Blackpool sack Critchley after back-to-back losses

Blackpool have sacked head coach Neil Critchley after they began their 2024-25 League One campaign with back-to-back defeats.

Critchley, 45, arrived for a second spell at the club in May 2023 having led the club to promotion to the Championship two years previously.

The Seasiders missed out on a play-off spot by three points last term, finishing the campaign in eighth position.

The club confirmed that first-team coach Richard Keogh will take over as interim head coach, starting with Saturday's trip to Cambridge United.

"Despite his best efforts over the past 12 months, there have been a number of disappointing results and performances which means that a change is needed to give the club every possible chance of competing at the top end of the division this season," owner Simon Sadler said., external

“I will always be thankful for Neil’s wonderful efforts in guiding the club to promotion to the Championship in 2021, and then comfortably keeping us in the division the following season.

“I and all at the club wish Neil and [assistant head coach] Mike [Garrity] the very best for the future.”

Following Blackpool's League One play-off victory in 2021, Critchley kept the club in the second tier the following season but went on to join Steven Gerrard's staff at Aston Villa in 2022.

He later had a 12-game stint in charge of QPR, during which time the Rs won just once, before he was sacked in February 2023.

Critchley returned to Bloomfield Road following the club's relegation back to League One at the end of the 2022-23 season but the team fell short of a top-six spot last term.

The club were defeated by newly promoted Crawley Town and Stockport County in their opening two games of this season prior to Critchley's departure.