Blackpool stall after relentless run as Shrewsbury inflict first home defeat since October

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Blackpool looked slow, passive and void of any creative ideas but as easy as it is to lose it, they can very quickly reinvigorate what makes them a playoff side.

Neil Critchley is in a very tough position at this moment in time.

His squad gets thinner by the week as the injury list at Bloomfield Road grows, fatigue is beginning to come into play which is bound to happen when a side play at the intensity Blackpool have at times this season.

But ultimately a manager has to get the most out of the players at his disposal and unfortunately in the past couple of weeks, Critchley has struggled to find the right answers to bring the Seasiders through this barren spell.

One goal in their last four games, with that coming in their win against Sunderland where their underlying creative numbers were the lowest of the season at 0.34xG, has been the route of their problems as teams have began to find a way through the solid defensive unit that, like most of the team, has been torn apart through injury.

With just four games remaining of their season and sitting in the last remaining playoff place level on points with Portsmouth who sit just outside, Blackpool are teetering on the edge but there are plenty of solutions still there to reinvigorate the players who are available for one last push.

Addressing the passive play

This was the main frustration for anyone of a Blackpool persuasion against Shrewsbury and similarly against Rochdale, Accrington and Sunderland also.

There was no real intent to make things happen, to up the tempo in a bit to disrupt a compact opposition unit.

It is only recently that the Seasiders have come against teams who have no real desire to play out expansively against them and instead look to hold things level in the game for as long as possible.

Now that is a compliment to both Neil Critchley and his players that they have been so relentless for large spells of the season, playing to a high intensity, that teams now think they will simply be picked off should they go toe-to-toe with Blackpool.

But as Shrewsbury quickly realised, the Tangerines are culpable of going through the motions sounding out the opposition rather than playing their own game and setting the tempo.

It did not take long for Aaron Wilbraham’s side to start to take risks and play through the lines creatively and get success from it. They stepped up well and forced Blackpool into mistakes during their build up play.

Yet, as much as Shrewsbury deserve credit for utilising their game plan and gaining a vital three points, the hosts only have themselves to blame for allowing that to happen.

Kenny Dougall and Grant Ward were overrun throughout proceedings, continually losing possession as soon as they were put under pressure in tight areas.

Not that long ago Blackpool were playing with the confidence and ability where they trusted themselves to force play through the middle, linking up fluidly in tight areas in order to then drive into the final third and create chances.

That mentality and style that is what makes this Blackpool side so successful but has been non-existent since Lincoln staged a comeback in the 2-2 draw at Sincil Bank.

Much like the Rochdale game, Blackpool were predictable in their build up play, staging the same movements and passes before working their way back to the start again and repeating.

Rinse and repeat.

Chris Maxwell would play out to Dan Ballard, who would find Luke Garbutt who would face up as if he were going to take a risk and drive down the flank, only to turn back and play into Jordan Thorniley who would then pass in field to Kenny Dougall who would panic under pressure and revert back to Thorniley who would then force an aimless direct ball into Ellis Simms who would take an awful first touch and lose possession.

This has been the mantra of Blackpool’s style for four games now.

What makes things all the more frustrating is that you fail to see a player in that central midfield area who is willing to pick up the ball, take risks in tight areas and force the play into the final third, disrupting the opposition’s shape.

There is one man in the Blackpool squad who is capable of doing that and unfortunately for Neil Critchley he is out for the season. Matty Virtue.

Now what has papered over the cracks in recent times in order to keep the momentum going has been a quality of delivery from set pieces and in wide play in order to make up for the generally passive central midfield approach.

But Luke Garbutt’s delivery for the final ball has been poor in recent games and both Jordan Gabriel and Ollie Turton have failed to provide an option on that front on the opposite flank, leaving Blackpool void of a player that can take the game by the scruff of the neck.

Sullay Kaikai tried his best to make things happen and his movement and drive to up the tempo in a slow, dull encounter gave hope that this would spur on his teammates but ultimately it was wasted.

Experimenting with what you have

One thing that has been both a positive and negative during Neil Critchley’s time at Blackpool is that he will not rock the boat in terms of a formation, system or personnel change.

He remained consistent during their relentless unbeaten streak and he has remained that way during the poor run of performances that lead us to today.

After the Rochdale game, most people were calling for four or five changes to the starting XI despite a real lack of depth on the bench, yet Critchley not only stuck with the same system, but ten of the same players as well.

Expecting different results from doing the same things was bound to fail, especially when players fitness levels are dropping week upon week towards the end of a gruelling season.

What strikes me is the idea that ball retention for ball retention’s sake is what is needed to dictate control of a game, but when it is so passive and movement in between the lines is static, it is a worthless endeavour.

You are more likely to dictate control and tempo of a game, whilst maintaining fitness levels if the initial intensity in the off the ball press is there alongside a trust to create passing patterns in tight areas.

Despite the fact you are highly likely to lose possession more often, you are not losing it in dangerous areas and are then able to reset off the ball, instead Blackpool took no risks and allowed the game to dwindle out without much of a fight.

