The Matt Scrafton Blackpool FC column: Last piece of jigsaw can be the trickiest to find

Seven games into the season, and with just one win to their name it’s fair to say things haven’t quite gone to plan for the Seasiders.
Neil Critchley has so far registered only one win as Blackpool bossNeil Critchley has so far registered only one win as Blackpool boss
Neil Critchley has so far registered only one win as Blackpool boss
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With so much optimism surrounding the club pre-season, and for good reason too, it was hoped Neil Critchley’s side could build on that momentum and get off to a fast start. Unfortunately that’s not been the case.

I must admit, having been fortunate enough to witness every Blackpool game since Critchley took over in February, I find their early-season results quite baffling.

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After Simon Grayson’s unsuccessful second stint in the managerial hotseat, Pool fans wanted a team with a clear identity, with every player knowing his role and responsibilities. The Seasiders now have that.

Off the pitch, after years of ruinous ownership, supporters wanted a club to be proud of again, with a custodian that has genuine, deep-rooted affection for the club and was willing to invest for the long-term future. The Seasiders have that.

Blackpool, as a club, are doing so much right at the moment and yet the final piece of the jigsaw, the one thing supporters care about the most – results – is currently lacking. Hopefully it’s only a matter of time until that piece slots nicely into place.

There’s no magic formula, no manual that tells you how to win football matches and how to bring about success.

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You can learn from history and learn from other clubs that are performing well, but there’s no guarantee that the same approach will work for you. All you can do is follow a clear strategy, stick to it in good times and bad, and hope it works out well in the long run.

Neil Critchley’s Blackpool side has clearly been set up similarly to those he witnessed at Liverpool.

The 4-3-3 system reflects Jurgen Klopp’s approach that has proved so successful – up until their 7-2 defeat at Aston Villa, anyway.

The style of play is very similar too, with the Seasiders wanting to play on the front foot constantly, with a high tempo and a high press. Gone are the days when Blackpool sit back and look to eke out a result.

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Can you take an approach, utilised by the current Premier League champions and apply it to League One, which is almost a different world entirely? We’re still to find out.

But what must be remembered is this Liverpool team didn’t click their fingers and suddenly become world-beaters overnight. In fact, Klopp finished eighth in his first season in charge.

The German needed time on the training ground to bring his ideas to fruition, to develop relationships, develop that consistency and understanding and to bring in his own players who suited his style of play.

Blackpool are still working on that, which is why I’m surprised the club’s hierarchy have been so bullish about wanting promotion this season.

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Blackpool are clearly ambitious and that makes a refreshing change, but to be outspoken and blunt about your aims can set you up for a fall.

If you’ve invested the sort of sums Simon Sadler has, it’s inevitable and completely natural you will want to see a return for your investment.

You don’t pay fees for Jerry Yates, CJ Hamilton, Bez Lubala and Daniel Gretarsson during a financially crippling global pandemic if you are happy to finish 10th in the third tier.

But it isn’t simply the case that buying players and adding to your group results in instant success.

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I’ve written extensively about the constant turnaround of players at Bloomfield Road, something that crops up every transfer window and goes back four or five years.

I get why managers want to bring in their own players, but a neverending revolving door isn’t conducive to long-term success.

Let’s hope the current crop of players still being put together will form the spine and nucleus of a squad that will prove to be the catalyst for success and will get Blackpool to where they want to be, which, in the short-term, is the Championship.

While we’re only four games into the league campaign, one thing I have noticed so far this season is how fine the margins are between victory and defeat.

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It’s always been that way in League One but it seems to be even more so this term. Whether that has anything to do with Covid, I don’t know.

The Premier League, on the other hand, is comparatively barmy. All sorts of odd results and peculiar scorelines are being thrown up.

I would suggest that has a lot to do with a lack of preparation following the quick turnaround from last season.

That’s not been an issue for Blackpool. In fact, they were one of the first clubs in League One to return for pre-season.

The preparation is there – let’s hope we’re not left waiting too long for the end result.