The Blackpool season preview 2023/24 largely centres around the return of Neil Critchley as manager.
“I tried as hard as possible to find someone other than Neil,” quipped Blackpool chief Sadler of Critchley’s reappointment, following his acrimonious exit. The 44-year-old led the Tangerines up in 2021 and could do so again, earning himself a simpler compliment next year.
Fans will expect nothing less either, placing Critchley under an enormous amount of pressure at a club where he was once so adored. League One promotion or bust, it seems.
Blackpool season preview 2023/24, the fan's view: Chris Walker (@onedavebamber)
Last season was a disaster. Everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong. The appointments of Michael Appleton and Mick McCarthy, combined with a flood of injuries and red cards, led to a deserved relegation.
The big talking point is the return of Neil Critchley. He was our most successful boss since Ian Holloway, but the manner of his exit to become No.2 to Steven Gerrard at Aston Villa, having just signed a long-term contract here, still leaves a bitter taste. He’s probably the best-qualified guy we could have got to lead our bid to bounce back this year, but it doesn’t make him popular. He must start well, or inflatable snakes may make an appearance.
Fans think our owner is way past the honeymoon stage. There’s goodwill for what Simon Sadler has done in getting the club back on its feet after decades of underinvestment from the previous owners, but he has to learn from the mistakes that resulted in relegation.
Our most underrated player is CJ Hamilton. Nearly all wingers are inconsistent, and he could cause a lot of problems for teams in this division.
The one player I’d happily drive to another club is Dom Thompson. We all expected far more from him, given his development at Brentford, but his decision-making is infuriating at times.
The opposition player who grinds my gears is Tom Barkhuizen. We gave him his start in professional football – while there were issues during his time here, some of his comments towards the club since then have been disrespectful to fans who showed him great support.
The opposition player I’d love here is Colby Bishop. We should have signed him last summer, but it was blocked seemingly due to a medical issue. His 20 goals for Pompey and barely missing a minute of football suggests that it shouldn’t have been a major concern.
I won’t be happy unless we finish in the top six. League One looks weaker than it did last season.
Look out for Andy Lyons, who really impressed after coming over from the League of Ireland in January. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him get 10 goals from full-back.
We’ll finish 4th, if I’m being optimistic.
Season previews for the Premier League, League One and League Two are all available HERE
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