Stockport County host Blackpool at Edgeley Park on 22 August 2026, Game Week 2 of EFL League One, with both clubs operating under managers who arrived within the last 18 months. It is an early season fixture that probably matters more than the calendar suggests: Stockport sit third after winning their opener and already look like they want to establish themselves near the top, whereas Blackpool, drawn in their first match and sitting 14th, need a result to stop the possession football they are building from feeling like theory.
Jimmy McNulty and Ian Evatt have never faced each other as managers, so there is no tactical blueprint to lean on. McNulty took charge at Stockport on 5 June 2026, stepping in after Dave Challinor departed, while Evatt arrived at Blackpool on 21 October 2025 to replace Steve Bruce. With both men still settling their squads into preferred systems, this fixture will tell us more about where these teams actually are than any pre season result could.
One match each is a thin sample but the manner of each result is worth noting. Stockport won through compact organisation and quick transitions, which is exactly what McNulty seems to be building toward, while Blackpool drew despite creating chances and that is the more interesting story: Evatt's side can generate opportunity but could not finish it, a problem that travels badly. How each manager responds to a competitive mid block across a full 90 minutes tells us more than the results themselves.
Neither side reports any absences, which gives both managers the luxury of putting out exactly what they want. Stockport's preferred lineup has Jack Diamond on the left, Kyle Wootton through the middle, Oliver Norwood anchoring midfield and Ethan Pye and Eoghan O'Connell providing aerial presence at the back, while Blackpool come in with Josh Bowler on the right, CJ Hamilton on the left, George Honeyman in the centre, Kylian Kouassi pushing forward and Andy Lyons in defence.
Stockport work from a back three that flexes depending on what the game demands. McNulty's side presses in transition, uses set pieces as a source of goals and lets Diamond find pockets of space on the left while Norwood threads passes toward Wootton. A side that defends its shape and waits for turnovers is better placed than one that needs open space to be effective and that cuts against everything Blackpool want to do. Evatt's team look to dominate possession with Bowler and Hamilton providing width on the flanks, Honeyman linking things centrally and Kouassi trying to pull Stockport's back line deep but they already showed a tendency to circulate the ball without converting it in the opener. If Stockport's shape sits deep enough to deny space in behind, that problem will only compound.
The individual battles worth watching are Diamond's movement against whoever Blackpool put out on the right, Norwood versus Honeyman in the central zones, a fight over who controls the game's tempo, and Wootton's ability to hold the ball up and bring midfield runners into play, which only works if Stockport can win second balls consistently. If the wide duels go Stockport's way, Blackpool's build up will stall before it gets dangerous.
Stockport have won all four league meetings between these two from 2024 to 2026, a remarkable run given that historically Blackpool hold a slim overall edge with roughly 31 wins to Stockport's 24 or so. Both managers are new enough that the older record probably means very little but the pattern is still worth noting: McNulty's structure has beaten this Blackpool side consistently and the question now is whether Evatt's reshaping of the squad has changed enough to break that.
Set pieces are where Stockport are clearest in their intent: Pye, O'Connell and Wootton all offer something in the box and McNulty's delivery focused approach from corners and free kicks gives them a reliable route to goal that does not depend on open play flowing perfectly. Blackpool can threaten on the break if Stockport over commit during attacking set pieces and that risk is real given how committed McNulty's side tend to be in those moments. Stockport want to build on a winning start, while Blackpool need their first win to prove that Evatt's model can actually convert the chances it creates.
Stockport 2-1 Blackpool. If Stockport's back three holds its shape and Norwood wins the midfield battle against Honeyman, Blackpool's possession will circle without penetrating and Stockport will punish the turnovers. Bowler or Hamilton can create something if Stockport push men forward at set pieces and leave space in behind but four straight wins against this opponent carry real weight. McNulty's structure wins the tempo battle and the set piece delivery does the rest.
Ryan Baldi
Football Writer
Ryan Baldi is a professional football writer with years of experience and has been featured by respected outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Sky Sports, DAZN, FourFourTwo, ESPN, Yahoo Sport and Football365. He has also written several books including Arsène Who?.
