Ian Evatt says Blackpool's upcoming two-week break from League One action is a welcome chance for his squad to reset and recover. The Blackpool boss made the comments ahead of his side's home game against sixth-placed Plymouth Argyle on Saturday.
Evatt told reporters that the pause, caused by international call-ups forcing the postponement of fixtures against Notts County and Leicester City, will not disrupt his team's rhythm. "I don’t find them disruptive because if you prepare the right way and recover the right way then you should be in the same space in the next window," Evatt said.
A physical reset
The manager explained that the demanding style he wants from his players makes such breaks essential. "The type of team I want us to be this season is physically very demanding," Evatt said. "It’s really intense and really energetic, and these reset moments are key." He added that expecting players to maintain peak intensity for nine months straight leads to burnout.
Evatt admitted the break is not ideal for supporters wanting to watch games, but argued it is necessary for the long-term picture. He also sees it as an opportunity to get several sidelined players back to full fitness, though he did not name individuals.
Blackpool go into the Plymouth match sitting 10th in the table with eight points from six games. Their recent form has been mixed, with one win, one draw and three defeats in their last five outings, a run you can review on our stats page. Their last result was a 2-2 home draw with Bromley on September 12.
The break means Blackpool's next League One match after Plymouth will not be until mid-October. Fans can check the revised schedule for the rest of the season on the club's fixtures list. Evatt's side are currently five points behind early leaders Sheffield Wednesday in the standings.
More detail at Blackpool Gazette
