Blackpool Manager Bruce: “Could’ve Subbed Nine” After FA Cup Loss

Blackpool manager Steve Bruce, who took charge in September, stated he could have implemented “eight or nine substitutions” during the half-time interval following his team’s elimination from the FA Cup by Birmingham City. Before the break, The Seasiders were significantly outplayed by their League One opponents, with Lyndon Dykes and Lukas Jutkiewicz scoring to give Birmingham City a 2-0 advantage. Bruce introduced four changes at half-time, and Jordan Rhodes managed to score a goal for Blackpool, but Birmingham secured their victory to advance to round three. This marked the first time since 2017 that Blackpool had not progressed beyond the second round, and Bruce described his players’ first-half display as “passive and lacklustre”. Speaking to BBC Radio Lancashire, the former Birmingham boss commented, “We didn’t make a cup tie of this until the 45th minute.” He added, “We were passive and lacklustre, which I hadn’t seen in us before against other teams.” Bruce further elaborated, “To be fair, I could’ve made eight or nine substitutions because I don’t accept that first-half performance.” He concluded by stating, “Supporters have paid their hard earned money to see their team to go on and have a proper go of it, and we just made it way too comfortable for them.”