Blackpool FC: Neil Critchley gives his verdict on the debuts of Karamoko Dembele and Kylian Kouassi

The 20-year-old has joined the Seasiders on a season-long loan from Brest and made his debut in the EFL Trophy tie away to Barrow.

His 60-minute appearance at Holker Street caught the eye of many, with the former Celtic attacker showing glimpses of what he is capable of.

“He showed some real quality and high class moments,” Critchley said.

“By his own admission, he could feel that he wasn’t quite in rhythm because he’s not had a lot of football recently and he tightened up in the second half.

“He still showed moments of brilliance on the ball.

“If we can get him closer to the goal and have more possession in the final third then he showed some lovely little touches and through balls- I think he can be a real asset for us.

“He’s strong, and has a low centre of gravity so he can twist and turn.

“Defenders are wary of getting close to him because he can shift the ball away so quickly.

“If he can get face forward, then he’s got a good eye for a pass.

“He’s got a lovely balance and agility. The more minutes we can get him, the better he can become.

“We’ve got a bit of time now to do a bit more work with him.

“When you see his quality and what he can bring to the team, it’s about picking the right moment to introduce him.”

Kylian Kouassi also made his Blackpool debut in the 2-0 victory over Barrow, with the young attacker coming off the bench to score, after Sonny Carey’s first half goal had initially given the Tangerines the lead.

“He’s worked very hard in the last few weeks,” Critchley added.

“He missed pre-season, so he’s done a lot of running on his own.

“The sport science team have got right into him to get him up to speed.

“It was a nice moment for him against Barrow to make his debut and score.

“He was buzzing- he’s a lovely boy.

“He’s desperate to do well, and in the little half an hour, he showed what he's about.

“We can’t expect too much too soon from him- he needs time, but I’m excited by what he could be in the future.

“We’ve got a good blend in attack. If you look at Jordan Rhodes and his experience, (Jake) Beesley is getting better all of the time, Shayne (Lavery) will come back from injury, and there’s Kyle Joseph as well.

“If we can get them all moving in the right direction then I think we’ve got a good group of players here.”

Following the postponement of this weekend’s game away to Fleetwood Town due to international call-ups, the Seasiders are not in action until September 16, when they face Wycombe at Adams Park.

They will be hoping to build on the win against Barrow, and their 2-1 victory over Wigan Athletic in their previous League One outing.