'It shows the character and ability they've got' - Blackpool boss talks Doncaster Rovers ahead of Tuesday's clash

Rovers ended a run of three consecutive defeats with Saturday’s 3-3 draw against Hull City.

Critchley says Rovers’ ‘sticky spell’ is nothing new for any side in League One.

“It can happen,” he told the Blackpool Gazette.

“Every team in this division at some point has had a sticky spell. There’s loads of games to go, so there’s plenty of ups and downs to come.

“But Doncaster have quality players. I’ve watched them play quite a lot of times this season, they’ve got a real clear way of playing and they present a lot of problems for you.

“You have to be well-organised against them, you have to know what you’re doing defensively and if you do that, hopefully you can hurt them at the other end of the pitch.

“It was a great comeback from them against Hull at the weekend, to come from 3-1 down against a side like Hull shows the character they’ve got in the squad and the ability.”

Critchley was the U23s manager at Liverpool prior to taking charge at Blackpool last March and says he is well aware of talents of the younger members of the Rovers side, particularly those who have joined on loan from Premier League clubs.

And he feels Rovers have coped well since the departure of skipper Ben Whiteman, who joined Preston North End in January.

“Since then they’ve brought in John Bostock, who will play in a similar role for them,” he said. “He has very good quality on the ball and can dictate play for them.

“They’ve tried to replace like-for-like in that position a little bit, but they’ve got some other good players in the middle of the pitch in Matt Smith, who I know from Man City, they’ve got Taylor Richards who plays slightly higher and Madger Gomes, who I know from Liverpool.

“So they’ve got plenty of young players that I’m aware of who have come through the academy system.

“They’ve got some really good players, so it should be a good game.”

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