'We have to be' - Ex-Sunderland skipper makes clear what Blackpool squad must do under new coach following Steve Bruce sacking
George Honeyman made his return from injury in Blackpool’s 1-0 victory over Scunthorpe United in the FA Cup at the weekend.
George Honeyman states it’s going to be vital for the Blackpool squad to take on board everything new head coach Ian Evatt brings to the table.
The former Seasiders defender took over the top job at Bloomfield Road last month following the sacking of Steve Bruce, with the club currently in the bottom four in League One.
Following his move as a free agent from Millwall in the summer, Honeyman had made clear that his ambition was to compete for promotion in Tangerine.
The 31-year-old has enjoyed success in the third tier in the past, with the former Sunderland captain winning the title with Hull City back in 2021.
Honeyman discusses life under Evatt
Since his appointment, Evatt has introduced a wing-back system - which has delivered two wins so far.
The latter of the two games was a 1-0 victory over National League side Scunthorpe United in the FA Cup, as Honeyman got his first taste of life under the new coach off the bench as he made his return from injury.
“He’s very detailed in his work, so you don’t want to miss out on anything,” he said.
“He’s been great. He’s been chatting to me a lot, even when I’ve been out, so then I’ve not been missing anything.
“It’s quite structured what he wants so you don’t want to be coming in and doing the wrong thing. We’ve just got to be open to learning as a group and take on what he wants and match his intensity - if we do that then we will be successful.
“I’ve played in a midfield three a few times in my career, and it’s probably my favourite position, so I’ve got no excuses whatsoever.
“I’m really looking forward to being a big influence on positive things at this football club - that’s why I came here and it’s what I want to do.
“I’m not a big fan of saying the season starts now because we have played 14 games, so we have to learn from what we’ve done.
“We have to be sponges to the new manager and really concentrate in his meetings and in training, working as hard as we can. We have to be better and be accountable and put everything in there to make this football club successful.”
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