'They should’ve been thrown out like Barnsley' - Blackpool legend's blunt responses to FA Cup fiasco and the impact it will have on Neil Critchley

The FA Cup situation has been disgraceful really. I don’t know why they didn’t apply the same rules as they did with Barnsley, where they got kicked out and the other team went through. Forest Green didn’t do the paperwork properly and they should’ve been punished.

The rules should apply across the board to every team that enters the FA Cup- whether you’re Premier League or non-league. It should be black and white, if there was nothing wrong then why did they make them replay their game with Scarborough.

It’s either a breach of rules or it isn’t, and if it is then they should’ve been thrown out like Barnsley were. It’s bewildering to me.

Blackpool shouldn’t be affected by this- they’re the innocent party in this but they’re having to deal with the consequences of it. It’s been treated very strangely and very poorly for me.

It was cut and dried with Barnsley, and I don’t see the difference, but the way they have sprung it is punishing Neil Critchley’s side as well both on and off the field.

Christmas is a terribly busy period. It’s also an important time, because if you get a good run then it can set you up really well for the second half of the season. It can give you a real boost going forward.

Games come thick and fast in a short amount of space, so you need to be able to prepare your players and get them back fit. It’s usually more recovery than training before you get straight back into it.

Throwing another game in there is just detrimental for Blackpool and they’re being punished for something that's got nothing to do with them. If players pick up injuries then it’ll be even worse.

It’s such a tough period. It’s even harder if you’re playing away and you’re not with your family. I had it many times in my career when I was in first thing on Christmas Day to train or at dinner time you’re having to catch a coach to go down to West Brom or somewhere like that. It’s stressful enough, and as a footballer you can’t enjoy it like normal people do. It’s just part and parcel of the job, you’ve got to get used to it.

The last thing you need during that time is an extra game chucked in.

I saw Blackpool against Carlisle and I thought they were very good. The wind was horrendous, and it wasn’t going in any particular direction, but they still played some fabulous stuff and scored three really good goals. It was a really dominant performance. Jordan Rhodes got another two, and it was a great finish from Andy Lyons as well.

You can only beat what’s in front of you, and they dealt with a few moments from the opposition very well.