Blackpool midfielder Jay Spearing believes that the last nine games of the season will be a good opportunity for new boss Neil Critchley to assess his squad for next season.

The Tangerines appear to have retained their place in League One for next season with the club currently sitting in 13^th place in the division with no concerns of them forcing their way into the play-off picture as they sit 14 points behind Peterborough United in the sixth spot.

There is very little riding on their last nine games of their campaign as they start to ease into life under former Liverpool U23 coach Critchley, who was appointed earlier this month following the sacking of Simon Grayson. This will give the manager an opportunity to test a variety of systems and players as he looks to make the squad his own in the 2020/2021 campaign.

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Speaking to The Gazette, Spearing did not rule out a promotion charge but believes that the next nine games will give him and his teammates a better understanding of what their new manager wants from them next season, he said: “We know it’s a long shot (to get into the play-offs). But we’ve got nothing to lose between now and the end of the season and we have to take every game as it comes.

“The gaffer has come in and he knows what he wants us to do, so we’re learning. You could say it’s a bit of a learning time between now and the end of the season. But we want to win as many games between now and the end of the season and we want to end the campaign on a high to take into next season.”

Spearing has made 30 appearances so far this campaign for the Tangerines with the former Liverpool man netting on two occasion, but he will be playing for his future at the football club during the next nine fixtures. His deal runs out at the end of the June but with the confusion over contracts amid the current health pandemic, it is unknown whether contract dates will be prolonged if the season does not resume until June or July.

During their last nine games, the Tangerines will face some difficult opponents with a host of promotion chasers set to come up against Critchley’s side. This will give the new manager an indication as to how close or far away they are from where they need to be if they want to be successful in the division next time out.

The Verdict

What Spearing has said is completely true as the new manager will be looking to give each player an opportunity to prove their worth to the club. In many ways this nine-game period is like a pre-season to the actual pre-season of the 2020/2021 campaign as Critchley will be trying new formations with different combinations of players to decipher who will be their biggest assets next season.

For those players out of contract in the summer, they will be required to implement Critchley’s philosophy onto the pitch with impressive performances against some of the best sides that League One has to offer. They are still to play the likes of Coventry, Portsmouth and Peterborough which will prove to be tough tests for the current crop of players with the club.