Blackpool’s transfer business sees them set to kick on in the Championship under Neil Critchley

With the late arrival of Owen Dale, Blackpool have completed their business in the summer transfer window.

After their promotion to the Championship, an addition of consistent quality was required in order to step up but also keeping hold of the key figures in their promotion campaign was pivotal.

In this window, Blackpool have been able to keep a fine balance of both of those fundamentals and see themselves stronger which is never easy for a club on the up trying to keep hold of players.

Without covering each and every addition, we looked at the highlights of a busy summer for Neil Critchley and the Seasiders’ board.

The main man that has been the key target throughout the transfer window has been Jordan Gabriel.

An important loan acquisition in League One for the club, Gabriel offers the attacking impetus from wing-back, particularly in a back three, that the side has been missing in the early stages of this season.

Callum Connolly has filled in admirably at right-back in a back four and, whilst Gabriel’s ability to perform in a back four is probably lesser than as a wing-back in a five, being able to shift Connolly back into his natural position will add yet more strength to a strong backline.

Fundamentally, building from the back is what makes teams survive at this level, being able to rely on stability in the backline in order to take more risks further up the pitch and in the defensive options and Blackpool can now do just that.

Dujon Sterling on loan from Chelsea was another deadline day arrival to provide competition at that right full-back spot.

Sterling arrives as a more commanding defensive unit but he still has a clear burst of pace and passing range in attacking areas and has the ability to slot into a back three as the third centre half.

Moving on to the attacking front, Ellis Simms’ injury meant his return on loan was not possible so being able to add to the forward options with quality was key.

In Tyreece John-Jules and Shayne Lavery, Blackpool have brought in players capable of filling the void of Simms.

Both are new to this level and will feel their way into what is expected against a higher calibre of opposition, but they both have all the attributes required.

Lavery offers the on-the-shoulder poacher elements that are rare to come by nowadays and his movement off the ball enables him to create a lot of opportunities.

John-Jules arrives as a more technical player who is starting to build up his ability to deal with the physicality of the division, particularly when he is being asked to hold up the ball.

His movement from deep and ability to carry the ball alongside his quality passing will see him become an important part of Critchley’s unit.

Despite some criticism from certain quarters about John-Jules’ impact on games thus far, he strikes as a player who you need to watch back out of a live game state in order to appreciate what he brings to the table.

He is an intelligent player and intelligence both on and off the ball is something Critchley demands of his players in order to read the situation half a second earlier than their opponent in order to force turnovers or beat the offside trap.

Another arrival that has impressed thus far despite, as previously mentioned, filling in out of position is Callum Connolly who signed on a permanent deal from Everton after his loan spell at Fleetwood Town.

Connolly is a commanding figure in the backline with an ability to read the play well in order to win interceptions and tackles in dangerous areas.

His most impressive outing came against AFC Bournemouth where he was able to limit the impact of Jaiden Anthony out wide and as such enable Blackpool to regain a foothold in proceedings.

Now additions are in the door, Connolly can return to his rightful home as a centre half and it is yet another example of the squad depth that will enable Critchley to do what he does best.

Whilst a general philosophy of play is apparent, functional changes of formations and positional tweaks were what got Blackpool promoted, beating many of the supposed ‘bigger’ teams in the league in the process.

Having the ability again to switch between 4-4-2, 4-2-3-1 and 3-5-2 will set the Tangerines well for the remainder of the season, particularly against a higher calibre of opposition.

The final arrivals that should be highlighted are Josh Bowler and Owen Dale.

Bowler arrived with question marks over his injury record and quality in the final third but has been a revelation in the early stages of the season.

His confidence to drive at his full-back at every opportunity is enough to get any fan off their seats and, whilst his shooting could do with some work, his ability to create chances and assists has seen him become a key figure already.

Adding another player who has the confidence to drive at opponents, but adds the intelligence to roam across any of the three attacking midfield positions in Owen Dale only increases Blackpool’s attacking output.

The Tangerines have been creating chances and adding a solid defensive structure to that as they now have done, it is only a matter of time before things begin to click on the winning front.

The only real bone of contention is the lack of depth in the middle of the park.

It was clear that the club were pushing for an addition in that position after Grant Ward’s injury status was confirmed as long term and it looked likely that Cameron Brannagan was going to arrive from Oxford United.

However, Blackpool were not willing to splash the rumoured £1.5 million on the starlet and, after then turning their attention to another young star in Matt O’Riley of MK Dons, they eventually called it a day on their search.

This leaves Critchley with Kenny Dougall, Kevin Stewart, Grant Ward, Matty Virtue, Ryan Wintle and Cameron Antwi as central midfield options.

Others would argue Callum Connolly, Reece James and Sonny Carey are also options in that position but they are clearly centre-halves, left-backs and attacking midfielders respectively.

Grant Ward and Matty Virtue continue to remain out as long term absentees, Kevin Stewart has returned from injury but he has an injury-prone history and it is making him increasingly unreliable to be a consistent figure.

With that in mind, Blackpool can rely on Kenny Dougall and Ryan Wintle to be fully fit up until January and even then anything can happen.

Critchley will be hopeful that Stewart can remain in contention until January where there is no doubt the club will restart their search for a central midfielder, but in the meantime Dougall, Wintle and Stewart are key to Blackpool’s success in the first half of the season.

Fit and firing all three have proven themselves to be more than capable of controlling the midfield and setting the tone on and off the ball, with Wintle showing this at Crewe Alexandra, and Blackpool fans will hope that remains the case in the coming months.

All in all, keeping hold of a number of key figures from the promotion campaign first and foremost has been a major success, although once those players have proven themselves at Championship level.

On the incomings, Blackpool have been able to bring in that next level of quality needed to progress in this division and, whilst many of the players are untested at this level, it would be difficult for the club to bring in proven players without splashing an unsustainable amount of money.

The system of signing young up and coming talent from the division below, Premier League under-23’s and other UK and Irish leagues of a lesser stature is one that has been proven to be a success at a number of clubs and sticking to that model will see the club become able to invest further in the future.

It was always going to be a struggle to survive this season given the resources of clubs around Blackpool, particularly with the board prioritising key infrastructure improvements given the state the Oystons left the club in, but in Neil Critchley and his style, you have a coach who will get the best out of everyone at his disposal.

Whilst initially you think players who have arrived are untested, Critchley’s ability to quickly mould players into the quality required saw Blackpool promoted last campaign and no doubt it will keep their heads above water this season too.

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