Ian Evatt shares Blackpool mindset after controversial defeat to Barnsley
Blackpool head to Reading looking to get back to winning ways this afternoon.
Ian Evatt states the next stage of Blackpool’s development is how they react to their first real bit of adversity this term.
The Seasiders have enjoyed a good start to the new League One season, picking up seven points from their opening four games.
Their first defeat came on Wednesday night away to Barnsley, but the 2-1 loss at Oakwell didn’t come without controversy.
In the late build-up to Amani Richards’ late winner, there was a handball from Patrick Kelly, which went unnoticed by the officials.
Evatt has been left delighted by the progress his side have made, and believes they’re in the right headspace to bounce back from their midweek misfortune heading to Reading this afternoon.
“The more I see it, the angrier I get, and I’ve watched it a lot,” he said.
“It’s handball and offside, and we’ve had dialogue that has admitted the mistake on two counts; it’s nothing we didn’t already know.
“When you’re on the wrong end of decisions like that, it always challenges you mentally. It’s a huge amount of adversity, and that’s the next stage of our development - how you react to defeats.
“The one thing guaranteed in a football season: You’re going to win, you’re going to lose, and you’re going to draw. It’s how you react to the negatives that really defines how your season is going to go.
“What I do like is how everyone is still together - the supporters are still with us and understand the frustration.
“Everyone’s lively. Delusion is rife in football, but the players do feel that we’re improving and doing things better. I feel that mentally they’re in a much stronger place than last season.
“It’s night and day (to last year). When I took over we were bottom of the league, and less than 12 months after we were top on Saturday. It’s a big change.
“The way we’re playing in games is different. I think we’re top of the open play XG chart. That’s a really good indicator of us becoming the team I want us to become - that Blackpool fearless football. We have to keep that going.”