At the beginning of March, Liverpool Under-23s coach Neil Critchley ended his seven-year association with the Reds to become head coach of League One Blackpool.
The former defender is just one of sixteen coaches worldwide to have an elite UEFA qualification after being hand-picked by the Football Association and, understandably, the club were disappointed to lose the 41-year old. However, he still maintains a decent relationship with Jurgen Klopp, as well as many of the club’s backroom staff, and this may open the door for several young players to spend some time beside the seaside.
Club Partnerships
Although the prospect of Premier League ‘B’ teams appears to be back on the agenda, EFL clubs may instead look to link up with wealthier top-flight clubs in order to form an unofficial partnership. Teams such as Chelsea tend to send their best prospects to Vitesse Arnhem in the Eredivisie, whilst clubs such as QPR and Stevenage certainly seem to get their fair share of Spurs loanees. The Blues also sent a number of fringe players to Derby during Frank Lampard’s tenure at Pride Park, and a similar deal could easily be introduced between the Reds and the Tangerines.
These agreements are designed to accelerate the development of younger players, allowing them to get valuable first-team experience and preparing them for life as pro footballers. With just an hour’s drive between the two stadiums, players are likely to suffer very little disruption to their personal lives, and this should enable them to settle into League One life and help them to hit the ground running.
Liverpool’s Sizeable Squad
Even with Nathaniel Clyne’s departure this summer, and the potential sale of Dejan Lovren, Liverpool’s squad still remains extremely bloated. The club have also been linked with moves for Ben White and Thiago Alcantara in the last few weeks and, whilst both players would undoubtedly improve the match-day squad, their arrivals may further delay the integration of several academy graduates.
Although Blackpool are likely to focus on the younger members of the squad and fringe players, relatively recent arrivals such as Takumi Minamino and Xherdan Shaqiri may also be told that they can leave Melwood on a temporary basis next season.
Despite this, Jurgen Klopp will be keen to maintain a decent-sized squad, with the club likely to be competing across several competitions. Although domestic cup commitments are considered a fairly low priority by the German boss, these tournaments do allow a number of academy graduates to get 90 minutes under their belts.
Fans also enjoy getting a glimpse of future stars such as Curtis Jones and Neco Williams, both of whom were given a start against Chelsea at the beginning of March. The Blues, who, as of July 4th, are 9/2 second favourites with Betway to lift the FA Cup this season, ran out 2-0 winners at Stamford Bridge, although both youngsters managed to emerge from the contest with plenty of credit.
Potential Loanees
Having been appointed as Liverpool’s under-23s coach in 2017, Critchley has been responsible for the development of several first-team players. Having overseen the club’s FA Cup fourth-round tie against Shrewsbury at the beginning of 2020, he has seen first-hand how the players coped with the prospect of going toe-to-toe with an established League One outfit.
The likes of Adam Lewis, Jake Cain, and Liam Millar were all given their senior competitive debuts in the replay, and at least one of the talented trio may link up with the Blackpool boss in the coming months. Goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher may also be targeted, whilst midfielder Elijah Dixon-Bonner could potentially join former Reds youth team captain Matty Virtue in the centre of the park.
Continuing Their Development at Blackpool
Potential loanees are likely to be in good hands at Bloomfield Road, with the club receiving plenty of investment over the last twelve months. New owner Simon Sadler is a bona fide Seasiders supporter and, with the club recently signing a three-year partnership with sportswear manufacturer Puma, and hiring former Liverpool academy coach Mike Garrity, the League One side are keen to move things forward this summer.
With Critchley at the helm, and a number of familiar faces amongst both the back-room staff and playing squad, Liverpool’s youngsters are unlikely to struggle with the bedding in process, and many of them could certainly benefit from a short spell on the Fylde Coast next season.
