Radio Lancs interview with Critch.

He’s a Fckn cracking signing when you consider everything. Sad to say we
Live in a Modern day environment where everyone demands instant success and they don’t care how or where it comes from. Well you wet wipes need to Dig in now
And back the team and Manager.
 
Eternaloptimist said:
This is Groundhog Day all over.
A new manager comes in (Appleton and McCarthy before Critch) give a very good first interview and the supporters shine to him.
I’m not implying that Critch won’t do a good job but what do people expect to hear from a new manager?
“Well, I’m not sure if I can deliver but I’ll give it a go”
“Not happy with the squad I’ve inherited but you can only work with what you’ve got”
“Not thought about an assistant yet but I’ll take whoever comes along.”
“The supporters mean naff all to a manager because they are all fickle.”

Get real guys, a new manager will always speak positive AND they know what answers the fans want to hear.
Click to expand...
Eternal optimist 😌 Be optimistic...
 
Eternaloptimist said:
This is Groundhog Day all over.
A new manager comes in (Appleton and McCarthy before Critch) give a very good first interview and the supporters shine to him.
I’m not implying that Critch won’t do a good job but what do people expect to hear from a new manager?
“Well, I’m not sure if I can deliver but I’ll give it a go”
“Not happy with the squad I’ve inherited but you can only work with what you’ve got”
“Not thought about an assistant yet but I’ll take whoever comes along.”
“The supporters mean naff all to a manager because they are all fickle.”

Get real guys, a new manager will always speak positive AND they know what answers the fans want to hear.
Click to expand...
Appleton did not give a good first interview. ‘As a club we clearly over achieved last year’. It was dreadful.
 
no9 said:
Exactly, we are a top football club and shouldn’t have gone to pieces when Critchley left.
Click to expand...
But when a club has no contingency plan in place in order for it to be able to respond to such an eventuality, that's precisely why things happened in the way that they did. To put it as briefly as I can, we were hopelessly ill-prepared.
 
AmericanTangerine said:
That is the most authentic interview I've ever listened to from a Blackpool manager.

He sounds genuinely regretful that he left, understands the situation he's come into, and is committed to righting those wrongs and getting us back to where we belong.

Time for the fans to back him (and for Sadler too as well in the market).

🍊
Click to expand...
Almost as authentic as Big Mick saying TC was going to get a tune out of our strikers!

Good interview with Critch who had to face some difficult questions He will have to work his arse off to get the systems and culture back to where they were prior to him leaving. We need a fair few players too.
 
td53 said:
Sorry but *wistful smile* "my heart was always here.... We'll, obviously, when I was managing different clubs I just glanced at the results and was thinking about them " is perilously close to a heart/hand gesture for me.

It's Critch doing Critch things.

I honestly don't give a fuck what he says now. I like him on one level. On another, I want him to stop the sentimental charm offensive cos it annoys me.

He'll work hard and he'll do his best. The rest will be what it will be. My favourite Critch interview was when he went mental about refs on Sky. More of that and less of the 'honestly, hand on heart, swear down, cut me in half it says Blackpool, I'm just a little stick of Blackpool rock me' stuff.

It was a good interview by Andy Bayes.
Click to expand...
Forgive me if I'm wrong, td53, but do I detect the slightest whiff of cynicism in that post?
 
I love the bit when the interviewer is leading up to the question..."There will be managerial changes come the start of next season, probably more this summer as well...if Steven Gerrard gets a managerial role"....

Critch "No"

😆

I actually believe he had a real connection and love for us. He left and due to unfortunate circumstances, being told not to say anything etc, it wasn't handled well he's apologised.

But if anything his journey will only make him realise what he had here even more and I believe he does. Also he's said he's done that now, he's less likely to do it again.

Think about it, he was loved here, the fans were awesome in backing him and the team.

He left to take a chance at the highest level, a number 2 coach yes but in that ex player experienced coach dynamic, the number 2 is is almost a co manager in many ways.

He's experienced a couple of other clubs and it's not worked out and he won't have had anywhere near the love, support, connection etc that he got here. He said it himself, sometimes you don't know what you've got until its gone.

He knows what the fans can bring, as he said, when it's rocking not many teams enjoy coming to Bloomfield Road, if he can help get us going again, it's another huge advantage for us to do well.
 
tarantula said:
Forgive me if I'm wrong, td53, but do I detect the slightest whiff of cynicism in that post?
Click to expand...
Yeah. Maybe. It's not cynicism about his abilities. At least he didn't start talking about sense checking and cold towel moments in this one.
 
Well I nearly nodded off during that interview. He's here I wouldn't have had him back (not for his silent exit) he will start to win me over by getting us firing on all cylinders & winning.
 
