League One boss who inflicted Pompey's biggest defeat of title-winning season sacked

Pompey’s former League One rivals Blackpool have sacked their manager Neil Critchley after just two games in the 2024/25 campaign. Blackpool will now have first-team coach Richard Keogh as interim head coach, and his first game will be Saturday's trip to Cambridge United.

Critchley, who was in his second spell as manager of the Seasiders, inflicted Pompey’s biggest defeat in the 2023/24 season as his side wiped the Blues aside to secure a 4-0 win at Fratton Park in November 2023. After going 2-0 up shortly after half-time, Joe Morrell was then shown a red card and Pompey soon dismantled as Blackpool put two more past Will Norris.

However, Critchley has evidently been unable to replicate such wins going forward with the side enduring back-to-back losses at the start of their League One campaign. Blackpool suffered a 2-1 defeat to recently-promoted Crawley Town on the opening day of the season before losing 3-0 to Stockport County at home on the weekend.

These results come after the Seasiders finished just three points outside of the play-off places, in eighth position, in the 2023/24 campaign.

Talking to the club’s website on his dismissal, Blackpool’s owner Simon Sadler said of Critchley: “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.”

Critchley joined the Seasiders for his second spell in May 2023, having guided the club to Championship promotion two season before. Following Blackpool's League One play-off victory in 2021, the 45-year-old kept the club in the second tier the following season but went on to join Steven Gerrard's coaching staff at Aston Villa in 2022.

Critchley returned to Bloomfield Road following the club's relegation back to League One at the end of the 2022-23 season but, after falling short of a top-six finish last season and overseeing two back-to-back defeats has been shown the stadium exit.

“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”, Sadler continued. “I and all at the club wish Neil and Mike the very best for the future.”