Critchley

td53 said:
The past decade isn't exactly filled with vintage managers! You've made two very good posts and I'd be lying if I didn't say Critchley has his merits, positves and temptations but the one thing I'll say about the dream team is - attack and defence aren't seperate. The overall philosophy dictates - Under Critchley, we didn't not score because we weren't coached how to attack - we didn't score because he would rarely commit a central attacking player from midfield - Doesn't matter how well you coach the rest, you limit your scoring options that way. Conversely, of course you boost the teams defensive structure. The most ironic thing ever was us winning at Wembley with two goals from a midfielder who'd been pretty much banned from shooting or going in the box!

We did win some games by a margin and yes, I'm probably arguing a point into the ground because it's the internet but equally, you've also identified the same thing as my main doubt about him - he really struggled to break down teams who were defensive against us. Those games could be awful to watch as he simply couldn't bring himself to do the obvious aggressive switch (likely Kaikai to no10 and someone else wide) - I'm just not sure it was about coaching there - but tactics.

Anyway...
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Very fair post, a lot of it had less to do with coaching and more to do with tactics, but I also think he was very limited by the players he had at his disposal.

For the majority of the League 1 campaign his best available midfield options were Kevin Stewart, Kenny Dougall, and Matty Virtue; not exactly the most attack minded players out there.

He brought Ben Woodburn and Dan Kemp in to be attacking midfielders, but both were busts.

Not saying he would've played those more attacking options if he had them (as I do agree that he definitely tended to be more conservative), but it would have been interesting to see.
 
I can understand both sides of the argument when it comes down to Critchley. I'm unsure myself, but I'm not against the idea. Did he leave and come across as a snake with no kind of acknowledgement to the fans? Yes 🙁. Did he leave for a bigger club in the Premier League and look to earn a higher wage? Yes, but I don't see a lot wrong with that since this is football after all. Did he fail at his last 2 clubs? Yes, you could say that, however, at Aston Villa he was just an assistant and QPR seemed to be the wrong club at the wrong time perhaps. That became quite the mess. So was Critchley any good for us? Yes, of course he was. His record speaks for itself, and that's one of the difficult things - a lot of us had that disappointment and anger when he left that it's harder to appreciate the job he actually did for us. We finished 3rd in L1, won the playoffs and followed that by finishing a respectable 16th in the Championship. Was it always good stuff? No, probably not, but we haven't got the budget of some of these other clubs, and I think we did very well with what we had.

It's a difficult appointment to make. He's another former manager, and we all know how that's worked out in recent years. Ever since he got sacked by QPR I had a feeling we'd see him back as Blackpool coach. We don't tend to go for in work managers, at least not first team coaches and Sadler said something in a statement that he'd welcome him back.

But all the candidates that have been linked come with pros and cons. I really don't know what the right choice is either, but we'll have to make a decision fairly soon and start getting on with things. There's still a bit of uncertainty and questions to be asked. Whoever it is will need to be backed.

Anyway, the thing is, if it IS Neil Critchley that gets the job, then I think he and the club should mention what happened with him leaving to try get the fans back on his side. Otherwise, I think the fanbase is split again and that's not great. I'd hope he would come in motivated and wanting to give something back to the fans and club and redeem himself. I'm not sure if he'd be successful this time around, but it's not the worst choice out there. If they choose him, then it is what it is. Let's just see.
 
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Alderado said:
I can understand both sides of the argument when it comes down to Critchley. I'm unsure myself, but I'm not against the idea. Did he leave and come across as a snake with no kind of acknowledgement to the fans? Yes 🙁. Did he leave for a bigger club in the Premier League and look to earn a higher wage? Yes, but I don't see a lot wrong with that since this is football after all. Did he fail at his last 2 clubs? Yes, you could say that, however, at Aston Villa he was just an assistant and QPR were a complete mess already. So was Critchley any good for us? Yes, of course he was. His record speaks for itself, and that's one of the difficult things - a lot of us had that disappointment and anger when he left that it's harder to appreciate the job he actually did for us. We finished 3rd in L1, won the playoffs and followed that by finishing a respectable 16th in the Championship. Was it always good stuff? No, probably not, but we haven't got the budget of some of these other clubs, and I think we did very well with what we had.

