Blackpool interim boss McPhillips admits he wants the job

Posted Wednesday, August 29, 2018 by PA

Blackpool caretaker manager Terry McPhillips admits he now wants the job on a permanent basis after guiding his side into the third round of the Carabao Cup.

McPhillips was handed the reins at Bloomfield Road on temporary terms following the resignation of Gary Bowyer earlier this month.

While he has consistently said he would not want the permanent position, he changed his stance following Blackpool’s 2-1 win at Doncaster.

“I’ve been loving it,” McPhillips said.

“And I think I would like the job.

“They’ve been superb again and I can’t fault them.

“The strength in depth is good and we’ve got a few to come back so it’s exciting.”

Goals from Michael Nottingham and Harry Pritchard saw Blackpool come from behind after Doncaster took the lead courtesy of Alfie May.

McPhillips was pleased with the resilience Blackpool showed as they recovered from an early setback for the second time in the competition.

And he was delighted with the goals from Nottingham and Pritchard, who joined in the summer from non-league outfits Salford City and Maidenhead respectively.

“That is twice now in this competition that we’ve come from behind to win so I’m delighted,” he said.

“It’s the two lads from non-league football that have got the goals for us.

“It’s not a fluke Michael gets the goals.

“When we watched him and what he did for Salford, if they needed a goal they’d chuck him up front.”

Doncaster boss Grant McCann was frustrated several of his players did not take the opportunity to impress after the changes he made for the cup tie.

McCann made five changes to his side, giving a chance to several players whose game time has been limited so far this season.

But he was disappointed with the outcome from a game he labelled ‘boring.’

“We were poor,” McCann said.

“We were disappointing.

“I said to the group afterwards that if any of them were wondering why they’d not got a rest or they were looking ahead to the next game in the league at Peterborough, you have got me all wrong.

“We wanted to get through in the Cup and I thought I had put a team on the pitch that could do that.

“I thought Blackpool were much the better team throughout the game.

“It was an opportunity for me to see people that hadn’t had much game time and had been sitting and waiting in the wings as the team as started the league well on the whole.

“I was disappointed with it.

“I didn’t enjoy watching it. I was bored.

“I take the fair share of the blame for it. I’m the manager.

“But the players have got to do more than that.”