'Misfortune or unprepared' - Why Blackpool are facing a mammoth task this transfer window
Blackpool face a big task in the transfer market this month.
Opinion: It looks as if Blackpool are going to be overwhelmed by the work they need to do in the final couple of weeks of the transfer window.
Ian Evatt’s are looking short in several areas, with blows to certain squad members being a factor behind a slump in results at the start of 2026.
Some of these problems will be short-term fixes that will solve themselves quickly despite feeling like a big issue currently, but others do require work in the form of recruitment.
So far this month, only Kamarl Grant has arrived on the Fylde Coast, with the defender joining from Millwall on loan.
While this does sufficiently fill one hole, it’s surprising similar action hasn’t taken place to do the same elsewhere.
Can we blame misfortune?
It’s easy, and fair, to say that the Seasiders have been unfortunate.
We’ll start with the injuries - and that’s been something that has plagued them all season long.
The fact the club aimed to have a small squad under Steve Bruce hasn’t been helpful, but the issues have been widespread regardless.
Heading into the Christmas period, Blackpool could look at most areas feeling relatively well-equipped.
Since then, their spine has taken a huge blow with Fraser Horsfall, Albie Morgan and Dale Taylor all out for the foreseeable future.
In defence, Michael Ihiekwe has also been out, but could be back soon, while in the wing-back positions both Hayden Coulson and more recently Andy Lyons have been hit by injury.
In addition to this, James Husband has been unavailable in the back three due to suspension, while key man Danny Imray has been recalled by Crystal Palace.
All of the above is unfortunate, and it’d be unfair to plan for all of the above to happen in one go.
Club left unprepared
That being said, it still doesn’t feel like things have been dealt in an entirely sufficient manner.
In terms of the back three, they have got what they needed in terms of an extra body with Grant. That area will ease in the next few weeks with Ihiekwe and Husband both returning, and there’ll be four natural centre backs competing for the three, alongside Zac Ashworth.
Similar work should’ve taken place in other areas by now as well.
For months, the Seasiders have been without two strikers up front, and while at one point it seemed as if they were gearing up for Niall Ennis and Taylor to both be available again, it should’ve been something on their shortlist.
When it was clear they’d be without the latter for the foreseeable again, they should’ve been able to act, and add someone on a similar type of deal to Grant to provide an additional option until the end of the season.
It’s slightly different in the midfield, where numbers-wise, even with Morgan now absent, there’s enough there to rotate.
The issue is, the club needs to look for someone to boost that area - someone who can bring a different edge to the number 10 role.
When Evatt was appointed in October there was a change of system. After two windows of recruiting for Bruce’s 4-4-2, the club were using wing-backs once again.
The forward planning over that is a different debate for another day, but the two months after that switch should’ve been focussed on adding for specific positions as soon as January got underway.
Defence and attack just need bodies to fill the holes, but other areas need people who actually know the roles they are playing.
It’s the same story at wing-back, and it was probably clear from the start of Evatt’s reign that they needed additional bodies on both sides.
We can’t judge the club’s reaction to losing Imray yet, as the decision from Palace came so close to the Barnsley game, it left little time to rectify, but it’s a different story pre-Northampton Town on Saturday.
Losing Lyons at Oakwell clearly doesn’t help the situation either, and takes us back to the theme of misfortune.
Where are we?
Blackpool are somewhere in between being unfortunate and not helping their own cause.
A change of system saw pressure applied onto themselves to get the right players as soon as possible. Evatt would’ve been clear in the way he wanted to play during his interview, and it’s his right to build towards that now.
There’s a mixture of just needing to fill certain holes and making precise purchases for the long-term.
Of course, you’re not going to lay the foundations for the long-term future in January, but it does feel like the club have needed to be more proactive in the first half of the transfer window - even if things seem worse than they probably are.
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