Blackpool scale new heights for Terry McPhillips

Blackpool confirm Ceesay signing and immediately loan winger out

It takes Blackpool, who are unbeaten in eight games in all competitions, up to ninth in League One but McPhillips believes they ought to have won more than two of their seven league matches.

The interim boss said: “I think we’ve given everybody a game, even Portsmouth when we lost. We’ve been in every game and we’ve kept four clean sheets.

“We haven’t won enough. I thought we should have beaten Walsall and Accrington.

“We didn’t, so it made the game against Bradford vital. At 2-0, you’re scratching your head a little bit, asking what you need to do to win a game.

“Well, there you go – you’ve just seen it. The lads went to another level physically, mentally and tactically and we bullied them to submission in the end.”

Despite overseeing just one defeat in the nine games he has taken charge of, McPhillips is yet to be given the manager’s job on a permanent basis but he hopes the picture becomes clearer in the coming days.

“We had a meeting scheduled for last Thursday but it didn’t happen due to unforeseen circumstances,” he added. “We will meet quickly now and we’ll see what happens.

“I think the players are playing for themselves and the club, each other as a squad as well as the fans. We’ve had some knockbacks but they were awesome.

“They’ve got big hearts, spirit, character and desire. Obviously we’ve got some good players too.

“The squad is a powerful one. The subs came on and made a difference. I’m just delighted for them because they deserved it.

“Of course I still want it. Working with these lads every day, why wouldn’t I want to be the manager here? It’s exciting times.”

Asked if any other candidates were still in the frame, McPhillips said: “I can’t answer that question, can I? You’d have to ask somebody else.

“Hopefully it will get sorted out in the next few days.

“I’m expecting a conversation, a meeting. I’m pretty sure that will happen in the next few days.

“We will see from there but I don’t know what they will say. I have not been offered the job.”