SIMON GRAYSON feels his newly assembled Blackpool squad will be stronger this season to deal with the rigours of Championship football.

Twelve new faces have arrived so far to offset the losses of the likes of captain Michael Jackson, Wes Hoolahan, Kaspars Gorkss, Michael Flynn and Keigan Parker.

The new additions are ones that the manager hopes will complement his squad and provide a stronger depth than the team had last season

"Every time you move on a season you want to get better, you want to keep improving and I feel that we've done that with the squad that we've got available at this time," Grayson revealed.

"I think the overall view of the squad is stronger, a little bit more strength in depth with the quality in depth as well, and that's not disrespectful to the players that have left the club because, as time moves on, players move on - but I'd like to think we're a stronger squad."

The two key departures over the summer were those of Wes Hoolahan and Kaspars Gorkss, but with the likes of David Vaughan and Adam Hammill in midfield and Rob Edwards and Marlon Broomes at the back, Grayson feels he has the right quality to offset the change in playing personnel.

He said: "When you lose Wes and Kaspars, obviously you've got to go out and replace them, and you're not replacing them as individuals, you're replacing them within the team unit.

"David Vaughan and Adam Hammill have come in, and Joe Martin's come in to compete for Wes's place on that left-hand side - and they are different types of player to Wes.

"Then we've got the likes of Rob Edwards, Zesh Rehman, Marlon Broomes and Ian Evatt competing for the centre-half spots. So they all bring different characteristics, different attitudes and attributes to the team and the game, and they'll all be trying to stake their claim for a place in the team."

Before a ball has even been kicked this campaign many pundits in the media have written off the Seasiders hopes. References to donkey's and statues of the manager if the team survive have been referenced to - but the manager feels this will only spur the players on.

"It can be an inspiration sometimes," Larry said. "I've had it many times in my career, I think when I was at Leicester we got tipped to go straight back down and we won the Carling Cup that year. I'm not going to say that we're going to win the Carling Cup this year but the players have got to look at it that's it a challenge.

"I think the players have looked at situations within the team that people are writing us off but I think within the team as well we've got certain individuals who have been freed by clubs, discarded by other clubs and have got something to prove to themselves that they are capable of playing in this division and maybe to one or two people from where they've come from," he added.

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