It's a difficult appointment to make. He's another former manager, and we all know how that's worked out in recent years. Ever since he got sacked by QPR I had a feeling we'd see him back as Blackpool coach. We don't tend to go for in work managers, at least not first team coaches and Sadler said something in a statement that he'd welcome him back.

But all the candidates that have been linked come with pros and cons. I really don't know what the right choice is either, but we'll have to make a decision fairly soon and start getting on with things. There's still a bit of uncertainty and questions to be asked. Whoever it is will need to be backed.

Anyway, the thing is, if it IS Neil Critchley that gets the job, then I think he and the club should mention what happened with him leaving to try get the fans back on his side. Otherwise, I think the fanbase is split again and that's not great. I'd hope he would come in motivated and wanting to give something back to the fans and club and redeem himself. I'm not sure if he'd be successful this time around, but it's not the worst choice out there. If they choose him, then it is what it is. Let's just see.
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When Critchley took over at QPR, they were ninth in the league only 3 points off the playoffs. I wish we had been in ‘ a complete mess’ when Dobbie took over.
 
20togo said:
so as a Blackpool fan it meant nothing to you to come above the nobbers in the league? Or the fact that many fans spent hundreds of pounds going to watch an inept performance where the reality is Critchley didn't give a monkeys about the result? Well. I wish he'd told us all that before we all decided to go! Sorry, if you think that's overplaying it!
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I do think it is overplayed. People saying how Critchley wasn't a good manager and citing that game. It gave our players a longer summer after two grueling, but successful seasons. It also gave him an opportunity to look at some other players. If he had stuck around then it would have been for the greater good. It didn't work out like that, but it has been overplayed with the overall circumstances for that result not taken into account.
 
Albert Ross said:
When Critchley took over at QPR, they were ninth in the league only 3 points off the playoffs. I wish we had been in ‘ a complete mess’ when Dobbie took over.
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Flatters them, Beale started well but results started to dip and he left to rangers as soon as he got chance knowing which way it was going, critch joined them off the back of 1 point from 6 games and was sacked before getting a fair chance (we know from experience that he needs a good few games to get going) and then when you keep looking ainsworth showed the awful situation that club are in until the last 3 or 4 games where he saved it
 
Critchley let us down badly and it's gonna be hard for him if he does return, major flop at QPR.
I think he'll get it with maybe Dobbie as his number 2, If it goes tits up then Dobbie can say he was the right man for the job.
 
Seaseaseasider said:
I do think it is overplayed. People saying how Critchley wasn't a good manager and citing that game. It gave our players a longer summer after two grueling, but successful seasons. It also gave him an opportunity to look at some other players. If he had stuck around then it would have been for the greater good. It didn't work out like that, but it has been overplayed with the overall circumstances for that result not taken into account.
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I don't think it's been overplayed. He let the fans down badly that day. Saying it gave them a longer summer is having a laugh and utter nonsense. Were they given the whole week off before the game? Of course they weren't. They still had to report in for training and the match. Unless you consider a couple of extra hours on the day of the match that they didn't play in as giving them a longer summer! I'm not bothered whether Critchley is re-appointed or not, he did really well when he was here but to say that match was overplayed is sheer nonsense. It's you who is overplaying it by thinking just by not playing in that game gave them a longer summer.
 
Whatever happens, I do hope Dobbie gets his chance in the future. I think he'd be great for us, and if we are to appoint Critchley then there is no excuse not to have a succession plan in place - the successor is right there, staring the club in the face.

As I've already said, I don't think it'd be a good idea to bring Critchley back, and I'd be worried about the inability of SS to learn. NC and SS will both need to understand that he won't be able to rekindle the rapport with the fans he once enjoyed, and that while I'm sure everyone will get behind the team, his appointment would be divisive. That's pretty evident. If in 12mths it hasn't worked out, then it won't wash that the club was unaware of the feelings of the fanbase because it's a situation (the appointment a former boss) that Simon has acknowledged was a problem before. The onus therefore is on the club to read the room this time - that is, if they have any intention of not repeating past mistakes.
 
