Beale a loss but Critchley is top notch
Michael Beale’s decision to leave Aston Villa to be QPR’s new manager left Steven Gerrard without the coach he admits “is 20 years ahead of me”.
It was a blow that could have seriously impacted on the Birmingham giants’ lofty ambitions for the new season.
But a swift phone call to Blackpool boss Neil Critchley – who as Liverpool Under-18s and later Under-21s coach had overseen the Kop legend’s introduction to coaching – saw Gerrard solve his dilemma.
New Loftus Road boss Beale was the coaching guru who helped implement Gerrard’s ideas, f irst at Ibrox and then at Villa Park.
He had learned well from his days at Chelsea’s academy under Carlo Ancelotti and Jose Mourinho and enriched his coaching skills in a similar capacity at Liverpool under Brendan Rodgers and Jurgen Klopp.
And having just moved into a new house, everything seemed set for Beale to extend his stay in the Midlands – only for QPR to trigger his urge to be a manager.
To the surprise of many in the game, Critchley, who had taken Blackpool into the Championship and established them as a team going places, was the man Gerrard identified to replace Beale at Villa.
And Blackpool chief Ben Mansford admits it was a move Critchley couldn’t turn down.
He said: “The call came completely out of the blue. I think the opportunity to work with world- class players and be part of Steven Gerrard’s team world swayed him.
“And, being involved in the negotiations that saw Neil leave Liverpool, you could see there was good respect and a bond between him and Steven Gerrard.”