Howe and Thorniley free to leave

wizard_wes

Well-known member

Neil Critchley says Teddy Howe and Jordan Thorniley are both free to leave Blackpool.​

Neither defender has made a single league appearance for the Seasiders this season, though they have had outings in the EFL Trophy.
Blackpool’s head coach insists there’s no problem with either player but concedes they are free to move on should another club come in for them.

Critchley told The Gazette: “They’ve played some games for us in the EFL Trophy and I’ve got to say there are no issues with them. But they know the situation as well.
“If an offer came in for them to go and play somewhere else on a regular basis ,then I think it’s something we’d be open to and they’d want to do because they’re not playing football at the moment.
“All footballers will tell you they want to play at 3pm on a Saturday. They want to have that chance to compete for three points, which they’re not doing at the moment.
“If that situation arose and everyone was happy with it, then we would be.”
 
I would have liked to have seen more of them but if the managers feels this way then its time for them to move on. I wish them both the best.
 
They were Grayson signings I suppose, but isn't the point of the recruitment team that there is continuity even if a "head coach" is to leave - another one can come in that will share the ethos of the club, and on that token not cause the usual disruption that happens with the departure and changing hands of a new traditional manager..

This is a prime example of that not happening. Must be frustrating for Sadler knowing he's forking out for players on a two year deal for 12 months later after making barely any appearances they're told that they are free to leave
 
It's one thing telling them they can go , but it's another for them to try and get fixed up elsewhere on a deal as good as they are allegedly on here. [as reported on AVFTT]
 
Neither are anywhere near good enough from what I've seen

Howe has looked quick and dangerous going forwards but was shocking defending, and struggled to trap a ball in some of his pre-season outings. Some redeeming features as a player definitely but he's not good enough. I expect to see him turn up in the Conference North or South somewhere and maybe build back up with games and experience. A cheap punt that hasn't worked.

Meanwhile Thorniley is too short, too slow and too shaky to be anywhere near the first team. I live in Sheffield, know plenty of Wednesday fans and, to a man, they thought he was garbage. But being young and committed (ie. likes to put his foot in) is good enough for some people- I'm not sure how this amounts to 'highly rated', as described by the Gerzette.

Simply a bad signing - and evidently NC thinks so too. I'm not sure how bad a signing as I don't know what we paid for him or what wages he's on. But it's decent wedge by repute.
 
Thorniley’s lack of any sort of pace and athleticism makes him incompatible with Critchball. But you aren’t telling me he couldn’t do a solid enough stand in job rather than moving non-specialist players into the position to cover injuries.

Howe is young and looks to me like he wants to develop and is capable of developing. So I guess it’s a personality clash similar to the one Madine has with Critchley.

it’s purely my own opinion and I am not saying it’s fact in any way, but to me Critchley prefers the players to be keen and look up to him and his coaching rather than have to manage the strong personality players you get in professional first team environments.
 
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Howe was always a bit of a risk given he was signed on the performances against us in the FA Cup. Thornily surprises me, he came with such good reviews but has been poor, maybe a move for both will put their careers back on track. I guess the problem will be the deals they are on.
 
The only way they would leave is if we topped up their wages, assuming they can find somewhere, because they're not going to get BFC wages anywhere else.
 
I’m sure SS will judge the recruiter team as much as his managers.
Recruiting is to a degree a lottery but they can’t continue to have more duds than successes. At the moment it’s kind of in the balance for me some very good recruitments (within our budgets and reality as a Div 1 team) and a few baffling ones.
 
I’m sure SS will judge the recruiter team as much as his managers.
Recruiting is to a degree a lottery but they can’t continue to have more duds than successes. At the moment it’s kind of in the balance for me some very good recruitments (within our budgets and reality as a Div 1 team) and a few baffling ones.
Perhaps that's why Sadler brought in a Head of Football Operations, duties to include overseeing recruitment.
 
Thorniley’s lack of any sort of pace and athleticism makes him incompatible with Critchball. But you aren’t telling me he couldn’t do a solid enough stand in job rather than moving non-specialist players into the position to cover injuries.

Howe is young and looks to me like he wants to develop and is capable of developing. So I guess it’s a personality clash similar to the one Madine has with Critchley.

it’s purely my own opinion and I am not saying it’s fact in any way, but to me Critchley prefers the players to be keen and look up to him and his coaching rather than have to manage the strong personality players you get in professional first team environments.
Howe and Thorniley don’t strike me as ‘strong personality players’ but rather relatively young lads who Critch simply doesn’t rate. Also you mention Madine, if Critchley didn’t fancy managing the strong personality players you get in professional team environments then why is Gary playing every week and has seemingly become the backbone of our attacking set up?
 
