Blackpool FC chief executive Ben Mansford says the club will move swiftly to appoint a manager at the end of the season

The former Leeds United and Barnsley chief executive, who also spent two years at Maccabi Tel Aviv prior to his switch to Bloomfield Road, revealed that the wheels are already in motion to find the right man for the job.

Whether the Tangerines manage to preserve their Championship status, or suffer the worst case scenario with relegation to League One, both chairman Simon Sadler and Mansford, alongside sporting director Chris Badlan, want to ensure that they're prepared and ready to move forward.

“That’s got to be the plan," he said. "We’ve got to look at what has gone right, and a lot has gone right since Simon [Sadler] came into the club over the last three and a bit years, and what has not gone so right.

“We’ve got to ensure we find the right qualities and the right personalities to take the club forward.

“Mick knows that process has to go on and we’ll come back together at the end of the season."

Mick McCarthy, who succeeded Michael Appleton in mid-January, signed a short-term deal until the summer, but the former Wolves, Ipswich Town and Republic of Ireland boss will be part of those conversations.

The 64-year-old, who was inducted into the LMA Hall of Fame in 2021, will revisit his position once his current contract expires, but there's work to be done first, with the Seasiders languishing in 23rd position.

Mansford continued: “Mick was always up for this. He believed in the group and he knew it was a proper football club where the supporters are brilliant. No-one wants to come here when the fans are at it. Nobody has ever wanted to come here when I’ve been here when the fans are at it.

“Mick said we would have a good chat at the end of the season and that’s not changed. He’s too much of a professional and too focused for it to change.

“But, as Simon said the other night, we’ve got a job to do for the club. Chris Badlan, our newly appointed sporting director, is starting to ensure we’re organised to ensure we make an appointment at the end of the season.”

Blackpool are four points off the bottom, after Wigan Athletic's deduction, and are three points adrift of safety, though Cardiff City have a game in hand.

They've won just twice in 21 fixtures in the second tier, losing five of their last eight, and they head into a Lancashire derby against Preston North End at Deepdale in desperate need of a result.

With just eight games of the campaign remaining, Mansford concluded: “Mick and Terry [Connor] have got the strength of character, they’re happy rolling their sleeves up and they love a scrap and a fight. They’re up for it.

“As a town and a club we have a track record of getting up for challenges and for enjoying and embracing moments like this.

“The players understand that they’re fighting for their Championship careers and their Championship contracts.

“Mick has, in most games, had us competitive and I do think he believes the staff and the group are giving their lot."