Blackpool players must match fans spirit in relegation battle - Evatt
Blackpool fell to a 4-0 defeat at League One promotion contenders Lincoln City on Saturday.
Blackpool boss Ian Evatt has called for his players to match the fight and determination of Tangerines fans as they head into a potentially pivotal run of fixtures that could define the outcome of their battle against relegation.
After collecting four points from a home game against Mansfield Town and a visit to Bolton Wanderers, there were high hopes Evatt’s men could hand a further boost to their survival hopes by claiming a positive result from Saturday’s visit to title contenders Lincoln City. However, Blackpool were put firmly in their place as Conor McGrandles, Rob Street and Ryan One all netted to give the Imps a comfortable 4-0 win on their home patch and ensure they remain just one point and one place behind current league leaders Cardiff City.
The defeat at Sincil Bank has left Evatt and his side just one point clear of the relegation zone after a challenging run of fixtures - but what lies ahead appears to be more palatable as they prepare to take on Wigan Athletic, AFC Wimbledon, Doncaster Rovers and Port Vale over the next fortnight. All four clubs are sitting in the bottom half of the table and that should an opportunity for the Tangerines to ignite their push for survival.
However, Evatt has warned his players will have to be ‘up for the fight’ in the same way both he and his staff and the club’s loyal fanbase have shown in recent weeks.
Evatt said post-Lincoln: “We keep speaking about the basics. We didn’t do the basics against Plymouth then we react and have a good week against Mansfield and Bolton, but today we’ve reverted to type again. We’re in a massive dogfight, but I’m up for the fight, the staff are up for the fight, I know the fans are up for the fight, and the players need to match that.
“We need to get ourselves out of trouble. We’ve got a chance now because the fixtures ‘get easier’ in terms of our opponents, who are teams around us. But we have to do a lot better than we did in that last 20 minutes today. We have to make sure that we’re learning from our mistakes, and I see the learning in the short term. I see an immediate response, a reaction, but the whole season – from the start – we’ve taken one step forwards and just as we think we’re gathering some momentum we take three steps back.”