“What I see every day will get them in the team”: Blackpool boss’ message to players amid increased options
Blackpool head coach is looking forward to having some difficult selection decisions.
Ian Evatt is looking forward to having the right kind of selection headache as Blackpool’s injury situation starts to ease.
The Seasiders head to Leyton Orient on Saturday, looking for a first victory in six League One matches after losing at Cambridge United last weekend.
While George Honeyman’s early red card dominated the post-match inquest, Blackpool’s substitutes’ bench demonstrated the increased options now available to Evatt.
With no keeper on the bench, Andy Lyons, Ilmari Niskanen and Hayden Coulson could feature at wing-back, Jordan Brown and Leighton Clarkson covered the centre of midfield, while Dale Taylor and Dion Charles were the attacking alternatives.
Evatt had started with Tom Bloxham and Jerry Yates up front but admitted it wasn’t the case that he had pre-determined pairings in mind.
Speaking before training on Thursday, Evatt said: “They can all play with each other, which is a huge positive.
“Managers don’t pick teams, players do. Players’ performances will get them in the team, what I see every day will get them in the team.
“There’s real competition for places - not so much defensively, hopefully, that will improve soon - but midfield, wide and forward areas, we’ve got some serious competition.
“I would much rather have this problem. I was really excited last week, I felt really confident going into the game.
“I really feel, with the 11 we had, we win that game. We have to let that go, it’s a result we haven’t got and we have to focus on the next match.”
Next Wednesday marks the first anniversary of Evatt’s return to Bloomfield Road.
Results have been up and down in that time with two good runs last season either side of nine defeats in 14 between New Year’s Day and mid-March.
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Seven points from nine at the start of this season were followed by four defeats in five, though Evatt is optimistic a cleaner bill of health will lead to better results.
“The good thing is everyone is still available,” he said.
“CJ (Hamilton) is recovering, Josh Earl won’t be too far away, so things are looking better and more positive on that front.
“When it’s all together - and we’ve had that too rarely since I’ve been in charge - it does correlate with good results.”