ShaneUTMP said:
Flatters them, Beale started well but results started to dip and he left to rangers as soon as he got chance knowing which way it was going, critch joined them off the back of 1 point from 6 games and was sacked before getting a fair chance (we know from experience that he needs a good few games to get going) and then when you keep looking ainsworth showed the awful situation that club are in until the last 3 or 4 games where he saved it
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The point is he took a potential playoff team into the relegation zone. Regardless of circumstances under his stewardship they dropped like a stone. I would consider his appointment a retrograde step, I would still support the team as I have for many years, but I hope it doesn’t happen.
 
20togo said:
I don't think it's been overplayed. He let the fans down badly that day. Saying it gave them a longer summer is having a laugh and utter nonsense. Were they given the whole week off before the game? Of course they weren't. They still had to report in for training and the match. Unless you consider a couple of extra hours on the day of the match that they didn't play in as giving them a longer summer! I'm not bothered whether Critchley is erpre-appointed or not, he did really well when he was here but to say that match was overplayed is sheer nonsense. It's you who is overplaying it by thinking just by noyt playing in that game gave them a longer summer.
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Many of the players that had played most of the season were not there or in the match day squad. Sounds like a longer summer to me?

Bowler was left out because they were clearly expecting to sell him and didn't want any injury.

Some have overplayed it, using it as an example to show that he wasn't a good manager or was somehow on a decline with us. That is a load of garbage, and therefore it has been overplayed. Simple.
 
Seaseaseasider said:
Many of the players that had played most of the season were not there or in the match day squad. Sounds like a longer summer to me?

Bowler was left out because they were clearly expecting to sell him and didn't want any injury.

Some have overplayed it, using it as an example to show that he wasn't a good manager or was somehow on a decline with us. That is a load of garbage, and therefore it has been overplayed. Simple.
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go on then, name these uninjured players given time off for this longer summer?
 
Three hundred plus posts , and not much in it , the mere fact it's a roughly 50/50 split is enough ammo for me to make my decision. I think it would be a bad move to bring him back, the club need to go into a new campaign with the fans fully behind a new manager or the nonsense of last season will take over again .
 
Albert Ross said:
The point is he took a potential playoff team into the relegation zone. Regardless of circumstances under his stewardship they dropped like a stone. I would consider his appointment a retrograde step, I would still support the team as I have for many years, but I hope it doesn’t happen.
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But they weren’t a potential play off team, the season as a whole showed that, or were Reading a potential play off team too under ince? Cause they were 2 points off play offs at that time too
 
I'm not too bothered about Critchley not saying goodbye as I bet he had some kind of gagging order. Something happened behind the scenes as I'm sure that he was unhappy with transfer budget. Can't see him coming back if there are the same restraints. This all needs sorting this week.
 
Altyseasider said:
Critchley was blessed in league one to have Ballard in defence and two really good strikers in Simms and Yates who basically got us promoted.

Since leaving us he's had a complete nightmare at villa where Gerrard even called him out in one interview and then nearly got QPR relegated.

I think we should be looking elsewhere
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What about keeping us up comfortably in the Championship at our return to that level for a while or did you conveniently forget to mention that season!
 
So after a quick read people don’t want Critchley back cos he never said anything upon leaving even though he may have been told not to by the club or whoever. He owes you nothing, it’s a job to him, he isn’t a fan, chill.

Secondly because we got hammered last game of the season in a game that meant nothing and our aim of staying up had been met comfortably.

He isn’t my first choice (Wellens is) but I think the above two reasons are pretty pathetic not to want him back as he did a bloody good job here and if it is him then we could do a LOT worse.
 
ShaneUTMP said:
But they weren’t a potential play off team, the season as a whole showed that, or were Reading a potential play off team too under ince? Cause they were 2 points off play offs at that time too
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Any team 2/3 points off the playoffs at any stage of the season is potentially a playoff team. In actual fact any team who have a mathematical chance of reaching the playoffs at any stage of the season has the potential to get there. Eg Forest last season, bottom when Cooper took over, then promoted via…. Yes the playoffs.😁
 
tangysider said:
Really do not want Critch
If not Dobs how about James Milner as player coach, or do those not exist anymore
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Honestly, no offence but that is the most out of touch post I've seen from someone on a football forum. Why would James Milner come to Blackpool and turn down 60k a week if not more at Brighton? Weird out of touch post.
 
