Stephen Dobbie sends emphatic message to Blackpool players ahead of crunch Millwall clash

That’s the message from interim boss Stephen Dobbie, who has cut the gap to safety to just three points after winning two of his four games in charge.

While the outlook still looks bleak, with the Seasiders bemoaning a worse goal difference and other sides in and around them playing each other, Dobbie’s men are still in the fight.

If Pool can claim another victory in their final home game of the season on Friday that should give themselves a chance of at least taking it down to the final day.

“When we walked in after the Birmingham game and heard QPR were winning, the boys put their heads down,” Dobbie said.

“But as soon as they all came in, I told them to forget about it because we’re still alive and had we not won this game, we wouldn’t have been.

“When we come in on Monday, we’ve got something to train and be ready for and that’s all we can ask for.

“It was said before that if we can get to this stage of the season and we’re still fighting, then in that dressing room we’re starting to believe that we can do it.

“Hopefully we win on Friday and we can put pressure on the other ones.”

Dobbie is certainly putting his name in the frame to take the head coach role on a full-time basis after enjoying a strong start to his caretaker reign.

The 40-year-old, who was previously in charge of the club’s development squad, was given the job until the end of the season following Mick McCarthy’s abrupt exit earlier this month.

It came after the veteran boss won just two of his 14 games in charge, a record Dobbie has matched in just four games at the helm.

“It’s all you can ask for,” Dobbie said.

“When I first came in it was all about getting confidence into these players and believing they can come to places like Birmingham, who are way up the table, and win.

“The boys have shown that in terms of how they’re approaching the games.”