'Don't think so' - Blackpool figure paints picture of what summer transfer business could look like
Blackpool invested in some key players in the summer - but things haven’t gone to plan.
Blackpool Sporting Director believes drastic change won't be required this summer despite the club’s difficulties in League One.
The Seasiders headed into the 2025/26 campaign with the ambition of competing at the top end of the third, but the reality has been very different.
A poor start to the season saw experienced head coach Steve Bruce sacked and replaced by club legend Ian Evatt - who has implemented a change of system.
After 32 games, Blackpool sit 17th in League One on 36 points, and are involved in a tight relegation battle.
Some of the club’s big summer signings have been hindered by injury at various points, while others have failed to find any consistency in Tangerine.
When players have been available for selection at the same time, the Seasiders have been able to get results, with Downes confident a complete rebuild won’t be necessary.
“I don’t necessarily think a big summer (is needed) in that sense,” he said.
“Not all managers are massively different, they all enjoy having good players to work with and having good players around them. I don’t know any manager that doesn’t enjoy having decent players to work with.
“Every manager and head coach throughout Simon’s (Sadler) duration have always been back, and I’m sure Ian will be exactly the same. He’ll be backed to put a team together that we can move forward from.
“In terms of a big summer and drastic change - I don’t think so, because when the lads have all played together in short periods, we’ve seen green shoots of where we can get to. In December when we only had one injury, we showed our true colours.”
A Blackpool gamble that didn’t pay off?
Bruce was backed considerably more in the transfer market than other Blackpool managers, but was unable to make things click.
With Evatt switching to a wing-back system, some of the loanees signed to play in a 4-4-2 were shipped back to their parent clubs, while other signings have been left searching for their natural place in the team.
When asked if backing Bruce heavily was a gamble that didn’t pay off, Downes responded: “I think in hindsight, obviously, but there’s a lot of factors behind that. I don’t think it’s a straight line of bringing players in and putting them on the pitch.
“The injuries we’ve had is something that’s in the game completely. I read something saying Thomas Frank was missing five players per game and it effectively cost him his job. He’s probably sitting there thinking it wasn’t a true reflection of himself.
“I don’t think it’s a straight line in that sense, and there’s a few factors in there that have made our season turn out how it has done.”
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