Athers said:
I don’t want the snake anywhere near the club again. But if he IS appointed no point no aiming. Just get behind the team (I will never chant the man’s name again)
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Joe, as someone who has recently left a business after 2 years. Treat it as a business, he's quadrupled his wages. I'm not impressed with how he left but to go to such extremities.

If we win 5/6 games out of 7 at the start of the season you'll be belting it out.
 
td53 said:
I'm slightly concerned that without such elasticated athletic support he might just fall apart. Literally.



When was this? I don't recall it! Was it after the Forest game I wonder?
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I am straining to remember too, but you definitely had a new favourite for a short while, I can't remember who it was but I remember taking the piss at the time.
 
Albert Ross said:
Any team 2/3 points off the playoffs at any stage of the season is potentially a playoff team. In actual fact any team who have a mathematical chance of reaching the playoffs at any stage of the season has the potential to get there. Eg Forest last season, bottom when Cooper took over, then promoted via…. Yes the playoffs.😁
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What a stupid point, so going off your point we just got relegated as a potential play off team cause we start the season in play offs cause of the alphabetical order
 
20togo said:
so as a Blackpool fan it meant nothing to you to come above the nobbers in the league? Or the fact that many fans spent hundreds of pounds going to watch an inept performance where the reality is Critchley didn't give a monkeys about the result? Well. I wish he'd told us all that before we all decided to go! Sorry, if you think that's overplaying it!
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Your giving the players that played that day a free pass by the sound of it and blaming it all on one man. Where's their responsibility to the fans? Jerry, CJ Callum Connolly all played that day along with Keogh who left the next week a hero. Surely its a collective thing?
 
20togo said:
go on then, name these uninjured players given time off for this longer summer?
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You either...

A. Think that Critchley was a bad manager and in decline as evidenced by the Peterborough game and therefore it hasn't been overplayed.

B. Agree that isn't the case and therefore it has been overplayed by those putting that argument forward.

Pick, which one are you?
 
John Deary me said:
Three hundred plus posts , and not much in it , the mere fact it's a roughly 50/50 split is enough ammo for me to make my decision. I think it would be a bad move to bring him back, the club need to go into a new campaign with the fans fully behind a new manager or the nonsense of last season will take over again .
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I think that is the main problem, 50% would love him to come back but 50% don't want him, that's massive division which we have to avoid. I think it would be a mistake to bring him back although I can see why he would. I just think it is a recipe for disaster but it could also work well. I'd leave it because of the risk.
 
voyeur said:
Yes he did choose solidity. And it's preferable to dusorganisation and losing by a large margin. And we did have some flair, and we did attack teans. Lets not exaggerate. You were a Josh/Kesh lover yourself. Jerry too. I was critical of our lack of creativity in the final third back then. But we were shoestring and it was our first Championship season.

I would prefer more adventure for sure. I would like Dobbie to get the job . But i would also like us to be effective and win games. Phil used to bang on about results being the only thing that mattered. Then Critch proved him wrong by winning games repeatedly and he did a full 180!
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Phil said I was a clown for even putting Dobbies name into the frame after Appleton left.
 
Seaseaseasider said:
You either...

A. Think that Critchley was a bad manager and in decline as evidenced by the Peterborough game and therefore it hasn't been overplayed.

B. Agree that isn't the case and therefore it has been overplayed by those putting that argument forward.

Pick, which one are you?
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neither and neither does it have to be a choice of just those two. and you've changed direction. No players were given extra time off for a longer summer. You're making that up. I like a lot of other fans thought it was important to try and beat Peterboro so we could come above PNE. Clearly Critchley didn't give a damn about that. That was important to a lot of fans as I witnessed on the day when i was actually at the game. So no "overplaying" it at all. Critchley let the fans down badly that day. And that is my point.
 
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Albert Ross said:
When Critchley took over at QPR, they were ninth in the league only 3 points off the playoffs. I wish we had been in ‘ a complete mess’ when Dobbie took over.
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I don’t think he is cut out for managing massive ego players myself. It might explain why he found Jerry difficult to handle…he likes the players young and looking up to him as an ideal scenario.
 