A good interview from Andy Bayes. It goes to show what good local radio can (emphasis on can) be about. Liz Truss never recovered from Rima Ahmed skewering her on BBC Leeds…

I digress, he said also the assistant is pretty much sorted?
 
td53 said:
Sorry but *wistful smile* "my heart was always here.... We'll, obviously, when I was managing different clubs I just glanced at the results and was thinking about them " is perilously close to a heart/hand gesture for me.

It's Critch doing Critch things.

I honestly don't give a fuck what he says now. I like him on one level. On another, I want him to stop the sentimental charm offensive cos it annoys me.

He'll work hard and he'll do his best. The rest will be what it will be. My favourite Critch interview was when he went mental about refs on Sky. More of that and less of the 'honestly, hand on heart, swear down, cut me in half it says Blackpool, I'm just a little stick of Blackpool rock me' stuff.

It was a good interview by Andy Bayes.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I much preferred Appleton in interviews actually...
 
None of us liked the way he left but in reality it was only a matter of time before he was offered a chance at a bigger club. So in that respect his success first time around was always going to court interest. The fact our board failed to have any succession plan in place is completely their fault (something they need to learn from). Then to make matters worse, the recruitment process for a replacement took way too long and resulted in quite possibly the worst managerial appointment since Graham Carr. Appleton was dour from the off, everything fans don't want to hear. The board failed to grasp why our supporters didn't want him (something the board need to learn from). Then we have the icing on the cake, the absolute mess we made of recruitment. Poor signings and failing to address key positions. Plus the Brannagan shenanigans really underlining our struggles to land our main targets (something the board have to learn from).

So here we are, almost like stepping back 3yrs in time. We know Critchley, have a reasonable basis of a squad but appear at a cross-roads. The board quite simply have to back Neil, if we want to become a Championship club, we need to start acting like one. We have a great coach, we now need the scouts and recruitment team to step up. If we can bring in 5 or 6 proven quality for L1, we will have every chance of success. But that will largely be down to getting off to a good start. Critchley and the club cannot afford to struggle in the first 10 games again, that is the main thing the board have to learn from!
 
I never had a problem with why he left it was the manner in which he left.
He's still my second choice but I'm fully behind him.
What I really want to know is have we cut his salary from last time?
 
NewburyOne said:
None of us liked the way he left but in reality it was only a matter of time before he was offered a chance at a bigger club. So in that respect his success first time around was always going to court interest. The fact our board failed to have any succession plan in place is completely their fault (something they need to learn from). Then to make matters worse, the recruitment process for a replacement took way too long and resulted in quite possibly the worst managerial appointment since Graham Carr. Appleton was dour from the off, everything fans don't want to hear. The board failed to grasp why our supporters didn't want him (something the board need to learn from). Then we have the icing on the cake, the absolute mess we made of recruitment. Poor signings and failing to address key positions. Plus the Brannagan shenanigans really underlining our struggles to land our main targets (something the board have to learn from).

So here we are, almost like stepping back 3yrs in time. We know Critchley, have a reasonable basis of a squad but appear at a cross-roads. The board quite simply have to back Neil, if we want to become a Championship club, we need to start acting like one. We have a great coach, we now need the scouts and recruitment team to step up. If we can bring in 5 or 6 proven quality for L1, we will have every chance of success. But that will largely be down to getting off to a good start. Critchley and the club cannot afford to struggle in the first 10 games again, that is the main thing the board have to learn from!
Click to expand...
Agree with all of that. I’ve never understood the blame that was placed on NC by some fans for the shambolic season we’ve just had. Yes his departure took everyone by surprise but from thereon in it was just a littering of bad mistakes and poor judgement that the club must learn from and NC is part of that process and as he keeps saying 'getting this great club back on track‘.
 
Insider said:
I never had a problem with why he left it was the manner in which he left.
He's still my second choice but I'm fully behind him.
What I really want to know is have we cut his salary from last time?
Click to expand...
Probably increased it. Sadler is clearly smitten and just wants a situation he is comfortable with. I accept we have to accept what Sadler gives us but all the BFC fans falling over themselves to gush over the recent media onslaught is quite a specatacle.
 
Last edited:
decent interview and interesting on lots of levels. i'm happy that he is back tbh. my gut feeling is that, on top of his undoubted abilities 'on the grass' and off it, he has a point to prove - to himself, simon, the club, and most importantly, the fans. this could well be the marginal gain that we will need in division 3. lump on the 20/1 i'd say. :) 🍊
 
This is the interview that was needed, obviously the club one was never going to be hard hitting but the reporter there asked some uncomfortable questions. It would have been ridiculous for him to come back and not have to properly justify leaving with no communication, as well as address why he wouldn't just do it again considering he did it first time round.

That felt a lot more genuine to me, the club one was a bit awkward to be honest.

