Fans can make all the difference, says Seasiders boss Evatt
Ian Evatt has called upon the Blackpool fans to help his team halt their downward spiral and lift themselves away from the League One relegation fight.
The Tangerines boss found himself in a difficult position following the 2-0 defeat at Leyton Orient.
His team had played well and dominated the match for an hour, yet they had lost and sympathy for their efforts was in short supply from the Blackpool fans who had stayed to the final whistle at Brisbane Road.
Evatt quite rightly defended his side while calling on supporters to lift them to a home victory over MK Dons at Bloomfield Road on Tuesday night.
Evatt said: “Look, I'm never going to stand here and criticise our fans for their reaction at the end because I think the world of them.
“They are hurting. I’m hurting. For large parts against Orient we actually played well, but no one wants to hear that. They don't want to see it or hear it when we're losing games and we are where we are in the division.
“But I'm a process-driven guy and I have a firm belief that if we continue with that process, the results will change.
“There's no denying that we are going to have to weather the storm a little bit, but we have to stay focused on what the bigger picture is.
“We understand everyone's criticism and anger. We feel the same emotions, we're not immune to it.
“We're honest enough to own the reception at the end. What we saw last season was that we need the fans’ support to get results. And when they did give us the support last season, we got the results we needed.” Evatt stressed that the work he can do with his players before the MK Dons will be focused on lifting their spirits and emphasising how close they are to securing a first league win since August.
He added: “Mentality is huge in football, there's no doubt about that. For me, it's 70-80%. I think that if you asked every one of those players, they absolutely believe in me and believe in the process of what we're trying to do.
“We are not a bad team. We are not a team that will be down there. We have creativity in the team and we played some really good stuff at times.
“We don’t look like a team that is devoid of confidence or belief. It’s just that we are on the wrong side of moments. We are getting punished for every little thing. And we need to make sure that changes.
“And that's what's hard. If we were losing the game and deservedly losing, I’d understand it. But the way we played against Orient gives me confidence that it will change.”