Howe and Thorniley reflect probably the worst stage of Sadler’s tenure. That January window last season, even if it did bring in some good signings in Kdh, Moore, Ward and Madine, was a shambles. The whole thing was a panic, and I have to admit it gave me doubts about Mansford and co. Why they decided to sign 7 or 8 players and then sack Grayson after he’d had 2 games with them I still don’t understand
 
Howe and Thorniley reflect probably the worst stage of Sadler’s tenure. That January window last season, even if it did bring in some good signings in Kdh, Moore, Ward and Madine, was a shambles. The whole thing was a panic, and I have to admit it gave me doubts about Mansford and co. Why they decided to sign 7 or 8 players and then sack Grayson after he’d had 2 games with them I still don’t understand
The recruitment team are very fortunate to still be here!
 
Howe and Thorniley don’t strike me as ‘strong personality players’ but rather relatively young lads who Critch simply doesn’t rate. Also you mention Madine, if Critchley didn’t fancy managing the strong personality players you get in professional team environments then why is Gary playing every week and has seemingly become the backbone of our attacking set up?
There’s literally no one else other than Madine. He clashes with Critch it’s fairly well known but if NC didn’t have him in the team he’d likely be out of a job now.
 
This has aged well


Chief Executive Ben Mansford said:
“Jordan has been one of our main targets for the winter window, so we are delighted to have this sorted at this early stage. Jordan comes having had a good upbringing at Everton and he has continued to develop after moving to Sheffield Wednesday. As well as being impressed with Jordan as a footballer, we were also impressed with his desire to come and play for Blackpool FC.

“It is crucial that we recruit players that want to be with us and commit to helping the Club realise its ambitions over the forthcoming seasons. Jordan comes highly regarded by those that have worked with him and we are all looking forward to welcoming him to Bloomfield Road."
 
This has aged well


Chief Executive Ben Mansford said:
“Jordan has been one of our main targets for the winter window, so we are delighted to have this sorted at this early stage. Jordan comes having had a good upbringing at Everton and he has continued to develop after moving to Sheffield Wednesday. As well as being impressed with Jordan as a footballer, we were also impressed with his desire to come and play for Blackpool FC.

“It is crucial that we recruit players that want to be with us and commit to helping the Club realise its ambitions over the forthcoming seasons. Jordan comes highly regarded by those that have worked with him and we are all looking forward to welcoming him to Bloomfield Road."
It's kind of just sad in a way, I know he's earning a decent wage but it's got to have gone deeper than that with him and the repercussions for the club.

Like someone said above, what was the thought processes at the club around this time, make all these signings then within 4 weeks arriving at a judgment that the manager just had to go. Its not like much had changed in those four weeks, it had been the same style and brand of football virtually all season bar one or two exceptions.

I'm all for giving managers time, both Critch and Grayson, but where as the majority of our fan base now clamour for Critch to bed in and develop his signings. I cant recall the same arguments for Grayson in the weeks leading up to his sacking, which were the same weeks he had just brought in five or six new players.
 
Could they just refuse to go, and see their contracts out?
Don't know how long the contracts are for, but if they're for over a year, they could sit on them until they got another club.
 
It's a cut-throat business being a professional footballer and NC is trying to be fair to both players rather than string them along. I don't really buy in to the theory that he avoids strong personalities he did make Madine captain recently in the absence of Maxwell and Turton.
 
Wouldn't have a clue what the pair of them are on a week but at a guess it will be above 2.5k salary cap so we could be totally goosed as no one is going to pay that and they may sit on their wage.

One question if anyone knows Lge 2 comes in for a player offers them salary cap of 1.5k can we pay the difference of money owed of contract just to get rid?
 
Wouldn't have a clue what the pair of them are on a week but at a guess it will be above 2.5k salary cap so we could be totally goosed as no one is going to pay that and they may sit on their wage.

One question if anyone knows Lge 2 comes in for a player offers them salary cap of 1.5k can we pay the difference of money owed of contract just to get rid?
Neither of them count against the cap I believe due to when they signed, but they're never making the 20 man squad next season.

I can see them just being loaned out for the duration of their contracts with us paying something like 50% of their wages.

Probably the best outcome for everyone.
 
It's kind of just sad in a way, I know he's earning a decent wage but it's got to have gone deeper than that with him and the repercussions for the club.

