“This game changes so fast”: Ian Evatt looks back on his first year as Blackpool head coach
Blackpool head coach looked back after completing a year in charge at Bloomfield Road.
Ian Evatt reiterated the need to stay grounded after marking his first year as Blackpool head coach with three points on Tuesday.
The Seasiders defeated MK Dons 2-0 at Bloomfield Road, ending a run of five defeats in six League One games.
Evatt’s first 12 months back on the Fylde coast have been a case study in the ups and downs of football management.
Last season brought two winning runs either side of 10 defeats in 15 league and cup games between New Year’s Day and mid-March.
Seven wins from nine closed last season, with two wins from three league matches to start the 2026/27 campaign.
Those runs have also come amid a number of injuries which has left the head coach unable to field what might be considered a strongest starting XI for the bulk of his reign.
He said after Tuesday’s win: “I’ve been in this game all my life, I love this game.
“It’s really important that once you do win, you don’t get too high or too low.
“This game changes so fast. At the end of August, I was nominated for manager of the month.
“We were nearly top of the league. Four or five weeks later, it’s ‘what the hell’s happened?’
“I try and stay consistent with my behaviour and consistent with my messaging to the players.
“That will remain the same whether we win or lose.
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“We’ve got a long way to go, I know that, and tonight is just one result but I do believe I’m the man for this job.
“This is a job I’ve always wanted, I said that to the players prior to the game.
“I said everyone has ambitions and aspirations, and I always wanted to be the manager of this football club.
“That’s still the case now, a year on, and the players have made me love it even more because our relationship, our working relationship, the stuff they do with me day to day, the progression I’m seeing at times on the pitch, the fans were there for us tonight when we needed them; this is a club I hold dearly to my heart.”