Blackpool’s season is rapidly becoming a disaster, but anyone who believes removing Ian Evatt will suddenly transform their fortunes is ignoring years of questionable decisions.

The Tangerines have assembled an expensive, unbalanced squad, lurched between different footballing philosophies and now find themselves struggling to compete in a division they should be targeting promotion from.

Blackpool’s problems were laid bare on Saturday as they suffered a humiliating 4-1 home defeat to Mansfield Town, their fourth loss in five matches. The Tangerines were booed off after another defensive collapse, with Rhys Oates and Louis Reed among those helping Mansfield take control, while Ian Evatt was left questioning the mentality of his players.

The Blackpool manager admitted he was both angry and frustrated, insisting the club had accepted mediocrity for too long. However, while Evatt continues to back himself to turn things around, the manner of this latest defeat suggests the problems at Bloomfield Road extend well beyond a temporary loss of confidence.

The latest defeat has intensified the pressure on Evatt, and understandably so. Individual mistakes, poor defensive organisation and a lack of conviction have become recurring features of Blackpool’s performances, with the manager seemingly unable to find a system that produces consistent results. There is little evidence that the current approach is working, and Evatt cannot escape responsibility for what happens on the pitch.

Is Evatt solely to blame?

No, blaming everything on the manager would be convenient rather than accurate. Blackpool’s problems began before his appointment, with successive recruitment decisions leaving the club with a collection of players who don’t appear particularly well suited to playing together. There is experience within the squad, but precious little evidence of a coherent plan behind how it has been assembled.

The defensive situation is particularly concerning. Michael Ihiekwe and Fraser Horsfall arrived with established reputations, but injury problems have severely restricted their availability. Starting a campaign with significant uncertainty surrounding important defensive personnel, without sufficient reliable alternatives, was an enormous gamble that has predictably backfired.

Injuries can happen to any club, but squad planning is supposed to minimise their impact. When expensive, experienced players are unavailable for substantial periods, the problem extends beyond those individuals missing matches. Their absence also restricts flexibility elsewhere, leaving fewer opportunities to strengthen positions that have subsequently been exposed.

The situation is hardly better in midfield or attack. Blackpool possess players with individual quality, yet collectively they lack the physicality, energy and balance required to dominate League One matches. Too often, the team looks vulnerable defensively while offering insufficient movement and creativity further forward.

This is where the recruitment strategy deserves the greatest scrutiny. Blackpool have spent recent years moving between different approaches, appointing managers with contrasting footballing beliefs and acquiring players who appear suited to entirely different systems. The result is a squad that doesn’t seem particularly comfortable playing any recognisable style.

There has also been an apparent obsession with familiarity. Returning players, former managers and established footballing names have repeatedly featured in Blackpool’s decision-making, but previous associations with the club offer no guarantee of future success.

Josh Bowler and Jerry Yates are examples of players whose earlier contributions made them popular figures, but every signing should be judged on current ability, suitability and the requirements of the team. Nostalgia cannot substitute for effective recruitment, particularly when the objective is constructing a squad capable of challenging for promotion.

The contrast with clubs operating under clearly defined footballing identities is increasingly uncomfortable. Successful recruitment isn’t simply about identifying good individuals. It’s about finding players whose qualities complement one another, ensuring that managerial changes don’t require the entire squad to be rebuilt every 12 months.

Blackpool appear to have lost that continuity. The consequence is a group containing players recruited under different managers, on contracts that can make further changes difficult, while the current manager attempts to impose his preferred approach upon them.

None of that excuses Evatt’s shortcomings. He has had opportunities to improve performances, make tactical adjustments and establish greater defensive discipline. His substitutions and apparent reluctance to depart from an ineffective system deserve criticism, particularly when the same weaknesses continue to cost points.

Nevertheless, replacing him would merely address one part of a much wider problem. A new manager would inherit the same injury concerns, the same contractual commitments and the same lack of balance. Unless recruitment improves considerably, the next appointment could quickly encounter identical difficulties.

Can this campaign be saved?

There is still time for Blackpool to recover this season, particularly in a division where a run of victories can dramatically alter the league table. However, promotion ambitions increasingly look unrealistic without significant improvements, and even establishing some consistency would represent progress from the current position.

Evatt may ultimately pay the price for Blackpool’s decline, and results could soon make his position impossible to defend. But the club must resist treating another managerial departure as evidence that its underlying problems have been solved.

Blackpool need a recognisable footballing identity, a more intelligent approach to recruitment and players capable of delivering consistently rather than simply looking impressive on paper.

Until those problems are addressed, changing the man in the dugout risks becoming another expensive exercise in rearranging a squad that was never properly constructed in the first place.