Blackpool head coach's challenge to Bloomfield Road squad
Steve Bruce has challenged Blackpool’s players to follow up their midweek win at Bristol Rovers as they prepare for a hectic December.
The Seasiders collected a first victory in nine League One matches on Tuesday at the Memorial Stadium, moving them up to 16th in the table.
League affairs take a back seat this weekend as Blackpool host Birmingham City in round two of the FA Cup; the first of eight scheduled matches next month.
Speaking after victory on Tuesday, Bruce told BBC Radio Lancashire: “We’ve got to build on it. We know where we’ve got to be.
“We’re getting to the critical part of the season where it starts for me.
"The internationals have gone and, all of a sudden, you’ve got a big period coming up over Christmas.
“We’ve got some tough games coming up over Christmas, let’s enjoy them.
“If we play the way we know we can, we know – with a little bit of luck – we can compete with anybody.”
While Bryant Bilongo’s own goal and Lee Evans’ penalty secured victory on Tuesday, there was also praise for Elliot Embleton and Dom Ballard.
They were part of a tactical switch that paid off for the Seasiders, who are looking to fill the attacking void left by CJ Hamilton’s absence.
Bruce explained: “We moved Embleton to the middle of the pitch, just off the front, and put Ballard to the left.
“It gave us some impetus down the left because, without CJ, we’ve been looking for somebody with a bit of pace and Dom did it very well.
“I thought Embleton did very well, he linked the play very well for us.”
The Seasiders had confirmed details of their eighth match in December earlier this week.
It was announced on Wednesday evening that their Vertu Trophy tie with Aston Villa’s U21s would take place on Tuesday, December 17.
The game at Bloomfield Road kicks off at 7pm with ticket details to be announced in due course.
Blackpool progressed after finishing top of their group, while Villa went through as runners-up behind Bolton Wanderers.
Villa are the only U21 team to reach the knockout stage of this season’s competition.