'No point being miserable': Mick McCarthy says Blackpool will battle to the end in fight against relegation

The midweek 2-1 defeat to Swansea City means the Seasiders are now without a win in their last 14 league games, a run that stretches back to October.

It leaves McCarthy’s men bottom of the Championship, four points adrift of safety ahead of the weekend home clash against Stoke City.

Despite the dire situation, McCarthy expects the fighting spirit his side showed in the second-half against Swansea to last until the end of the campaign.

“We’ll keep the spirits up. We’re bottom of the league. There’s no point being miserable about it, we’ve got to look up,” Pool’s head coach said.

“When we drop to the bottom, bottom goes down, second bottom goes down and third bottom goes down, so let’s try and get to fourth bottom.

“The only way we can do it is keep scrapping like that and having performances like that in the second-half.”

Blackpool almost fought back with 10 men to claim a point for the second time in a week against Swansea, having previously managed it against Huddersfield Town. But on this occasion it wasn’t to be.

While McCarthy is pleased with the hearts, guts and determination his squad has shown, he knows they will need to show even more if they’ve any chance of maintaining their Championship status.

“They haven’t lacked that,” he said.

“It was the same against Huddersfield when we drew 2-2. It should have been the same tonight but it wasn’t to be.

“The lads were all having a go, they all care. It’s hard graft with 11 men, but it’s even harder with 10.

“Nobody can knock the fighting spirit, the willingness to run and work as well as the effort they put in for the club and the fans. They’re great from that respect.

“But it’s just that little bit of end product or quality, or whatever it might be, or it might be a bit of luck because I think there were a few things that went against us on the night as well.”