'A lot to deliver but the signs are there' - Six months of Steve Bruce at Blackpool

The appointment of the former Birmingham City and Wigan Athletic manager came as quite the surprise.

His name wasn’t particularly on anyone’s radar until just hours before it was confirmed. Even the timing wasn’t conventional, with the announcement coming 10 minutes after the full time whistle of an EFL Trophy game.

The 64-year-old had spent nearly two years away from the game on the back of his sacking from West Brom, so his arrival did bring some uncertainty, as well as some excitement in terms of the calibre of his career.

Blackpool had self imploded at the start of the season. The club had backed Neil Critchley throughout the summer, making signings that suited his style of play, before sacking the ex-Liverpool youth coach after just two games.

Whether the decision itself was right or wrong can still be debated, but the timing will always be questionable, as it left the Seasiders with somewhat of a false start.

The first month of Bruce

Bruce’s first month in charge couldn’t have gone any better, with Blackpool recording four consecutive victories at the start of his reign.

Wins away to both Charlton Athletic and Huddersfield Town stood out in particular, considering the Seasiders’ struggles on the road last season.

A 4-4-2 formation seemed to get the best out of a number of players, including Rob Apter and CJ Hamilton in the wide areas, and demonstrated just how good the team could be.

Unfortunately, conceding a late equaliser in a 1-1 draw against Lincoln City marked the start of a slump in form.

Some things are bigger than football

Just after the October international break, Bruce took some time away from Blackpool following the death of his baby grandson Madison.

It was something that put into perspective that there are so many things that are more important than football.

In the absence of the head coach, the Seasiders struggled on the pitch. They clearly missed his guidance, but probably would’ve also felt themselves impacted by what had happened on a personal level.

Injury crisis

Bruce returned to the dugout at the beginning of November for an FA Cup tie away to Gillingham, with his side claiming a 2-0 victory over the fourth tier outfit.

The problems for Blackpool were in the league, as the club found itself on an eight-match winless run.

Even when three consecutive victories did come their way, they had to do it tough for a period, after having up to 10 players missing through either injury or suspension at one stage.

While Bruce had changed the system to great effect during his first month, his options were limited due to the squad being put together to play a completely different formation.

Injuries did make it difficult for the Seasiders to show what they were about, and couldn’t quite get going with key bits of the puzzle missing.

Recent resilience

In recent times, Blackpool have made themselves hard to beat, but have still struggled to find a winning edge.

Prior to Saturday’s disappointment against Stockport County, they had only lost once in 16 league outings heading into that fixture, with that defeat coming in dubious circumstances in the Boxing Day game away to Wrexham.

Bruce has admitted they’ve been disappointed not to turn some of their draws into wins, but his tactical know-how has been the main factor behind them avoiding defeat in some of those outings.

The 3-3 draw with Mansfield Town a fortnight ago was a prime example. It’s hard to say that one player in particular turned the game around at 3-1, it was the coach’s substitutes and change of formation that produced the comeback.

Home woes

Problems at Bloomfield Road in particular have been the biggest stumbling block of Bruce’s reign so far.

Prior to last weekend’s 3-1 victory over Crawley Town, Blackpool had gone 147 days without a home win, and had played out eight consecutive draws in front of their own fans.

If there’s nothing to play for at the end of the season, this will have to go down as a key reason why.

It’s hard to pinpoint the exact reason behind the blip on the Fylde Coast, but all too often the players just didn’t seem at it.

Hope going forward

In Bruce’s first six months in charge, we’ve seen enough to be optimistic for the longer future, even if this season looks to be pretty much over.

His first four games demonstrated what the Seasiders can be at their best, while there’s been other good signs in recent times.

A few things need ironing out of course, and investment will be required in the summer, but Blackpool have the foundations to put themselves in a good position with the current leadership.

One of the standout games under Bruce was a 0-0 draw with Birmingham City at St Andrew’s. He was able to match the best team in the division, and set his team up to give them a really difficult afternoon - which not many sides have managed.

Ultimately, his relationship with the players seems strong, and the fans have also taken to him.

He’s an honest and genuine manager and it’d be a waste if the club couldn’t help him to achieve something during his time on the Fylde Coast. There’s plenty of work to do, but the signs are there.