Blackpool legend Brett Ormerod 'surprised' by Simon Grayson's sacking and has his say on Ian Evatt's chances

The 50-year-old was relieved of his duties earlier today after overseeing a dismal run of just one win in 12 games.

It comes less than two weeks after the transfer window shut, a month in where owner Simon Sadler allowed Grayson to bring in 12 new players to the club.

For that reason alone, Ormerod was taken aback by the news.

"I was surprised," The Gazette columnist said.

"As I said in my last column, he was backed heavily during the January transfer window where the owner Simon Sadler spent a lot of money.

"But at the end of the day it’s a results-based business and the chairman obviously felt it was time for a change.

"Were the signings made in January the ones Simon wanted? Or were they made by those above him? You just don’t know, do you?

"But to have 12 signings made in January, that’s as much as I’ve seen any club do halfway through the season. It’s certainly never happened before at Blackpool to bring in that many new players.

"But ultimately the last couple of months haven’t been as good as the club would have hoped for, so the chairman obviously felt he had no choice.

"There’s always more pressure on you as a manager if you have a chairman that is very ambitious as it brings its own kind of pressures."

The likes of Paul Heckingbottom, Nathan Jones and Neil Warnock are among those to have been linked with the vacancy since this afternoon's announcement.

Another manager to be linked is Ormerod's ex-teammate Ian Evatt, who is currently flying high at the top of the National League with Barrow in his first full season in management.

When asked if it's too early for the former Pool defender, Ormerod added: "You never say never, do you? You don’t know until you get the chance, do you?

"What he’s doing at Barrow is absolutely superb, so if got the opportunity you never know how it might work out.

"I know he turned AFC Fylde down earlier in the season but Blackpool is a different prospect entirely. It’s a club that he’s had great success at.

"But you don’t know how these things work, the owner might already have someone lined up."