Steve Bruce: New Blackpool boss ‘wasn’t ready for retirement’

Critchley’s predecessor was the vastly experienced former Sunderland and Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Mick McCarthy, but he left after less than three months in April 2023 with two wins from 14 games.

Bruce acknowledged that some fans may compare the two appointments and it is “up to him” to earn their trust.

“It didn’t quite happen for Mick and it didn’t quite happen for me at West Brom. Let’s hope this is better than my last appointment – I certainly do,” he said.

“There’s going to be sceptics out there and it’s up to me now to win them over, as I have done at other clubs and they’ve said, ‘This fella’s done us a decent job here’. That’s my aim.”

This will be the first time Bruce has managed in the third tier since his first stint with Wigan Athletic in 2001.

He said he would not have accepted the job if he did not think he was capable of being successful.

“These lads earn a decent living but they have to win on a Saturday to pay the mortgage, so there’s a certain honesty about them,” the former Birmingham City, Aston Villa and Newcastle United boss said.

“I’m here to try and help the players if I possibly can and try and succeed. I wouldn’t have taken it if I didn’t think we could succeed.

“It’s going to be difficult because there’s some big teams in this league but I’d like to think Blackpool are going to be amongst them.”