Retained List

[SeasideEssexXile]

Blackpool Football Club can now confirm its retained list following the conclusion of the 2021/22 Sky Bet Championship season.
Options have been activated to extend the contracts of Richard Keogh, Keshi Anderson, Josh Bowler, Stuart Moore, Jordan Thorniley, Brad Holmes and Ewan Bange by a further 12 months.
However, Grant Ward and Ethan Robson are amongst those to be leaving the Club when their contracts expire in June.
Contract options exercised on:
Keshi Anderson
Ewan Bange
Josh Bowler
Brad Holmes
Richard Keogh
Stuart Moore
Jordan Thorniley
Players leaving the Club:
Cameron Antwi
Ryan Grant
Johnny Johnston
Matthew Liptrott
Charlie Monks
Ethan Robson
Sky Sinclair
Grant Ward
Loan players returning to parent clubs:
Charlie Kirk (Charlton Athletic)
Dujon Sterling (Chelsea)
Neil Critchley said:
“This is one of the most difficult parts of the job, informing players about their futures. I would like to thank all of those leaving us for their efforts at Blackpool and wish them the very best for the future.
“I’d also like to thank our loan players, who now return to their parent clubs, for the contributions that they have made to our season back in the Championship.”

 

[SeasideEssexXile]

Not surprised at Ward being released.
Surprised Robson wasn't taken on as I thought we could get a fee for him.
Have no doubt he will be a MKD player very shortly. They will consider his absence to have played a big factor in their failed promotion bid, especially when you consider how little he played for us after his recall.
I never saw anything in Antwi that made me think he could step up.
The big one for me is Kirk. I warmed to him so much more than CJ and Dale.
Think Keogh has warranted the option.
2nd season syndrome, this is going to be a crucial window for the progression of the club.

I think that it's a given Bowler will be gone.
I think Thorniley will be sold, Keshi's time looks to be coming to an end as he wants away and
I'm expecting Yates to be on his way out too.

 

[bfcluke]

Really surprised Kirk’s option hasn’t been activated as the wording of that post would suggest.

Agree with SEX that Keogh warrants the option and will be good for the Southport lad to learn from.

I expect a bid for Marv and if he ends up going I think Thorniley could be staying. Also thought they’d cash in for Robson maybe they couldn’t be fussed with the hassle and part of his agreement to coming back was a gentlemen’s agreement that they wouldn’t hold him back at the end of the season.

Absolutely agree it’s a crucial window though. I suspect a few will be shifted to make room (CJ/Maxwell/Yates for starters for me). I think there is potential with Dale and with a full pre season hopefully we can see more performances like Reading away but his time is running out.

 

[SeasideEssexXile]

Neil Critchley feels Blackpool are 'well placed' in knowing what is required to improve next season but expects a 'difficult' task to compete with other Championship resources.
The Seasiders were documented as having the lowest budget in the division with Luton Town in a similar position financially, whilst the top clubs in the league can boast squad spends in excess of £200m. With the disparity between the haves and have nots, Blackpool have to shop smart in order to improve their squad and compete higher up the table next campaign.
So far under Critchley, the Seasiders have seen progression through clever utilisation of the transfer market, shopping in the lower leagues of England to find the likes of Keshi Anderson and Marvin Ekpiteta, whilst also looking further afield with the purchase of Shayne Lavery from Northern Irish side Linfield.

They will have to work in a similar manner again in the summer but whilst Critchley feels Blackpool know what they require to continue to gradually improve, he also wants to ensure there isn't a reactive approach after recent results: “I think we were well placed anyway, you have to be very careful of being reactive from one game and we know where we’re at, we know what we need and we want to improve but we know it’s also difficult to improve with the resources and the clubs you’re coming up against in this division.
"We know it’s really difficult, however I say this will be tough to get over for the next few days but the players have been brilliant this season, over 45 games they’ve been fantastic and in a few weeks we can all look back on the season with good memories and we can be prepared ready to come back and have a right go in the Championship again next season."

When the former Liverpool U23 manager arrived at Bloomfield Road, the club were in mid-table of League One under Simon Grayson and now find themselves a level higher competing with the best the division has to offer. With interest in the best of his squad inevitable at some stage he may well have to recruit replacements before thinking about additions on top of that, but Neil Critchley is never prepared to accept things as they are and always wants more.

“That’s the aim, the staff this week we all met up, we’ve had a good two days together really and discussing every area and how we improve and how we get better. If we expect the players to improve then we have to improve so we’ve already been discussing that but there’s no guarantees," Critchley told Lancs Live.

"You can do everything you think is the right thing to do but at the end of the day it’s 11 players on the pitch and it’s up to them to go and perform how we know they can perform and today we were nowhere near them.”