Critchley Gone | Vital Football

Critchley Gone

Blackpool boss Neil Critchley has left the club to join Premier League side Aston Villa as assistant head coach.
 
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Somethings gone on.
I can only think it must be transfer budget or plans for the immediate future.
It's great having a long term plan for the training ground / scratching sheds etc. but the priority is to stay and be competitive in this league.
There is only 8 weeks until the season starts.
Transfer targets - the likes of Brannagan will all be out of the window now.

Second season syndrome just got significantly harder


I'm gobsmacked and gutted.
 
there was something odd at the last game at Peterborough, at the end of game I was watching Critch and it was more than just embarrassment, maybe I'm reading more into this than there was. He had I guess been talking about playing style for next season and transfer activity. I foresaw a Crewe scenario of developing players and taking a % so being very comfortable and the opportunity to develop the training facilities must have been attractive.

At the end of the day just like DJ a badge patting self serving xxxx. I will feel less bitter if there is a plan for Gerrard to replace Klopp.

NC signed a new contract? 4 years? Good money to us?
 
Critchley signed a new 4yr deal earlier this year.
Pennies to Villa.
The issue is we are left with Garrity and his silent scouse mate as a number 3.
As a no2 Critchley won't, unfortunately, be able to take them with him.
On the + side wonder if Villa will now challenge Bourneymouth and Forrest for Bowler and spark some form of a bidding war.
More worried he may come for Grimshaw.
 
Club statement very bland and spurts the usual lines:

Blackpool Football Club can confirm that an agreement has been reached with Aston Villa for Head Coach Neil Critchley to join Steven Gerrard’s coaching staff.
The 43-year-old, who knows Gerrard from his previous role at Liverpool, has accepted the position of Assistant Head Coach at Villa Park, which was recently vacated by Michael Beale.
Appointed at Blackpool in March 2020, Neil Critchley leaves the Club following a successful period in charge, having guided the Seasiders to a Championship promotion, via the play-offs, in his first, full season at Bloomfield Road.
Awarded the North-West Football Awards’ Manager of the Season accolade in November 2021 for that achievement, he went on to lead Blackpool to a 16th place finish in the division last season with a tally of 60 points.
Placing a strong emphasis on developing talent throughout his time on the Fylde Coast, Critchley’s decision to take up the opportunity in the Premier League comes after managing Blackpool in 109 competitive fixtures.
Owner Simon Sadler said:
“Neil has been a consummate professional ever since arriving at Blackpool and really bought into what this Club and Town are all about. He has built up strong relationships with the staff, players and supporters and made some special memories for us all.
“Naturally, we are disappointed to lose him, but thank him for all that he has achieved during his time at Bloomfield Road and wish him well in the Premier League with Aston Villa.
“Our primary focus now turns to succession planning and making the best possible appointment to continue taking this great Club of ours forward.”
 
Gutted. I expected him to leave us at some point but I thought we'd done enough with the allure of designing a training ground and building a club back up to keep him through this summer at least.

Huge pressure on the next appointment. Whether we stay up or go down (obviously i'd rather us stay up!) the reality is whoever is in charge is going to be leaving a legacy in how the club is structured and rebuilt and the wrong person could leave a mess that needs unpicking.

Relegation is always likely with a club our size and with our budget.

I'm just surprised, but perhaps he thought he'd taken us as far as he could and ultimately he's left for a job that probably doubled or trebled his wages, safe in the knowledge he could walk into another Championship job tomorrow if they came knocking.
 
I should also add the timing is incredibly frustrating for next season planning. We must surely have had targets identified and approached by this point and all of that will be paused ahead of getting manager in place.
 
Your last paragraph in your initial post summed up my thoughts too- more money, less responsibility got out whilst his reputation and record were about as high as it could have been with us.
I agree fully re: transfer targets. Brannagan is a no then😁
That said I expect a stream of villa's future talents will all be on loan with us and starring in the x
Championship whilst we improve their stock, similarr to the scousers we have .
 
Like the majority, I'm absolutely gutted. I agree with Sexys assessment in that he was probably frustrated at the lack of transfer funds available to him when he had a clear plan of who he needed and where he needed them.

God knows who will step back in now?




Charlie Adam?
 
There's something that's not quite right. He's obviously jumped ship, but what for? He's had good backing up to now.
Probably can't hack pressure and more comfortable as a number 2 after all ?
Lets get a real manager in. Never really took to him tbh. Probably spent too much money on waifs and strays.
 
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Well that wasn't good news to wake up to down under was it! Like you all, I'm in a state of disbelief and gutted.

Hopefully, we shall find out over the course of this next week, what has led up to this sudden gut wrenching situation we now find ourselves in.
 
BobHatton said:
Like the majority, I'm absolutely gutted. I agree with Sexys assessment in that he was probably frustrated at the lack of transfer funds available to him when he had a clear plan of who he needed and where he needed them.

God knows who will step back in now?




Charlie Adam?
Click to expand...

Prem, may get his wish and a hugely experienced Holloway could be in the mix. It will be an interesting quest.
 
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It's obviously to do with 'available Transfer funds'...

I think SS this time has made a serious misjudgment...
 
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