Like someone said above, what was the thought processes at the club around this time, make all these signings then within 4 weeks arriving at a judgment that the manager just had to go. Its not like much had changed in those four weeks, it had been the same style and brand of football virtually all season bar one or two exceptions.

I'm all for giving managers time, both Critch and Grayson, but where as the majority of our fan base now clamour for Critch to bed in and develop his signings. I cant recall the same arguments for Grayson in the weeks leading up to his sacking, which were the same weeks he had just brought in five or six new players.
Very true. Although I wouldn't have brought Grayson back to the club.
 
If either of them are thinking long term, they'd be better getting out of BFC and finding a club to put themselves in the shop window.
Whatever they're on now won't last them long if no one is interested in offering them a deal come the summer if they haven't kicked a ball in anger for a season.
It's not like either of them are the wrong side of 30 and can contemplate retiring/coaching and happily run down their last contract.
 
This has aged well


Chief Executive Ben Mansford said:
“Jordan has been one of our main targets for the winter window, so we are delighted to have this sorted at this early stage. Jordan comes having had a good upbringing at Everton and he has continued to develop after moving to Sheffield Wednesday. As well as being impressed with Jordan as a footballer, we were also impressed with his desire to come and play for Blackpool FC.

“It is crucial that we recruit players that want to be with us and commit to helping the Club realise its ambitions over the forthcoming seasons. Jordan comes highly regarded by those that have worked with him and we are all looking forward to welcoming him to Bloomfield Road."
Good find and shows off our recruitment team

We will probably be hearing something similar from the manager about several of our recent signings this time next year

Thats one criticism of the Sadler regime

Our scattergun transfer policy ...
 
The one plus side about our “scattergun” recruitment policy is that it gives us plenty of things to talk about and videos to watch.

If we only signed one or two players that were actually good, we’d have to go back to Cat and the politics board for entertainment or listen to 62 moan about lack of signings.
 
Very true. Although I wouldn't have brought Grayson back to the club.
Maybe, I didn't really have an opinion on his appointment at the time, I thought it might have been ok.

All this can't be undone now, we can however not make these errors worse and I think we are trying to right the ship, if we didn't bring any one else in this window I'd consider that a success.
Get through to summer with Critch, recruit a couple of strikers, a creative midfielder and a centre back, we'd be pretty much there. But we would need to move a fair amount of players out and that's going to be a real challenge.
 
In fairness to saddler he is still (and certainly was 12 months ago) new to the job. I'm sure the scatter gun will settle once he learns to ignore 95% of thia board 😂
 
I'm not altogether happy with this. We are not a super-rich club and we still need to get best use out of our investments. Looking at Poolfc's post quoting Mansford at the time of Thorniley's signing it appears that the Club gave some thought to it. In that case it's up to a Head Coach to try to get some return for the club's money. Even if it's just to put these players in the shop window. We can't afford to throw away cash just like that.
 
He much coaching has gone into these two ? Thorniley made a number of appearances for Wednesday in the Championship but has been deemed not good enough after how many pool appearances ? Whereas Lubala has looked well below standard but lots of people are saying give him time etc. Seems strange to me
 
The one plus side about our “scattergun” recruitment policy is that it gives us plenty of things to talk about and videos to watch.

If we only signed one or two players that were actually good, we’d have to go back to Cat and the politics board for entertainment or listen to 62 moan about lack of signings.
Cheap shot Chunky. I only moan 50% of the time in line with 50% of our signings flopping and the team losing 50% of its league games.
 
In fairness to saddler he is still (and certainly was 12 months ago) new to the job. I'm sure the scatter gun will settle once he learns to ignore 95% of thia board 😂
But the people he hired to run the club for him weren’t new to the industry.

it’s not Saddler per say that people are questioning it’s the decision making below him.

Ultimately if this keeps happening he ll have to act, and it does look like we re starting to correct things. But we supposedly have competent people running things like the transfers. They’ve a big 6 months ahead of them.
 
But the people he hired to run the club for him weren’t new to the industry.

it’s not Saddler per say that people are questioning it’s the decision making below him.

Ultimately if this keeps happening he ll have to act, and it does look like we re starting to correct things. But we supposedly have competent people running things like the transfers. They’ve a big 6 months ahead of them.
Something I've been banging on about for months and many on here bit my head off for having the temerity to question the standard of recruitment. Mansford & Johnson are lucky to still be here.
 
Could they just refuse to go, and see their contracts out?
Don't know how long the contracts are for, but if they're for over a year, they could sit on them until they got another club.
Yes they could. Same position as we had with Devitt, unless the remainder of their contracts are paid up by the club. They both have at least a year after this year
 
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