Ian Evatt has addressed the boos received by his Blackpool side after a third straight League One defeat left them outside the relegation zone on goal difference.
A 2-0 loss on the road against Leyton Orient means the Seasiders are now winless in their last six third-tier matches, putting increasing pressure on a club which was in a relegation scrap for much of the previous season.
Full-time in the capital.
🍊 #UTMP pic.twitter.com/tPbpGCiCAu
— Blackpool FC (@BlackpoolFC) October 17, 2026
Evatt Empathetic To Fans Woes
On an afternoon when they dominated possession, the Lancashire club could not capitalise on chances in the same way as their opponents, who took the lead just after the half-hour mark courtesy of Will Forrester, before Dane Scarlett doubled the lead from the penalty spot in the second half.
Speaking to the Blackpool Gazette after the result in East London, the former Bolton Wanderers boss was frustrated that his side could not deliver more to put themselves in with a chance of a result.
“Anyone who watched that performance today can’t tell me that’s a team that is struggling. Or can’t tell me that’s a team that looks like they’re giving up on the manager’s ideas. It’s definitely not. It’s the opposite of that.
“There’s work that we need to do and continue to do, but I still believe that I’m the guy and the staff are the ones that can help the players and turn this around. I believe in the players, I believe in the team.”
🟠 “If you took the goals out of the game, you’d say that we were the better team…on the wrong end of a couple of refereeing decisions again”.#Blackpool head coach Ian Evatt after losing 2 – 0 at Leyton #Orient#utmp | #bbcfootball pic.twitter.com/fQEgkqRyb8
— BBC Sport Lancashire (@BBCLancsSport) October 17, 2026
“I understand their anger. I understand their frustration. But we faced it last season and we managed to turn things around and go on a really good run. There’s no reason why we can’t do that again.”
The Tangerines face a short turnaround before they welcome a similarly struggling MK Dons to Bloomfield Road, with the visitors now finally entering the win column with their first league victory of the season over rivals Luton Town.
MK Dons Response Pivotal To Evatt Future
After a positive ending to last season with a late surge blowing any relegation worries out of the water, it seems Blackpool have now found themselves in the same position as they were in midway through March.
With a full summer and pre-season under their belt with Ian Evatt, there should have been some hope that they could put last season’s struggles behind them and become a team that could challenge anyone on their day, and it has simply not panned out that way.
This Leyton Orient result has done much to highlight the lack of progress, and with the fans’ anger now turned on Evatt, a response is needed quickly before he is perhaps kicked to the curb in Lancashire.
MK Dons at home will be the ultimate litmus test for the 44-year-old’s chances of righting the ship, with Paul Warne’s side also stuck in the lurch with a poor start to the season.
If he cannot pick up a result on Tuesday night with games against Mansfield Town and Sheffield Wednesday on the horizon, then Evatt could be staring straight down the barrel of a sacking next week.