Ian Evatt has voiced his frustration at League One’s lack of an international break ahead of Blackpool‘s crucial relegation clash with Burton Albion.
The Seasiders welcome Gary Bowyer’s men to Bloomfield Road with their League One survival perfectly in the balance and a win could see the hosts climb above Exeter City should the Grecians fail to beat Leyton Orient.
Double Absence Leads To ‘Harsh’ Claim
However, Blackpool will have to contest the six-pointer without two key players in Bailey Peacock-Farrell and Karoy Anderson, both of whom are on international duty with Northern Ireland and Jamaica, respectively.
The pair are the only absences for Evatt’s side due to callups, meaning that they did not meet the minimum threshold needed to postpone their match, as has happened with many other fixtures over the next week.
Speaking to BBC Radio Lancashire about the situation, the former Bolton Wanderers boss said:
“It’s hard, it’s harsh, at a crucial point of the season.
“I understand these competitions [World Cup qualifiers] need to be played at some point, but we’re the ones that are paying these players’ salaries and have done consistently all season.
“When you lose two key members of your team for a crucial game it becomes hard to take, and a little bit lop-sided, in my view.
“Maybe some special dispensation or awareness from the powers that be to see the affect that it would have on us and the game that we have scheduled with Burton.”
“I know they have got one, or maybe two away as well, so it isn’t ideal for them.
“We are where we are. Perhaps in the future we can just look at how we resolve the issue. But it’s next man up. Another opportunity for somebody else, and we have to make sure that they are ready to go.”
League One Needs Rule Change
With an increasing number of League One’s matches falling to postponements due to international call-ups, decisions need to be made as to whether the third tier follows suit with the Championship and add mid-season breaks.
In November, just five of League One’s matches went ahead, with the rest called off with one team meeting the three-player threshold needed to request a postponement.
While there are definitely financial reasons as to why some clubs would want to stick with the current strategy, especially considering the attendance differences between weekend and midweek matches, it perhaps reduces the quality of the sides on display, as Evatt has argued.
Blackpool Face Biggest Tests
The Tangerines are in a massive battle for their survival and beating Burton Albion could be the pivotal result which decides whether they remain in League One or head down to the fourth tier.
A poor result against the Brewers will essentially leave just two spots remaining for the bottom four to try and escape relegation, and could spell disaster if Wigan Athletic can claim a win over playoff-chasing Reading.
Especially frustrating is the loss of Bailey Peacock-Farrell and Karoy Anderson, with both becoming dependent options for Ian Evatt in his squad, and it certainly leaves him short of options to try and claim all three points against an Albion side high on confidence after besting Bradford City.
Blackpool will also have a direct showdown with Exeter City, with whom they are level on points with, and with limited opportunities to claim points in the season, claiming a decisive result can stop them entering League Two for the first time in a decade.