Oyston: I Want To Keep Squad Together

I have decided to christen this week 'Karl Oyston Week' - you can't move for news stories concerning Blackpool's chairman!

For a man who normally avoids interviews like the plague, KO's been very vocal this week, and today he attempted to reassure 'Pool fans that he's doing his upmost to keep Ian Holloway's squad together, despite the departure of David Vaughan.

Speaking to the Blackpool Gazette, Oyston said:

'Ian thinks it is important to try to keep as many of them together as we can because they've done great things here, and I agree with him.

'So we have gone back to [Matt] Gilks and [Stephen] Crainey. We've had discussions with both of them, as we did with [David] Vaughan, and made them offers that we hope they won't refuse.

'It is not just them. At the last count there were seven players - Crainey, Gilks, Vaughan, Charlie Adam, DJ Campbell, [Jason] Puncheon, [Luke] Varney - that we may lose but we don't want to.

'None of those issues other than David Vaughan have been resolved at this stage, there is nothing concrete on any of the other ones.'

Asked about whether, like Vaughany, the attraction of playing in the Premier League would prove too enticing for the players in question to remain at Bloomfield Road, Oyston said:

'Our team has shown beyond any doubt they have that collective ability to get there and then almost stay there.

'So, of course, they are going to get admirers from here, there and everywhere, and all we can do is give them the best offer we can and try to keep ourselves in the loop and try to retain them if we can.'

Both Gilks and Crainey are out of contract at the end of the month, whilst Adam and Campbell have been linked with moves away to Premier League clubs.

Varney, meanwhile, has pleaded with the Seasiders to re-sign him, whilst Puncheon has been linked with Newcastle and Rangers, although it is our understanding that Newcastle's interest has cooled.

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