McDonald on '˜great' relationship with Oyston

Blackpool boss Neil McDonald insists he has a 'great relationship' with Karl Oyston.
Blackpool's manager Neil McDonaldBlackpool's manager Neil McDonald
Blackpool's manager Neil McDonald

Questions were raised about the chairman-manager rapport at the club after Southend boss Phil Brown claimed McDonald had talked about a “failure to manage up” during a recent coaching course they both attended.

Ahead of his side’s defeat at Bloomfield Road last Saturday, Brown claimed there was “no relationship” between McDonald and Blackpool chairman Oyston.

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But McDonald insists that’s not the case and seemed less than happy with his old pal Brown’s comments.

The Pool boss said: “Phil likes to speak out but it’s certainly not true what he said.

“We had a drink afterwards and I hope he knows not to say things which aren’t true. I’ve got a great relationship with the chairman at Blackpool, it’s as simple as that.”

Brown was in the stands on Easter Monday to watch Pool beat Doncaster 1-0, then made his comments about off-the-field issues at Bloomfield Road.

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And McDonald feels it could have been an attempt to play mindgames before the Shrimpers visited Pool last weekend.

He said: “I think it might have been a little bit of kidology, trying to take the pressure of himself and his players ahead of the game.

“I think he was worried after watching us against Doncaster. We’ll just have to put it down to that.”