Opinion: The Blackpool job won't be easy for anyone - it's unfair to judge Dobbie harshly off these games
Blackpool are still on the search for a new manager following the sacking of Steve Bruce.
Opinion: Stephen Dobbie can’t be harshly judged for his time as Blackpool’s interim head coach so far.
When the 42-year-old stepped into the void left by Steve Bruce’s sacking there was perhaps a feeling that there’d be an instant change - which was only setting him up for a fall.
With the limited time he’s had so far, and the limited resources, there’s only so much that can truly be altered.
Against Stockport County last week, Dobbie did go with a team and a formation that wasn’t dissimilar from what Bruce was trying, and that’s probably because it would’ve been hard to rip everything up in a week.
Meanwhile, when you’re facing youth teams in the EFL Trophy, with your own youngsters involved, it is a tricky thing to balance.
That’s not to say the performance in 1-0 defeat at Edgeley Park wasn’t disappointing and underwhelming, and that the senior players should’ve been doing more to impress in the 2-1 victory over Nottingham Forest U21s.
The last time Dobbie took interim charge, he did take the handbrake off, but it was a different situation, with relegation all-but confirmed already from the Championship.
At this point in time, he will want to slowly get his own principles across, while also having the pressure of ensuring there’s some more points on the board for when a new permanent coach is appointed.
This is an audition to some extent for the interim boss, but it’s not a very fair one. A decision on whether he gets it full time shouldn’t be down to current results or performances in this period, the club’s hierarchy need to take a look at any progress he’s making behind-the-scenes, as well as taking into account his service on the Fylde Coast.
A tough job for anyone
The Blackpool job isn’t going to be a quick fix for whoever gets, it’s going to take time to lift things again.
It’s weird looking back to the summer and thinking how impressive the squad looked, compared to what’s thought of it now.
On paper a team was there that easily should’ve been at the top end of the table, but at the moment they look like fodder.
The injury situation clearly doesn’t help, and some of the players that are missing, or have been missing, would easily make the Seasiders’ best XI.
Equally, there’s still enough available theoretically for them not to simply just roll over in games.
In certain cases it doesn’t seem like there’s fire in their belly to fight at the moment. There’s so much experience and success there, it’s hard to believe that they are settled with being mediocre, they just need to overcome this current bump in the road.
Some socks do have to be pulled up, and more hard work is required to get up to speed.
Whether it’s Dobbie or someone else, they’ll need to find the right balance between lifting the confidence in the changing room while also telling some harsh truths behind-closed-doors.
This is certainly not a straightforward job, and it might be about finding the right character more than anything to take on the challenge.
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