Northampton Town manager Kevin Nolan has expressed his disbelief that Blackpool boss Steve Bruce is currently managing in League One.
The 64-year-old has enjoyed a stellar management career since hanging up his boots in 1998. This has seen him earn four promotions to the Premier League with Birmingham City and Hull City, whilst he has also spent time at the likes of Sunderland, Aston Villa and Newcastle United.
Bruce had been out of the game since leaving West Bromwich Albion in October 2022 but returned to the dugout in September last year to take over Blackpool. It was an announcement which caused a shock, with the former Manchester United defender having spent the majority of his managerial career in the top two tiers.
Nolan Expresses Shock
Bruce has performed a decent job at Bloomfield Road and has consistently stated his ambition to move them up the football pyramid. Blackpool have lost just twice since Christmas, but a series of draws has hampered their promotion aspirations.
The Tangerines travel to Northampton Town tomorrow afternoon hoping to recover from last weekend’s defeat against Leyton Orient. The Cobblers currently sit 19th in the table and are just six points above the relegation places.
For manager Kevin Nolan though, it represents an opportunity to reignite an old rivalry. However, the former Newcastle and West Ham United midfielder is surprised to see Bruce in the third tier. Speaking ahead of the game, he said:
“Brucey’s obviously been a top manager. I can’t believe he’s in League One if I’m honest. Someone of his calibre and his experience and what he’s done in the game, I didn’t think I would see him in League One.
“But that just shows the love he’s got for the game. Maybe it was his wife wanting to give him out of the house! But he’s a great guy and he’ll be welcome, but obviously I want to beat him on Saturday.
“We’ll have a beer and a catch up after the game and hopefully I’m the one smiling and he’s giving me a bit of stick because we’ve won. We had some good times when he was at Sunderland and I was at Newcastle but he’s a great guy and I’m looking forward to seeing him.”
Writer’s View
Steve Bruce has spent the majority of his managerial career with teams either at the top end of the Championship or bottom end of the Premier League. Blackpool offered a fresh opportunity to achieve something he never has before but it was still a surprise to see him take over a team in League One. As for Northampton, Nolan will be hoping to get one over his former rival and steer the club further away from the bottom four.
