Do Blackpool have a problem with decision making in the final third?

An angry Neil Critchley bemoaned his side’s ability to put teams away in counter-attacking situations after they let a lead slip against Hull City.

This has been a running theme throughout the season so far and a discussion that has cropped up with supporters as an aspect of frustration in what has been overwhelmingly a positive start to the season.

Looking into Critchley’s post-match remarks, we looked at the numbers behind Blackpool’s use of possession in dangerous areas to see if the numbers backed up what we are seeing on the eye.

“There were too many touches, poor choices, poor quality”

It is hard to disagree with this assessment of Blackpool’s play against Hull and it has cropped up in games prior at times too, the Hull game simply compounded that judgement because the Seasiders were punished for it.

First of all, Blackpool have had the second-lowest possession in the division behind Blackburn with 42.3% which highlights the importance of being able to make good use of the ball in counter-attacking situations in order to take advantage in games.

Their ability to force turnovers cannot be questioned and their off the ball work enables plenty of chances to progress into dangerous areas against a defence on the backfoot, but their use of the ball in those areas has been relatively poor, as Critchley assessed.

Blackpool have had 172 unsuccessful touches so far this season, the second-worst in the division.

An unsuccessful touch is defined as a player touching the ball before losing possession and this has been a common theme in the team’s play, especially in potentially dangerous attacking scenarios after winning the ball back on the counter.

Decision making is a difficult thing to coach into players, but clearly, it is something that needs to improve with chances being wasted at important times and Blackpool are losing out in games because of it.

Every Blackpool player had their moment of slack play against Hull but Josh Bowler, in particular, this season has been dispossessed the most out of the squad, on average twice a game, but he has some of the highest successful dribbling stats in the league with 3.5 per game so it is a balancing act with him.

When he is on it, he is Blackpool’s biggest threat when it comes to creating space and opportunities, but on nights like Tuesday when nothing seems to be coming off, he cuts a frustrating figure to watch, losing the ball in dangerous areas when better options are available.

However, you just have to take that and continue to persist with him anyway because you know he will be the difference-maker when it matters.

“Wayward shooting, missing the target”

Another frustration of Critchley’s is when it comes to letting shots off and it is evident to see why when you are watching games.

Blackpool’s ability to create chances is generally positive. 12th in the division for xG with 12.53 which is impressive for a newly-promoted side and showcases their attacking intent.

That being said, from that 12.53xG they have scored nine goals so far, so a differential of 3.53 in terms of the quality of chances created compared to how many are put away. That points to the wayward nature and wastefulness of good goalscoring opportunities that Critchley is evidently frustrated by.

What really stands out, however, is that only 30% of Blackpool’s shots this season have been on target, the third worst for accuracy in the division.

Continuing to miss chances at this rate and have a limited shot selection in important moments will see Blackpool no doubt have similarly frustrating results to the point away at Hull in midweek.

If anyone can improve this, it’s Critchley

The difference-maker, whenever questions have been raised of Blackpool, has been Neil Critchley’s ability to tweak things tactically or coach players out of arising issues.

Despite his relatively short first-team managerial career, he has already built a portfolio of players he has improved.

Ellis Simms’ positional sense and decision making in the final third was questionable, to say the least at the beginning of his loan spell from Everton. However, by the end of the season, he was a complete forward, thriving with confidence and efficiency in dangerous positions bringing with it an upturn in Blackpool’s clinical edge.

He has changed Demetri Mitchell into an inside forward on either wing, becoming an important figure adding to the creation of chances.

Gary Madine looked out of shape and lacking in confidence before Critchley arrived and within months he was a nimble, technical target man who unlocked compact defences in tight affairs.

The list could go on, but ultimately, Neil Critchley thrives in situations like this. He holds incredibly high standards and will delve into the finer details of every players game’s to find small margins of improvement.

Players like Josh Bowler, Keshi Anderson and Tyreece John-Jules are exactly to type of player Critchley has turned into a more complete player later down the line, with numbers in terms of goals and assists to boot.

All three of those players have the attributes to add goals and assists to their game and if anyone is going to get it out of them it is Critchley.

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