'People come and go' - How Ian Evatt is looking to put his stamp on Blackpool FC this summer
Blackpool will release their retained list at some point in the next few weeks.
Ian Evatt states clarity is going to be key when it comes to building a Blackpool squad that is capable of competing next season.
The Seasiders endured an underwhelming 2025/26 campaign, as they found themselves in a League One relegation battle for long periods, despite having the ambition of fighting for promotion last summer.
A late surge of 22 points from their final nine games pulled the club well clear of the bottom four in the end, as they finished 13th in the ladder.
Evatt, who was appointed back in October following a slow start to the season under Steve Bruce, will be looking to put his own stamp on proceedings over the next few months.
The first place to start will be resolving numerous contract situations, with 10 senior players coming to the end of their current deals.
Negotiations will need to take place with both Bailey Peacock-Farrell and Ashley Fletcher to extend their stays, while decisions will need to be made on whether to trigger options on CJ Hamilton, Olly Casey, Andy Lyons, Albie Morgan, James Husband, Ryan Finnigan, Kylian Kouassi and Dan Sassi.
“The best thing I can do is give everyone clarity of what I want us to be moving forwards,” Evatt said last week.
“What does the identity look like and what do you require from position specifics? Then, when you are trawling through the pond of players, you can count some out if they can’t do what you want them to do. In return, that pond becomes shallower and it then becomes about selecting the right ones.
“The biggest thing I can say is, it’s all about clarity. If we have clear clarity it gives us the best chance of recruiting positively.
“Alongside David (Downes), Simon (Sadler) and the recruitment team - we will make decisions that we feel are for the best of this football club.
“We’re all very much aligned on what we want the team to look like next year moving forward, and it has to resemble what the club’s DNA is.
“The big thing for me is intense, attacking, front foot football. At times this season we haven’t been able to do that because of the personnel and availability. This will give us a real good opportunity to make sure we coach that in pre-season and recruit to that, making sure everyone is on the same page. That’s really exciting.
“Unfortunately, the way football is, players are transient, coaches and managers are transient - people come and go, and that’s probably going to happen again in the off-season.”
Your next story from the Gazette: Former Blackpool favourite opens up on special connection, being brave, and 'painful' departure.