Blackpool boss Ian Evatt admits his side are mentally fragile after their latest League One defeat.
The Seasiders slipped back into the relegation zone after a damaging 4-1 loss to AFC Wimbledon, with Evatt delivering a blunt assessment of his team’s mentality following the collapse.
Blackpool travelled to Plough Lane knowing results elsewhere had already tightened the battle at the bottom of League One, but the night quickly turned sour. AFC Wimbledon ran out comfortable winners, leaving the Seasiders staring nervously over their shoulders ahead of a crucial run of fixtures.
Evatt’s side were also on the receiving end of a heavy defeat at the Bank earlier this season, losing 4-0 in a game that exposed many of the same issues the Blackpool boss is now grappling with.
Honest assessment after thrashing
Speaking after the defeat in London, Evatt admitted his side made life far too easy for their opponents.
“We just didn’t give ourselves a chance in the game. We conceded two really poor goals to start with.
“We changed the corner setups, done lots of things differently and defended them really well on Saturday against Wigan, and then tonight we’ve slipped up and they scored, which gave them a head start in the game.
“We then gave away a penalty at the start of the second half and gave ourselves a mountain to climb.”
Despite the scoreline, the Blackpool boss felt the margin of defeat did not fully reflect the balance of the match once his team began to respond. However, the pattern of errors that has plagued their campaign returned once again.
Relegation pressure mounts
The defeat leaves Blackpool in the bottom four on goal difference, with the pressure building as the run-in approaches. Their next match is a huge clash with Doncaster, a game that could have a significant impact on the relegation picture.
Perhaps the most striking element of Evatt’s assessment, however, was his concern over the psychological side of his squad. The former Bolton Wanderers boss believes his team struggle badly once momentum swings against them.
“When things go against us, we are very mentally fragile and we end up conceding and we can’t reset.
“We’ve spoken about it, we’ve had lots of honest conversations about it, but the same thing keeps reoccurring.”
Blackpool shouldn’t be anywhere near the bottom of the table. They have quality throughout their squad, but they’re an example of ‘all the gear and no idea’ – signing players on big wages without a coherent plan on how to deploy them (see also Huddersfield Town). A pre-season promotion favourite, they now face the real prospect of a trip to York or Rochdale next season.