Blackpool FC: Neil Critchley shares his excitement over the signing of Karamoko Dembele
The 20-year-old has joined the Seasiders on a season-long loan from Brest.
Critchley has been impressed by what he’s seen so far from the winger- who could make his debut for the Tangerines in the game against Wigan Athletic on Saturday afternoon.
“He has a love of football and a love of the game- he wants the ball and takes it in any situation.
“He’s got really close control and good feet.
“He’s probably had a slightly frustrating time out in France, which can happen.
“He comes here looking to showcase himself and prove who he is.
“Young players, through no fault of their own, might not get opportunities at the right or find the right coach or the right club- and that’s not their fault.
“We’re hopeful we can provide those things for him because there’s no doubting the ability he’s got.
“If we give him the platform to showcase his ability then it’s up to him to prove who he is.
“He’s not played a lot of football in the last 12 months and we have to be mindful of that.
“I’m excited by his addition and I’m looking forward to working with him.
“It might take him a little bit of time to get going and adjust, but when he does, I think we’ve got a good player on our hands.
“He will bring flexibility to us at the top end of the pitch- he’s got a profile that we can adapt to certain games.
“He can play on the outside or the inside. He’s got an eye for finding pockets and space on the pitch.
“He just brings us a different dimension.
“He’ll be available for selection. He came on for Brest against Marseille last Saturday, so he’s fit, but possibly not enough to do 90 minutes.”
Critchley says he’s been aware of the former Celtic forward for a while.
“I saw him for England’s youth teams,” he added.
“Like all young players that catch my eye, I tried to monitor him and looked at his pathway.
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The Seasiders had led for the majority of the game, with Jordan Rhodes marking his home debut with a goal in the opening stages of the fixture.
Latics thought they had done enough to claim a draw following Josh Magennis’ late equaliser, before Dougall ensured all three points went the way of the Tangerines.
The latter stages of the match certainly brought a range of emotions for the Blackpool fans.
After leading for the majority of the game, it looked as if they were only going to have a point to show for it.
Although Wigan had improved in the second half, the Seasiders had multiple opportunities to kill the game- with Sam Tickle denying them on a number of occasions.
The equaliser must’ve felt like a real sickener, but Neil Critchley’s side demonstrated fantastic fighting spirit.
With things not going their way in the last few weeks, it would’ve been easy for heads to drop; instead they picked themselves up and secured the win.
The substitutes played a key role in the winner, with Owen Dale finding Matty Virtue, before the midfielder slotted the ball across the box to Dougall.
The win against Wigan was by far the Seasiders’ best performance so far this season.
From the first minute they were on it, and looked alert.
A change in structure when attacking was certainly effective, with a much bigger threat coming from down the wings.
CJ Hamilton certainly looked more involved playing higher up, and enjoyed a superb afternoon.
Tickle was kept busy throughout, while Dan Grimshaw also produced a big save to stop Wigan from equalising earlier in the second half.
Things were just a lot more energetic from the Tangerines, and simply caught their opponents sleeping at times.
Fantastic front two
Rhodes marked his first start for Blackpool with a goal after four minutes.
He looked a threat throughout and is the natural finisher the Seasiders need.
Meanwhile, Jake Beesley was fantastic alongside him, and caused Latics a number of problems with his physical presence.
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