The four things Blackpool will need to quickly do once the season has come to an end

The Seasiders know their campaign will come to an end on Saturday, with Steve Bruce’s ultimately falling well short in their hopes of reaching the play-offs.

With a third consecutive season in League One now awaiting them, the club will be determined to make a bigger push for the Championship than their last two attempts.

The Blackpool boss has already admitted there will be a lot of change as he continues to put his own stamp on proceedings.

With Jordan Rhodes and Ollie Norburn already due to leave at the end of their current deals, there remain seven further players to make contract decisions on, as well as undertaking negotiations on the five loanees currently at Bloomfield Road.

Here’s five things the Seasiders will look to quickly do once the season ends:

Finalise talks with Carey

Before Christmas, convincing Sonny Carey to remain at Bloomfield Road wouldn’t have seemed like a major priority, but his form over the last few months has made it just that.

The midfielder has really stepped up under Bruce, producing some great performance in both the centre and on the left side.

He’s certainly someone that has come on leaps and bounds through the guidance of the experienced head coach, and has become the player many on the Fylde Coast hoped he would become.

After nurturing him for so many years, it would be a major blow to the club to lose him for free just as he hits his stride.

In the latest update on the situation, Bruce said: “The contract talks are still ongoing, and we’re hopeful they’ll come to the right conclusion that we want, so let’s see.”

Other contracts to sort

A couple of other players also standout on the out of contract list, including Matthew Pennington and Jordan Gabriel.

The pair are among those to have one-year options available, and could continue to play a role for the club next season.

While neither have been regular starters under Bruce, they have both made some key contributions to Blackpool during their stints with the club.

Alongside Pennington and Gabriel, the futures of Richard O’Donnell, Mackenzie Chapman, Josh Onomah and Jake Beesley still need to be decided as well.

Start talks for Tyrer

Bruce has made it clear he wants Everton loanee Harry Tyrer to remain as his goalkeeper for next season.

The 23-year-old has improved as the season has progressed, and apart from a mistake against Wigan Athletic at the weekend, looks far more comfortable in between the sticks than he did at the beginning of the season.

If the Seasiders are to keep him, then they will need to know what his parent club are thinking as soon as possible.

It’s a crucial position to fill, and having not made a permanent signing following Dan Grimshaw’s exit last summer, it’s going to be important to get it right.

If Tyrer isn’t available for the right price, then the club needs to know early on so they can pursue other targets.

The Blackpool other loanees are Odel Offiah, Elkan Baggott, Sammy Silvera and Niall Ennis - with some of them also of interest to Bruce concerning permanent deals.

Back Bruce

While there’s still over a month to go until the transfer window, Blackpool will need to set out the budget that Bruce is working with.

Over the last few years, the club has received good fees for the likes of Jerry Yates and Kyle Joseph, and now is the perfect time to reinvest that money.

There’s no point having someone with the profile of the current head coach if they aren’t going to get behind, so as soon as possible they need to find out what he wants, and plan out how they’re going to make it happen.

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