20togo said:
neither and neither does it have to be a choice of just those two. and you've changed direction. No players were given extra time off for a longer summer. You're making that up. I like a lot of other fans thought it was important to try and beat Peterboro so we could come above PNE. Clearly Critchley didn't give a damn about that. That was important to a lot of fans as I witnessed on the day when i was actually at the game. So no "overplaying" it at all. Critchley let the fans down badly that day.
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Yep. Thought you wouldn't answer because you either A. Are a fool. Or B. Agree with me.

I never said what he did was absolutely fine. I said it has been overplayed. Those who use it to say he was rubbish or declining are overplaying it.
 
Seaseaseasider said:
Yep. Thought you wouldn't answer because you either A. Are a fool. Or B. Agree with me.

I never said what he did was absolutely fine. I said it has been overplayed. Those who use it to say he was rubbish or declining are overplaying it.
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Well if you think people are "overplaying " it I'd suggest you really don't care about results or team selection or the fact we could have come above Preston. Some fan you are eh! And you never did come up with the name of these many players given extra time off for a longer summer did you? Is that because you were making things up?
 
It wasn’t unnoticed that we were a much better unit when we had Keogh, Madine, Hubby, Maxi and Anderson as senior players who seemed to have some say and experience and knowledge for the younger players, I think the dressing room was a buoyant and happy place then and would have been important for Critchley too. We only have Hubby left now so we urgently need some experience and leadership n players we bring in, not just a bunch of young players.
 
hertfordseasider said:
It wasn’t unnoticed that we were a much better unit when we had Keogh, Madine, Hubby, Maxi and Anderson as senior players who seemed to have some say and experience and knowledge for the younger players, I think the dressing room was a buoyant and happy place then and would have been important for Critchley too. We only have Hubby left now so we urgently need some experience and leadership n players we bring in, not just a bunch of young players.
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It was obviously a very happy camp when Critch was here. They talked really positively about training and tactical preparation. It must have impacted on the squad when he quit. Appleton had to pick up a deflated group.
 
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voyeur said:
It was obviously a very happy camp when Critch was here. They talked really positively about training and tactical preparation. It must have impacted on the squad when he quit. Appleton had to puck up a deflated group.
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You could see how happy it was by the videos taken during training, the on the sofa with etc., in fact it would appear the whole club, including Sadler and the board capitulated and these sort of things were never seen again, the club as a whole was deflated and we seem to still be in that headspace.
 
hertfordseasider said:
Yes it was!! When MA had moved him into the number 10 position. I remember how dejected Gaz Goals looked after that, he was heartbroken, a shattered man.
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You're saying his ill fated challenge against Brizzle City was really a desperate lunging attempt to win back my affections? 😮
 
voyeur said:
It was obviously a very happy camp when Critch was here. They talked really positively about training and tactical preparation. It must have impacted on the squad when he quit. Appleton had to puck up a deflated group.
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Yep.
The senior players were noticeably engaged. Maxwell was quoted as saying “I go back to a conversation I had with Gary Madine and we said we feel like we’ve been taught how to play football wrong for the whole of our careers.”
Keogh spoke along similar lines, even with all his experience.
In turn, the senior pros would have emphasised to the younger lads the importance of listening and learning.
 
It's a good thread this with all bases covered.
As probably just about the first person to suggest Dobbie had the potential to be our manager I'll stick by my man.
I could reluctantly live with Critch coming back but I've long been aware of his cautious side. I've compared him many times to Gareth Southgate so you can take that either as an insult or a compliment depending on your point of view.
I can see the argument that the length of time this is taking could rule out Dobbie which could be true.
If it's not, IMO, it will probably be someone we've never heard of (or Eric Ramsay).
 
20togo said:
Well if you think people are "overplaying " it I'd suggest you really don't care about results or team selection or the fact we could have come above Preston. Some fan you are eh! And you never did come up with the name of these many players given extra time off for a longer summer did you? Is that because you were making things up?
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Shut up.

You never answered my question because you know that it will either make you look like a fool for saying it makes him a bad manager or that you've actually found yourself agreeing with me, but don't want to backtrack.

Of course I care. But that doesn't mean Critchley is a bad manager as some have used the game to try to show, therefore overplaying it. You either don't understand that or you just don't want to admit that you've made a fool of yourself.
 
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