What went wrong for ex-Sheffield Wednesday and Aston Villa...

No one at Bloomfield Road will remember Josh Onomah’s time with Blackpool for very long. Although the Seasiders

had a solid list of references pointing to his prior promise and obvious football ability, the 28-year-old midfielder

showed none of that. The club took a chance by signing him and then offering him longer contracts in January, but

neither move paid off.

Onomah managed to make just eighteen appearances across all competitions, contributing one goal and one assist.

When the retained list was announced last week, he was one of six senior players confirmed to be departing the Fylde

Coast team.

You could probably say it was never going to work out for Onomah given the mammoth task that faced him.

After being unable to agree a new deal with Preston North End in the summer of 2023, the ex-Tottenham Hotspur

youngster had gone over 12 months without a competitive game.

Playing every single week is far more important than being on trial with a few different teams.

The midfield player was starting from a huge disadvantage, so it was always going to require a tremendous push for

him to get himself right.

He was thrust into action in a friendly match against Accrington Stanley behind closed doors following his initial few

weeks of training with the Seasiders last summer.

In that match, which would have been the most laid-back game he would have played in during his time at

Tangerine, he did display a few lovely touches with the ball, but he was definitely off pace.

The appointment of Steve Bruce as Blackpool’s manager likely had both benefits and drawbacks for Onomah at

Bloomfield Road.

Bruce’s system

Having worked with him at Sheffield Wednesday and Aston Villa, the seasoned head coach acknowledged that he

was aware of the former England youth international’s talent.

After his trial time, Bruce’s appointment may have been the decisive element that landed the 28-year-old a contract,

but it also prevented him from finding a natural position on the team.

The 64-year-old inclined to abandon Neil Critchley’s wing-back scheme in favour of a more conventional 4-4-2.

Onomah certainly didn’t fit into what was expected from the two central midfielders, and wasn’t a natural on the left

either.

He’s probably a player that does benefit from having a bit more attacking freedom just behind a striker, but that

opportunity never really came – mainly he wasn’t fit enough to be selected for long periods so the plan of where he

fitted in was never truly explored.

Sportupdates