Blackpool challenge made clear as battle for futures outlined amid League One relegation battle
Blackpool have a number of big games coming up in their battle at the bottom of League One.
Ian Evatt states everyone at Blackpool are fighting for their futures amid the club’s current battle at the bottom end of League One.
Heading into the current campaign, there was optimism over what the Seasiders could achieve this time around, with former head coach Steve Bruce being backed in the transfer market and a number of experienced players arriving at Bloomfield Road.
Pre-season expectation hasn’t been matched, with the club currently just one place above the relegation zone after 34 games.
Bruce was sacked back in October following a disappointing start, while a number of the summer signings are yet to consistently prove their worth.
There’s been highs and lows since Evatt’s appointment, but since an unbeaten December, Blackpool have only managed two further wins.
While the current focus is on remaining in the third tier, Seasiders boss Evatt does have an eye on the longer-term future.
“In football everyone’s playing for their futures all of the time,” he said.
“That’s everybody - the staff included. It’s just the nature of the industry. We’ve all got to take responsibility that this is a football club that’s underachieved for too.
“I love this football, and I’m honest enough to say this club deserves better, and I think the owner (Simon Sadler) deserves better. We have to do better.
“The time for those conversations isn’t now; it’s the time to get the points required to climb out of the trouble we’re in and then take the opportunity to start raising the standards.”
Should Blackpool expect a big summer under Ian Evatt?
In an interview last month, Blackpool Sporting Director stated he didn’t believe drastic change was required at Bloomfield Road this summer.
“I don’t necessarily think a big summer (is needed) in that sense,” he said.
“Not all managers are massively different, they all enjoy having good players to work with and having good players around them. I don’t know any manager that doesn’t enjoy having decent players to work with.
“Every manager and head coach throughout Simon’s (Sadler) duration have always been back, and I’m sure Ian will be exactly the same. He’ll be backed to put a team together that we can move forward from.
“In terms of a big summer and drastic change - I don’t think so, because when the lads have all played together in short periods, we’ve seen green shoots of where we can get to. In December when we only had one injury, we showed our true colours.”
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