'I accept' - Steve Bruce shares honest view on whether he's under pressure following poor Blackpool run
Blackpool were defeated 1-0 by Plymouth Argyle.
Steve Bruce admits there is pressure on him to quickly change Blackpool’s fortunes following their poor start to the season.
The Seasiders’ 1-0 defeat to Plymouth Argyle at Home Park on Saturday was their fourth defeat in five League One games, with their only victory remaining their 3-2 win over Huddersfield Town last weekend.
Heading into the fixture, the Pilgrims had failed to come out on top in their opening four, but were able to get off the mark thanks to Malachi Boateng’s second half goal - which came courtesy of a defensive lapse in concentration.
Bruce took over at Bloomfield Road last September, replacing Neil Critchley in the Blackpool dugout.
There have been some signs of promise throughout the 64-year-old’s first 11 months in charge, but his side ultimately fell short of the play-offs last season and have struggled in the last few weeks, albeit with some mitigating factors being in play.
In the last few months, the ex-Newcastle United and Aston Villa coach has been able to shape the squad to his liking, with 11 new players arriving during the summer transfer window so far.
When asked if he was currently under pressure following the slow start to the campaign, Bruce responded: “If you don’t win football matches whether you’re me or anyone else (you face it).
“I don’t feel under pressure, but I’m sure when you’ve lost four out of your first five games, then I accept I’m under pressure because I don’t want my team to keep performing in the way we are.
“As a defender myself, the goals we concede are there for everyone to see.
“It’s always my fault, that’s the way football is. We had a bit of a nervous start, but I saw signs where we were somewhere near to where we were last year.
“We looked a threat on the counter and created a couple of good chances ourselves, but we’ve thrown it away. There’s probably two or three individuals you can ask a question of, which is not acceptable.”
Bruce states he is in regular talks with Blackpool owner Simon Sadler, who has backed his manager with a number of notable signings this summer.
“We have conversations every other day, and that’s normal - that will continue,” he added.
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