Blackpool struggles have reignited hunger - Evatt

Blackpool's humbling struggles in League One last season have reignited a hunger in his squad, boss Ian Evatt has said.

Evatt arrived at Blackpool in October 2025 with the club bottom of the third tier with nine points from 13 matches.

He eventually guided the club to a 13th-placed finish, capped by four wins from their final four games of the 2025-26 campaign.

"I feel like last season has humbled everyone a little bit and expectations have been tapered which I think is fine," Evatt told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"It doesn't change what my mind is saying and what I want to achieve, but I do feel like we're a better team and club when we're hungry.

"And this season we've certainly got that from where we were last season.

"It's reignited our hunger as a football club again and some of the players in particular have drilled down the importance of the day-to-day stuff."

Leading into the new season, which begins in the Carabao Cup against Grimsby on 8 August, Evatt wants to see a marked change in his side's mindset.

With his side struggling prior to his arrival but ending the season brightly, Evatt said Blackpool's outlook needs to change in order for them to prosper on the field.

"At times we were too fragile last season, that was evident with some of the heavy defeats," he added.

"They were games that we were 'in' but it was 10 minutes of absolute madness, lack of concentration and folding like a deck of cards.

"That's not a technical thing, it's a mental thing. One thing we're trying to do technically and physically is help them mentally and for me 70% of football is psychological."