'I just hope they don't go down': Former Blackpool boss Paul Ince has his say on Mick McCarthy's appointment

The Reading boss is keen to see Blackpool remain in the second tier, as long as it’s not at his side’s expense.

The Royals currently sit in 16th place in the Championship, 11 points clear of the bottom three and five adrift of the play-off places.

Ince, who managed the Seasiders between 2013 and 2014, says he still has a lot of “affinity” for his former club and wouldn’t want to see them drop back down to League One.

But the 55-year-old believes Blackpool have given themselves a good opportunity to avoid that fate by appointing McCarthy, a veteran boss that is known for his firefighting ability.

“I've got a lot of time for Mick,” Ince told Premier League Odds. “He's a wonderful, wonderful man.

“I've got a lot of affinity with Blackpool and the fans because I was manager there and my son Tom played there so the last thing I want is for Blackpool to struggle.

“In the position they're in, Mick is the right man because he won't take any nonsense and he'll get the team hard to beat.

“It's great to see Mick back in management. I've loved listening to him on the TV and radio but he belongs in management. Blackpool are a great club with wonderful fans and hopefully he does well there.

“As long as Blackpool finish below us, that's okay - I just hope they don't go down.”