'He will be missed:' Blackpool faithful say the same thing following the release of the retained list

Marvin Ekpiteta, Matty Virtue, Shayne Lavery and Callum Connolly will all leave Bloomfield Road, alongside a number of youngsters from the Seasiders’ development squad. Meanwhile, James Husband remains in talks concerning his future, as he enters the latter stages of his current deal.

Reacting to the news, Blackpool fans have expressed their disappointment that one player in particular won’t be extending his stay on the Fylde Coast.

One supporter wrote: “Marv (Marvin Ekpiteta) is a massive loss.”

Another agreed: “Big Marv will be missed, best defender at the club.”

A third stated: “Marv is literally the only big loss.”

While a fourth added: “Gutting to lose Marv. Not the player he was 18 months ago but will still be a big loss.”

With a fifth writing: “Mate I’m crying the boy has gone, Marv man.”

On the whole, most supporters expected a number of departures, with Blackpool boss Neil Critchley already stating there would be a refresh in personnel ahead of next season.

One stated: “The only thing we can be certain of is change. Sad to see come go- need to rebuild, just hope we can keep Husband.”

Another added: “No real surprises. Marv doesn’t fit Neil Critchley’s system and Lavery has too many injuries. Big summer recruitment coming up.”

A third wrote: “Not surprised by the list at all, Marv will be the biggest miss. The writing was on the wall when it became obvious he wasn't signing a new deal. Virtue and Lavery too injury prone and I hope we can do better than Connolly. Big recruitment job ahead.”