Steve Bruce previews Blackpool's upcoming home game against Charlton Athletic and discusses the arrival of Niall Ennis on loan from Stoke City.
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00:00You're a step closer with Huddersfield, obviously there's that five-minute blip that cost you at home.
00:04So do you feel like you are knocking on the door of getting that right, making it a fortress again?
00:10I sincerely hope so. I think we've played very, very well at times at home.
00:14Huddersfield has won where the first half in particular, we had a bad five minutes.
00:19When I look back at that five minutes as well, the score from a corner, come clearance and
00:25then they got a deflection. I didn't realise the second goal was a deflection, although it was one of them
00:30wonder goals, the big deflection. So that's gone against us.
00:34Look, we've got another opportunity tomorrow and I've got a lot of home games coming up.
00:38So let's hope we can turn around.
00:40There's clearly belief in the changing rooms. Is it about sharing that now and spreading that around the area?
00:46Well, I have to say I've been delighted with the attitude of the players, the way they've gone about their work.
00:52Not easy. We haven't had an easy couple of days to go to Exeter away,
00:56which took us nine hours on the Friday to get there, perform the way we did, get back and then go to
01:02bloody Lincoln on a Tuesday night.
01:05It was difficult enough to get back from there too as well.
01:07So we didn't get back there until two, three o'clock in the morning. So it's been a difficult few days.
01:13But I'm hoping that we've obviously recovered and get ready for tomorrow.
01:16You mentioned Sonny's contract, there was a few who were out of contract.
01:19I know we've got a deadline there to get past first, but how soon would you like to get contracts?
01:23Well, look, I think we're going to take it just a bit at a time.
01:27We've got to get January out the road first and the madness is about to start in the next three, four days.
01:32So let's see what that brings and then we'll go to work with what we need to be.
01:39You know, we're fully aware of people who are out of contract and this, that and the other.
01:45So we'll address that when this window's out and done.
01:50You mentioned there might be one more signing in the works, but apart from that, if the windows are shut now, would you welcome it?
01:55I've been delighted at what we've done.
01:58As I said, we've trimmed down the squad because that's what I believe we needed to do going forward.
02:06The three players we've brought in will definitely bring something to us in the forward areas.
02:11I think that's where we needed to improve and we're a bit light.
02:14So I'm delighted with what we've done.
02:16The way Tom Bloxham started out as a striker, obviously maybe signed as a winger, but the way he started as a striker,
02:21has that sort of changed the approach of what he's going to do?
02:23We've always signed him as a striker.
02:29We knew he could play there because I think out of the 150 games he's played in his career,
02:35I think he's played about 30 times down the middle.
02:39So we always knew that was part of his game.
02:42He could play on the left and the right and through the middle, which is great.
02:46When you've got that flexibility, he's had a great start.
02:51So long may that continue.
02:53Already, I can feel that he's a bit of a favourite because you can,
02:56especially with away supporters who've seen him play fantastically well at Exeter in particular.
03:02We now need the other two new lads to get their chance and bring the squad something new and fresh.
03:09And that's the beauty about bringing in the player.
03:11Moving up this one though, back of your mind going forward,
03:13do you think we might be signing a striker up from now?
03:16Wingers, if we need to go.
03:18Well, we needed to address the wide area
03:22and we've brought in, and I still class Tom as that, in the wide area.
03:27We needed to address that because when CJ was out,
03:30we've asked young Rob to perform week in and week out,
03:34and the kid's done fantastically well.
03:37But we always knew that he's only a young'un.
03:39You know, he's only young the boy, and to play repeatedly.
03:43There's times when I'm thinking he needs to just have a week or two to have a break from it.
03:49We haven't been able to do that because of CJ missing and what the squad build-up there was.
03:54And that's the way we were last year.
03:55We were a totally, totally different squad of players for a different system.
04:00So, fair credit to the powers that be.
04:05They've listened to what the change and what we want to do and try to help.
04:09Tough job for Nightliners to break in the next few weeks, isn't it?
04:13Yeah, but that's what we want.
04:16That's what we want with the squad.
04:17You know, when we had lost 3, 4, 5, which,
04:22even at elite level, I've said it many times to you,
04:25you lose 3, 4, 5 of your first team,
04:27and it's very difficult to go week in and week out
04:32and have the same threat as what you did have.
04:35So, we've addressed it as best we can.
04:39So, yeah, onwards and upwards.
04:41Is Nile ready for this weekend? Is he ready to come straight into contention?
04:44Yeah, yeah, straight into contention.
04:46He only played last week, so we know where he's fit and raring to go.
04:52Obviously, we spoke about Ashley Fletcher before.
04:54Could Nile be similar?
04:55Were he done well at this level before he's dropped back down?
04:58He's done very, very well at this level.
05:00He helped Plymouth get promoted with his goals
05:02and then got his move to the Championship.
05:05That hasn't gone as well as probably we would have hoped.
05:07I haven't sat down and asked him the reason why yet.
05:10We've only just got to know him today and yesterday.
05:14Look, we know at this level, he's proven.
05:16So, that can only help us.
05:18There's a few players in the squad who have experience
05:20getting promotion from this league,
05:21but adding another figure like Nile into the squad,
05:24is that only going to help?
05:25Yeah.
05:26Look, the good players that you have in the squad, the better.
05:29And he can certainly help us going forward.
05:33And let's hope he can hit the ground running.