provide the opposition tomorrow, when Blackpool were facing adversity once again.

This time, they were set to be missing at least 10 players through a combination of Covid-19 and injury, although there could have been some relief with the potential returns of Demetri Mitchell, Luke Garbutt and Grant Ward.

Nathan Shaw had also been recalled from his loan spell at AFC Fylde, providing much-needed back-up on the flanks if required.

When the squad was released for Tuesday’s trip to Wigan Athletic, many Pool fans will have been wincing but they shouldn’t have been.

Yes, the Seasiders were without some key first-teamers.

At least six of the 10 missing would have been in with a real shout of starting had they been available and 100 per cent fit.

Blackpool’s strength in depth is impressive, so much so they’re still able to name a strong first XI even when they’re missing a good chunk of their squad.

Yes, some players might have had to play out of position, like Matty Virtue moving over to the right wing.

Some players previously considered as back-up or fringe players would have been handed starts when they previously wouldn’t have expected to be involved.

That’s football and that’s why you build a squad.

Players like Jordan Thorniley, Jordan Gabriel and MJ Williams have been given opportunities in the last week and have grasped them with both hands.

Gabriel, in particular, has been superb against both Brighton and Hove Albion and Wigan.

Even when Ollie Turton returns, you’d imagine that right-back berth is now Gabriel’s to lose. That’s how quickly football can change.

To me, that just proves what can happen if you give players a chance.

These days, and we’re all guilty of it, people are too quick to write off players after one or two bad performances – but we shouldn’t.

Players develop at different stages, some need more games than others.

A consistent run of starts is clearly ideal but, in the rough and tumble of the third tier, it isn’t always possible.

That’s been my major bone of contention with Blackpool’s revolving door in recent seasons, which has seen players come and go at an alarming rate.

At some point, and it now seems to be happening, the manager or head coach in charge needs to work with what they’ve got and get the best out of them.

Having worked in youth football for so long, that is Critchley’s forte.

Critchley said himself a couple of weeks ago that you can almost have too much choice at times, it muddles your thinking.

Sometimes, even if it means having a fairly small squad, it’s best to know what you’ve got at your disposal and what you can work with.

It stops you from chopping and changing, and helps you concentrate on improving and developing the players available to you.

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