Blackpool’s relegation anxiety has been laid bare by Ian Evatt ahead of this weekend’s clash with Northampton Town.
The Seasiders boss admitted he is “sick of excuses” as his side continues to hover just above the League One drop zone.
Blackpool host Northampton Town at Bloomfield Road on Saturday, with both clubs locked in a fight to pull clear of danger. Blackpool’s start to 2026 has been damaging, with three consecutive league defeats undoing much of the good work done during a strong December spell.
Evatt, who took charge earlier this season following the departure of Steve Bruce, was blunt in his assessment of where his side currently stands.
“Every game is huge now and every game has huge importance,” he said. “It should’ve been like that from the start of the season, but should’ve, would’ve, could’ve isn’t going to work or cut it. No one wants to hear it, I don’t want to hear it.
“I’m sick of excuses, I’m sick of feeling we should be better than this. We have to sort it out, accept it, and grow from it.
“For now, it’s back to hard work, making sure we’re full throttle and all systems go, and give Northampton everything we’ve got.”
Blackpool head into the weekend on the back of a frustrating 2-1 defeat away at Barnsley, a result that Evatt felt was largely self-inflicted. A brace from David McGoldrick on either side of Ashley Fletcher’s 17th goal of the season condemned the Seasiders to another damaging loss, with the winner coming deep into stoppage time.
“I feel like we beat ourselves today, I feel like we controlled them,” Evatt said. “In the first half, we had the better chances. We wanted to conserve some energy and press from a mid-block, I felt we did that well, but gifted them a goal.
“In the second half we were excellent and completely dominated the game. There was one team who was really going to win it.”
Evatt highlighted a late lapse in concentration as the decisive moment.
“When we speak about detail, one of the major details is rest defence, and still sensing danger when you’re attacking,” he added. “It’s so naive and really hurts. We’ve lost a game we should never lose.”
With 20 games remaining, Evatt acknowledged the scale of the challenge ahead.
“We’re in a relegation fight,” he said. “We have to be humble enough to accept that and take the ego out of it.”
What’s gone wrong?
Blackpool fans must be asking what has gone wrong. They were among the early promotion favourites, and spent big on wages over the summer, with Fraser Horsfall and Michael ‘the will kill Lincoln’ Ihiekwe costing significant four-figure sums in wages each week. With players like Dale Taylor, a £1m signing up top, they were expected to fly.
They didn’t, they sank to the bottom of the division. Steve Bruce, it what is surely his final managerial role, got the old heave-ho, and in came Evatt to acclaim. However, he’s working at building something with another man’s tools, and despite the fightback against us, coming from 2-0 down to level at 2-2, they haven’t exploded into life. Evatt was in the running for manager of the month in December, but January has brought them much misery.
The boss’s statement that they’re in a relegation fight is honest, but it will bite hard.