Onto the season, I hope he wins us all round again with some promotion form (that of us who aren't won round anyway). If you take away the poor start he had last time, we'd have probably won the league - if we chalk that up to teething problems, we should have it boxed off by March I reckon🤞
 
If we storm the division next season and finish top, the acid test will then arise! He'll be a wanted man.

I'm sure Shuhmacher and McKenna will be in demand too but they are likely to want to take thei teams they have built up a level and show what they can do there. Critch has already done that once. I'm not sure he'll get offered a no.2 job in the EPL any time soon though?! So I think it makes sense for him now to show loyalty and build something, cos moving around over the last 12 months has set him back a long way career wise. Ultimately a poor decision to join Gerrard at Villa, Gerrard was out of his depth and Critch was cutting his teeth at a very high level that he wasn't ready for. And may never be.
 
Victorsponge said:
He a bit evasive regarding the Steven Gerrard question.
Click to expand...
It's all like that now with interviews, no-one ever gives a straight answer on owt, as you never want to upset anyone or imply anything.

He seemed as truthful as you typically get in these sort of things, I see the uncomfortableness of it all as the payment for not saying bye, a bit like when Cersei has to do the walk of shame in Game of Thrones 😂
 
CGP1 said:
Don't say that Voy. We were just starting to win Clappers round....
Click to expand...
I'm somewhere in the middle on the sincerity scale. I think Critch is fairly sincere but is partly blagging to keep the crowd at bay. Which is part of the game, I accept that he has to do it. The problem is that there is a big gap between the madness of football fans and the career ambitions of football employees, and head coaches have to speak across the chasm and try to placate the nutters, and the unstable, and the grouches like dear old clappers.
 
I’ve just watched this again.

I always remember him as not interviewing well with awkward guarded responses to questions .

He’s seems a different person now his responses are clear open insightful and with a level of depth that I haven’t seen before.

Can’t remember him speaking like this last time. Seems his experiences might have matured him as a manager.

I can see a real steely determination a desperate need to prove his doubters wrong both at this club and the others he’s been at.

He’s obviously chuffed to bits that he’s back and extremely grateful for the opportunity.

I’m pretty hopeful about this .
 
Last edited:
AngelBFC said:
I’ve just watched this again.

I always remember him as not interviewing well with awkward guarded responses to questions .

He’s seems a different person now his responses are clear open insightful and with a level of depth that I haven’t seen before.

Can’t remember him speaking like this last time. Seems his experiences might have matured him as a manager.

I can see a real steely determination a desperate need to prove his doubters wrong both at this club and the others he’s been at.

He’s obviously chuffed to bits that he’s back and extremely grateful for the opportunity.

I’m pretty hopeful about this .
Click to expand...
I saw him digging deep, knowing he has a job on to win people over after walking away not long into a long contract. Trying harder in an interview than previously.

I do think he is grateful for the opportunity, and maybe values it in a way he might not have quite as much, first time. That it works for him here, and he is valued. And he has a lot of autonomy to do things his way, build a coaching set up that runs through from kids to first team, with a new training facility at some point etc.

If he lasts that long. 😆
 
Andy Bayes on Twitter about yesterday's BBC Lancs Critch interview...

The aim is always and will always be to ask questions that listeners/followers/fans want asked. It's always to do it in a respectful manner too. That's really important to me. In 20 odd years of doing the job, the vast majority of managers have been respectful in return.

I have always found Neil Critchley to be a thoroughly decent man. We spoke for a little while yesterday before our interview and it was so clear how pleased he was to be back and how determined he is to repeat the success of his first spell in charge.

He made career choices, like we all do. Some work, some don't. I think he knows how good an opportunity this is to be back in a job that he'll feel supported from above, from his players and staff and importantly from the stands.

I think he came across very well in his interview yesterday. I think Blackpool are in good hands with him. When you talk to players who have worked for him, they think the world of him which is a great start.

It's going to be a really interesting summer how he shapes the squad for next season. It's clear that quite a bit of work needs doing with the squad and maybe that will kick in more when the sporting director arrives. I really hope this works out for all parties. #utmp
 
Last edited:
Victorsponge said:
He a bit evasive regarding the Steven Gerrard question.
Click to expand...
He had already said no part way through the question when he saw where it was going.

He's said multiple times hindsight is a wonderful thing and you don't know what you've got until it's gone.

Also, as someone said on another thread, Gerrard actually kind of threw him under the bus with an excuse as to why it wasn't working, saying something about a new coach, so I don't imagine he'll be dying to go back into that sort of thing again.
 
I don’t see any problem with a manager showing emotion by doing fist pumps.
Maybe some on here preferred Appleton’s show of emotion by standing motionless in his technical area with his arms folded or hands in his pockets.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top