Former Liverpool U23s coach Neil Critchley has departed the Merseyside club to take up the role as head coach of Blackpool.
Fans have reacted to the news of Critchley’s move, with many paying respects to the great things he achieved whilst at Liverpool. The 41-year-old joined the Reds in 2013, coaching both the U18 and U23 squads. Critchley also infamously took charge of the first team on two occasions this season, with the most recent being the FA Cup fourth-round replay against Shrewsbury Town.
The Anfield replay saw a young Liverpool side secure progression into the next stage of the competition. Jurgen Klopp was blasted by the media for not managing the team himself – the social media outrage overshadowed the work Critchley had put in to secure the win.
Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott are both prospects of the Liverpool system who have been coached by Critchley. The youngsters have both made appearances in the first team, with Jones scoring against bitter rivals Everton to knock them out of the FA Cup.
Here is what some supporters had to say about the departure of Critchley, as one suspected he had been ‘overworked’ by Klopp while another said he ‘oozed calmness’…
Don’t blame him. Overworked by Klopp. Doing his own job plus taking the cup games. What a tough life https://t.co/wASrNFTrjZ
— John O'Sullivan (@NotoriousJOS) March 2, 2020
Look after him guys, he’s a cracking coach.
— The Academy (@TheAcademy21) March 2, 2020
Carol and Caroline to take charge of the FA Cup game tomorrow. https://t.co/CvqSxS1yof
— The Redmen TV (@TheRedmenTV) March 2, 2020
Neil Critchley will be a huge miss at the academy, he oozed calmness and young players knew they were in safe and trusted hands with him at the helm.
Best of luck at Blackpool; Will always have Shrewsbury! #LFC
— Joel Lampkin (@jlampkin96) March 2, 2020
Was looking forward to singing "We're on the march with Critchley's army!" again. Best of luck to him
— Whizzer (@Christo51747977) March 2, 2020
Robbie Fowler as a replacement James?
— xXx (@Poolinski) March 2, 2020
What do you think about the news, Reds? Will Neil Critchley flourish at Blackpool? Who will Liverpool bring in as the U23s replacement? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
