Will Bargain Players And Trialists Be Enough?

With Blackpool’s first pre-season game now over with and preparations for the new season fully underway, questions have to be asked as to whether the players currently being linked with Blackpool are enough to re-establish the club as a challenging side?

The latest rumour about Pool’s transfer activity has linked them with a possible move for 24-year-old MK dons midfielder Stephen Gleeson, another one of Ince’s former players. Gleeson would require a transfer fee, which could give fans hope of some investment finally going into the squad. He is also far more established than many other players Pool have been linked with in recent weeks, including many of the trialists. Gleeson could well be a good signing.

I think it’s fair to say that many of the trialists we saw in action against Penrith were relatively unheard of, however many of them impressed. Charles Dunne of Wycombe was one of the trialists to do well with it being rumoured that Pool could in fact attempt to sign the left back.

But when you look at the likes of Wigan, Watford and Nottingham Forest who are all consistently linked with proven and established players, we have to wonder whether Blackpool will be able to challenge with these teams who are spending more money and are signing the sorts of player Ince clearly wants to sign.

He told The Blackpool Gazette: ‘all the trialists who played on Saturday did well, but we are a championship club and shouldn’t be looking at trial players’.

Although this doesn’t rule out the fact that these trial players could compete in the championship if Pool were to sign them, I’m sure Ince and us fans would much prefer the club to spend money on proven quality rather than risk building a squad of free and bargain players.

Written by Dan Bennett.