Blackpool boss analyses current League One picture ahead of Wycombe Wanderers test
Blackpool take on Wycombe Wanderers at Adams Park on Saturday afternoon.
Ian Evatt believes Blackpool have shown what they are capable of in the last few outings - as they look to secure League One survival this weekend.
The Seasiders travel to Adams Park to take on Wycombe Wanderers on Saturday afternoon knowing a win there end and results elsewhere could secure their safety.
Heading into their final three games, the Fylde Coast outfit sit four points clear of Exeter City in 21st, and are also a point above AFC Wimbledon.
Leyton Orient and Burton Albion sit in 17th and 18th respectively, but only on goal difference.
Since Evatt’s appointment as head coach in October, Blackpool have enjoyed two strong periods, but found any hopes of climbing the table further derailed by a tough run in between.
“I’m always the first one to look at myself and analyse myself,” he admitted.
“We’ve had two really good runs and a really disappointing one in between that. I look at our points per game since I took charge, and if I was in charge for the full season with that we’d be on over 60 points.
“There’s the disappointing run, and the two positive ones, so if you spread out the results more evenly, it doesn’t feel as tough as it’s been at times.
“We’ve got work to do. I know what I can do. I believe in myself as a coach, I think the players believe in me, and I think we’ve shown that in the last four home games in particular.
“We know we need more points and more of those performances, because when we do create that and the crowd are in it, it’s a special football club.
“We all want to hit that big reset button and forget the turbulence of this season, but to be able to do that, we need to get the points to remain a League One team, then we can refresh and have a full run at it for next season.
“We’re not counting our chickens, we’re humble and understanding of the work that needs to be done. We understand how quickly football can change.”
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A shift in mood since Doncaster Rovers defeat
A defeat away to Doncaster Rovers last month left the Seasiders looking deflated and out of ideas in their battle at the bottom.
Since then, they’ve picked up 13 points from their last six games to put themselves in a stronger position to secure survival.
When asked if he was concerned after the Doncaster loss, Evatt responded: “Honestly, yes. There’s no point saying I wasn’t because we were all worried. We all looked at the fixtures and thought we had the games to get ourselves out of trouble, but it’s one thing saying that, and it’s another thing doing it.
“It’s great credit to the players - in the must-win games where we really needed to show up, they’ve done so.
“We’re on 51 points now, but we still need more. We’ve got three games where we feel we can get the points we need to make sure we’re a League One team next season.
“I don’t think, we all realised the seriousness of the situation. Nine points from the first 13 games is an awful start, and it’s a huge catch up. We did it really quickly and then levelled out, so we’ve had to pick ourselves up again.”
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