Blackpool boss staying focused amid reports linking former Rangers and Bolton striker to vacant League Two job

Via his Patreon account, Alan Nixon reported the former Seasiders striker is in the frame to take over the top job at Accrington Stanley following the dismissal of John Coleman and his assistant Jimmy Bell earlier this month.

John Doolan is currently in caretaker charge at the Wham Stadium, with the club currently sitting in 15th place as they look to make a permanent appointment.

When asked about the reports linking Dobbie to Accrington, Blackpool boss Neil Critchley said: "I’m not going to discuss speculation, John Doolan is there in interim charge at the moment. I don’t know about that situation so it’d be wrong for me to comment on it."

Dobbie, who enjoyed four loan stints at Bloomfield Road as a player, has been Blackpool’s Senior Professional Development Phase coach since 2022, and even had a brief opportunity overseeing the first team at the end of last season following Mick McCarthy’s departure.

Critchley is pleased with the work being done in the academy, and hopes to see players progress through the pathway at the club.

"I was with him (Dobbie) last week at the training ground because he brought some of the younger players down to train with us,” he added.

"We’ve got a strong connection all the way through the academy, which is really important. It’s something I’m keen on because of my past. We’re always keeping an eye on the younger players, and we’d love nothing more than having one of them in the first team in the future.

"I wouldn’t want to discuss individuals, but we’ve had a few training with us. Jack Moore has been with us for a while after his return from Chorley - we wanted him in the group on a more consistent basis and he featured in the EFL Trophy, so that’s been a positive.”