Neil Critchley makes Blackpool play-off claim

Blackpool boss Neil Critchley has refused to give up hopes of an unlikely play-off place for the Seasiders this season.

After their midweek draw with Sheffield United, Blackpool are currently 13th in the Sky Bet Championship table and seven points behind QPR in sixth.

Critchley admits they’ll have to go on a good run, but says there is still plenty left to play for.

“We’ll have to go on a really good run, but there’s plenty of points to play for yet,” he told The Blackpool Gazette.

“We’ve got nine games left to play, that’s 27 points so while we’re still there we will go for it.”

“The first few games back after the break will obviously be really important but if we can get a couple of wins there and build some momentum, it will make the last few games interesting.”

“That’s the aim – to try and keep going, keep rolling the dice to try and win games. If we do that, then who knows what might happen come the end of the season?”

Blackpool have had a good campaign on their return to the second-tier following their League One play-off victory last season.

Critchley says the Seasiders form and results are no accident.

“You look at Swansea, last season they were in the play-off final and Sheffield United have just come down from the Premier League and we’ve taken four points off them and deservedly so. It’s not by accident,” he explained.

“We are where we are by merit. We’re nearly getting to that point of ‘how do we turn these draws into wins?’”

“Sometimes it’s difficult straight after games because you want to reflect and evaluate the performance, but four points, we’ve only lost one in seven at home and that was Bournemouth, who we should have beaten, so we’re hard to play against here.”

Blackpool next play at Bloomfield Road