Bemoaning the frustrations of Shrewsbury and Rochdale is all well and good but it has to be noted that Neil Critchley is in a tough position and options are limited, but not even trying to explore other avenues with just four games remaining will only result in the season drifting.

But what can Neil Critchley do to ensure this small sample size of poor performances does not become something more?

Force play through the middle

What needs to be addressed first is that Tuesday’s clash away at Sunderland will offer Blackpool are more enticing game plan.

Playing a side that are willing to open up and try to dictate play themselves is exactly where the Seasiders have had the bulk of their success this season and if anything they are more likely to pick up a result in that game than against a lowly side who restrict and contain in shape.

But when play in the wide areas has ended fruitlessly and the central midfield have offered generally passive performances, it is about forcing his side to play in tight areas, to force movement in between the lines and overload the central areas in order to pick up space.

Many believe a switch to 4-2-3-1 will bring glory and everything will be fine again, but both that and 4-4-2 offer the midfield an easy out ball to take the simple option and go through the motions.

Yet, if the numbers in the central midfield areas were increased, it would open up more avenues to play the forward ball in between the lines and enable Blackpool to control the game further up the field.

Switching to a back three

With the limited options at Critchley’s disposal right now it is all about experimentation to force a state of play where the central midfield can be overloaded in order to increase chance creation.

A back three with the return of James Husband and Marvin Ekpiteta alongside Dan Ballard would first of all offer confidence on the ball in the initial build up stage as well as an effective intelligence to play a high line without being caught out.

All three of those players are well-rounded and it gives the midfield more confidence to take risks knowing that one of the three will more than likely anticipate the break of play first and sweep up where necessary.

One of Kenny Dougall or Grant Ward have to drop out because together they are setting the tone that has made Blackpool more passive in recent weeks.

Both players are quality deep-lying central midfielders but ultimately now teams are sitting in and picking their moments against Blackpool, they need more runners in between the lines in order to break up a rigid unit.

That is where Ethan Robson will offer more energy and physicality from deep in order to pick up second balls and distribute forward efficiently, as well as driving through the lines and taking risks on the ball, much like he did in his good run of form earlier in the season.

He is the closest you are going to get to Matty Virtue when looking at who is available and it is that uplift in energy and tempo that is necessary to stop Blackpool from pondering in possession.

As Grant Ward offers more of a natural energy than Kenny Dougall and more intelligence to anticipate the next move in play, Dougall is the one to drop out for me, although were there a fully fit squad, there would be a case for both to drop out on current form.

Alongside Robson and Ward, Demetri Mitchell on the left and Jordan Gabriel on the right would offer that natural width as well as a willingness to drive forward.

Both also offer sound defensive qualities that allow them to recover out of possession as well as sit in narrow when required to overload the options playing through the opposition press.

Looking forward and Sullay Kaikai has to be Blackpool’s number ten for the remainder of the season.

He is the pivotal spark in the side that can change a game in a flash on the turn and his calm head under pressure brings with it a more fluid link-up play with both the deeper midfield and attacking counterparts to revitalise the system.

Up top Jerry Yates has lacked form in front of goal in the past few games but he is that added dimension that brings so much to the team even when the goals are running dry.

His off the ball work sets the tone in terms of how intense the Blackpool press is going to be on any given day and he is bound to continue to make an impact in the run-in.

Alongside him Brad Holmes would partner him for me.

Ellis Simms is a good striker and there is no doubt that were he the focal point of a side that is constantly looking to get the ball in behind then he would be a cool goalscorer at this level.

However, this style of play requires more responsibility than that and his off the ball work, first touch and link up play leave a lot to be desired.

Holmes is very much an unknown quantity, but when the known quantity in Simms is offering nothing to the side as a whole, then it is a risk worth taking.

Far from down and out

You would think from the reaction to back-to-back defeats Blackpool’s season has crumbled and there is no distinct possibility of them reaching the play offs.

But despite that, because of the quality of their play for large spells of the season, they still find themselves in the top six, they have afforded themselves that breathing space.

However, the time to react has come and the next four games are the biggest in Neil Critchley’s short managerial career to date.

The ability of each and every available player, despite many key figures such as Gary Madine, CJ Hamilton, Dan Gretarsson and Matty Virtue missing just to name a few, is still more than enough to take on any side in the division.

This is because the side has always been about the style of play and the unit playing in such a fluid manner that personnel were practically interchangeable because each and every person knew the requirements of each role on the pitch.

That has been knocked off somewhat in recent games, but as much as it is easy to lose it, it is just as easy to get it back, it just takes that ten minute spell of high intensity and risk taking in tight areas to remind the squad exactly why they sit sixth in the table.

But that element of risk and intensity has to be championed from the sideline.

Passive, ponderous play that uses ball retention without purpose cannot continue if Blackpool have ambitions of playing Championship football next season.

Neil Critchley knows this more than anyone, he gave his players the benefit of the doubt after Rochdale, but there is no doubt that he will understand the gravity of mixing things up heading to the Stadium of Light.

It is all in Blackpool’s hands and they have more than enough to make it happen.

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