Return to manager's job at Blackpool 'very unlikely', says Simon Grayson

The former Blackpool boss, who made more than 100 appearances for the Seasiders as a player before spending four years as the club’s manager, was speaking on BBC Radio Lancashire this evening when the news of Gary Bowyer’s resignation broke.

You can get odds of 5/1 for Grayson to be Pool's next manager with SkyBet.

“I don’t think I’m ready to go back into management,” he said, when asked if he would be tempted by the vacancy.

“I had the option of a two-year deal at Bradford which I turned down because I didn’t think it was right for me.

“At this moment in time I’m enjoying my time off and I’m enjoying my media work. So I would think it would be very unlikely I would go back to Blackpool at this moment in time.”

Grayson, a good friend of Bowyer, believes issues behind the scenes is the most probably reason for his decision to step down.

“There certainly will be (a big reason why he left),” he said.

“I spoke to him at the weekend before the season started and previously about 10 days before and we talked about how pre-season was going, how his recruitment was going and he said he was a little frustrated to lose a few players.

“I think any manager, when they lose players, it’s a bit frustrating. But I think he accepted that’s how it can be at times at Blackpool.

“They had a good result at the weekend but to walk in to this news, it took us all by surprise.

“Gary is a football man and for him to leave so quickly into the season, obviously something has gone on behind the scenes which I’m sure will come out over the next few days.

“Things obviously haven’t got any better since I left the club seven or eight years ago.

“There’s no water at the training ground and the facilities are nowhere near up to speed for a League One club, never mind a Premier League club as they were.

“Gary went in there with his eyes wide open but he did ever so well. He’s done an incredible job.

“Look at the players he has developed and have left this summer. He’s brought a lot in for no money and got some decent money for one or two, although another frustration is when you want to keep players but when they get out of contract then you can’t do anything about that.

“It’s probably just tipped him over the edge in terms of decisions made over the last few days. He probably thought he could do no more.

“You did think from the outside that, there were problems with Karl (Oyston) and his Dad Owen, there’s the Belokon situation, it looked like it got resolved and maybe the club could go further forward.

“But obviously some things still haven’t changed.”

Despite the ongoing off-the-field issues at Bloomfield Road, Grayson believes the club will still receive plenty of applications for the job.

“Regardless of what goes off behind the scenes, there will still be someone out of work who thinks they can get the team going,” he added.

“It’s still a League One club which could potentially have new owners if people decide to move forward with the club.

“There will be plenty of people looking at getting that manager’s spot from Gary.”