Steve Bruce on the brink of being sacked by Blackpool following defeat to Wimbledon

Steve Bruce is reportedly on the brink of being sacked by Blackpool following a 2-0 defeat to AFC Wimbledon on Saturday.

Danilo Orsi scored both goals, the first from a penalty in the 38th minute, before sealing the win in the 61st minute, tapping in after a save on Ryan Johnson’s header.

The result sees Blackpool sitting 23rd in the League One table with 8 points from 11 games played, while Wimbledon are 5th with 21 points from 11 games.

Steve Bruce is on the brink of being sacked by Blackpool. #bfc #UTMP pic.twitter.com/Uv0yMm6duB

— Pete O’Rourke (@SportsPeteO) October 4, 2025

Steve Bruce said, per Blackpool Gazette: “I’ve seen signs over the last month; not great, not hitting the standards of where we were last year, but okay.

“Today, I can’t defend anyone, particularly myself. I’ll take the responsibility. Maybe it wasn’t the right game to try something new, but I believe they needed a new toy, and that obviously backfired so I take full responsibility.

“The table doesn’t lie. It’s simply not good enough for a club that wants to be at the other end of the league, I fully get it.

“I don’t quit because my team has been awful, I would like to think I’m better than that, but when I watched the performance – I have to take the criticism that comes my way. I’ve been in it long enough to know that kind of performance was nowhere near good enough.

“It was easily the worst performance of my 12 months here. I’ve never seen such a poor performance, and to be honest, I didn’t see it coming either. You can make excuses about the conditions, but we were nowhere near it.

“As the manager I will take all of the responsibility because if I had paid my hard earned money to watch that, then I’d be booing too.

“I didn’t see enough of anything really. I’m trying to be honest, and I’m shocked by how poor the performance was.

“It’s easily the worst we’ve been in 12 months, and we have to address it quickly, and try and move forward.

“I can try and make as many excuses as I want, but it’s not in my nature to do it. Today, we were nowhere near what’s required. I have to say it’s not easy.

“We didn’t apply ourselves the way I would’ve liked, so that was disappointing to start with. I didn’t see enough hunger, energy, desire from the first whistle to the last.”

Fans reacted with Steve Bruce on the brink of being sacked by Blackpool following defeat to Wimbledon…

@Podesta1989: Not just a bad performance, it’s a bad season

@toontong85: You don’t quit because of the good pay offs. Fraud

@NotOrangePod: You don’t quit because of a bad performance, but we’ve been bad for 90% of this season.

@AnythingBFC: He dosent quit because he wants a pay day

@Athers83:
One bad performance. Which one, Steve?
Exeter away?
Mansfield away?
Northampton away?
Luton at home?
Today’s?

@mattywazza: You don’t quit because you want a massive payment you done awful wherever you been at why did we take him on after West Brom that was two years ago

@TangerineRob: Stop playing players out of position!!!!!

@moz_analyst: It was awful Brucey… absolutely no game plan played like we were away a non league side away from home, tbh the players didn’t seem to know their roles.. But you tried and failed so walk away gracefully please as it will be a shame otherwise. 🍊🍊🍊

@TFMick1892: Horribly, horribly familiar – a complete and total charlatan. Blackpool fans need to ask serious questions of the fool that appointed this serial clown.

@richysmith100: NUFC fans were constantly told from many angles of the media that we should be happy with Bruce. Now he’s on the verge of managerial extinction. Never forget. We were treat differently to all other fans.

@jordansmith_bfc: Absolute fucking joke, he ain’t walking as he wants the £££££, Sadler do the right thing and get rid.

@Jack_Gaughan: Bit of perspective required here. Wimbledon, Northampton, Stevenage, Mansfield… huge clubs with mega budgets

@IanBrookes3: It’s not just the defeat it’s the manner of the defeat that is most concerning. Very disjointed in all departments and lacking in any style of play. It’s hard to take.

@SWalker_x: Get him fucking gone now don’t even dare show a match reaction i want just a corner flag

@SamSutton17: Lots of negatives but we’ve got to give Bruce more time, it’ll click soon

@mickeydale53: All the best to you and your family Steve but it’s enough now, change has to come today! That was atrocious.

@BISONS1973: Lowest point for the whole club since Oyston.

@SalisburyDan: Another gutless performance against better organised, fitter opposition. The easiest away game they will have all season against a team who are supposedly meant to be top six material 🤣. What ever Bruce is doing is not and has not been working. He needs to go now.

@TangerineRob: Playing 1 up front in a must win game. Changing the shape and system several times and expecting it to work. Constantly playing players out of position. All completely unacceptable. Time for Bruce to go and he can take his buddy Downes with him who has just wasted money on crap!

@bensprattjourn: “We didn’t have a clue” is a very, very funny thing for a manager – in charge of clue-having – to say

🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 pic.twitter.com/2yhjEtabgF

— Tangerine Knights (@KnightTangerine) October 4, 2025

these corner flags look nice x pic.twitter.com/vEtLtYYaII

— mason (@masonbfcx) October 4, 2025

Here’s the pic admin ready for you to use in the next hour.

I knew it wouldn’t work out with him all along, the game has passed managers like this by. Look at the table and look at the clubs who operate better than us. Desperately sad times! All should be ashamed pic.twitter.com/JYl7PIwezL

— 🍊Ryan 🏈 (@ryanmn84) October 4, 2025