Don't look down, demands Blackpool boss

Just one point from two crucial home games against relegation rivals over the past week saw the Seasiders fail to increase the four-point gap between themselves and the drop zone.

But ahead of tomorrow’s trip to Swindon Town, manager McDonald wants his players to be looking up and not worrying about what lies below them.

The Pool boss said: “We are trying not to look down, even though it can be difficult at times.

“We are trying to remain positive and in the frame of mind that we can catch the teams above us.

“It’s important that we close the gap above and a win could take us a couple of places up the league.”

Blackpool lie 18th in League One and have 34 points from their 31 games so far, with nine of those coming from the last six.

While McDonald isn’t setting any public points targets for his team to survive, he admits the magic 50-point mark is one Pool will probably have to reach.

He said: “It’s difficult to know what points tally will be needed but the 50 mark is always the target.

“There have been times when you’ve needed more.

“We just have to try and take points from each game as they come and that’s how we’ll look at it.

“It’s one defeat in five for us now and we have to be as tight as possible.”

Tomorrow’s opponents Swindon sit five points above Pool in 15th place and go into the game on the back of a 4-1 win at Colchester last week.

While Tuesday night saw Oldham sit in and defend at Bloomfield Road, McDonald feels tomorrow’s game will be totally different.

“Swindon are a good team,” he said. “I went to watch them against Port Vale a couple of weeks back.

“They keep the ball well and try to play out from the back, so we are trying to come up with a plan to try to spoil that.

“Let’s see if we can pinch the ball further up the park.

“They have some decent players and had a good win last week, so they will be full of confidence but we’ll be ready for them.”