In Tuesday night’s EFL Trophy match between Blackpool and Morecambe, Olly Casey was given the captain’s armband.
After serving a three-match suspension, the defender was able to resume his stellar play from earlier in the season when he was added back into the starting lineup.
Neil Critchley, the Seasiders’ manager, says Casey still has a lot to learn and that he won’t be sure to start this weekend in the League One matchup against Shrewsbury Town.
He declared, “He needs to and will develop those leadership qualities.”
“He performed admirably during his time with Forest Green, and he has shown himself thus far this season. He needs to learn from his sending off, which may not have been justified, and his eventual three-game plan. He had a great time wearing the armband. I told him before the game that he needed to take charge and use his leadership and communication skills to assist some of the younger players nearby. I thought he did that; he gave a really strong performance.
He returned and performed admirably, but that does not guarantee he will play on Saturday; he may need to exercise patience and hold off.
The way several players stepped up to mentor the young players during the victory over the Shrimps at Bloomfield Road pleased Critchley.
“Go on, the young players need you now,” he continued, “as I was looking at Tash (Oakley-Boothe), Jensen (Weir), Andy (Lyons), and Olly (Casey) towards the end. It was a positive experience for them because typically when they play, they’re staring at a Hubby (James Husband) or a Norbs (Ollie Norburn). I observed them attempting to explain things to the younger players and interacting with them, which encourages them and benefits the team as a whole.
