Blackpool boss makes feelings clear on ex-Bradford City man as he addresses selection decisions
Blackpool were defeated 3-0 by Reading at Bloomfield Road.
Blackpool lacked a creative spark for long periods of their defeat to Reading - but only called upon Scott Banks for the final 10 minutes of the contest.
Kamari Doyle, Lewis Wing and Randell Williams were all on target for the Royals on Saturday afternoon as they picked up a 3-0 victory against the lacklustre Seasiders at Bloomfield Road.
This leaves Ian Evatt’s side with just one point from their last three outings, following an initial strong start under the new manager following his appointment last month.
Upon his return to the Fylde Coast, the former Blackpool defender immediately implemented a wing-back system, which has seen some players handed new roles.
St.Pauli loanee Banks is currently still finding his place under Evatt, despite scoring two impressive goals under his management, with league starts proving limited.
“It’s not just Scott (Banks), there’s loads of players that will feel like they want to be playing - you could name every single substitute,” the Seasiders head coach said.
“Players need to be honest and understand why they are not in the team.
“It’s okay seeing 20/30 minute bursts of good play but on the training pitch you get an opportunity to impress the coaching staff to make sure you play.
“Also the side of your game where there is a deficiency, you have to work hard on trying to improve that.
“Banksy is a really talented player, and there’s nothing personal over why he’s not playing or anyone else. We looked at Reading’s strengths and weaknesses, and picked a team accordingly.
“You never finish with the same team, and we hoped the score would be tight or we’d be ahead and we could influence it when spaces become bigger, but we didn’t give ourselves the opportunity as once we conceded, we mentally fell to pieces.”
Impacted by change of style
Banks was initially signed in the summer to fit into Steve Bruce’s 4-4-2 formation.
After arriving on the Fylde Coast on Deadline Day, the former Bradford City winger only featured in two league games under the former head coach, before being ruled out for over a month through injury.
While the 24-year-old may not slot naturally into Evatt’s system, the current boss believes he will find his way into the starting XI.
“Recruitment in football isn’t easy,” he added.
“He was one that was signed to play a different way to what I want to produce and bring. Banksy is one of the unfortunate ones who has been affected the most by the change in styles.
“I still believe he can fit into this system, and we will find a way to incorporate his strengths in this team.
“In League One it’s very rare that you’ll have the complete player who is physically dominant and fast, energetic and really technical.
“The reason we have a squad is to have that trade off. It’s my job to pick the player with the right skillset for the opponent. We’ve not had that chance yet because we’ve had some many injuries, but that’s starting to clear up now.”