Bruce On Blackburn Disappointment

Manager Steve Bruce has said he was left feeling disappointed at Hull’s one all draw with Blackburn Rovers yesterday.

Video – Blackburn Highlights
Audio – Bruce On Blackburn Draw

Speaking to the Official Site following the game, Bruce had to acknowledge that the overall performance from us just wasn’t good enough and it showed how much improvement the side still needed to make this year if we are to reach our aim of bouncing back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

‘I`m disappointed like I was last weekend. We`re still unbeaten at home, but we could quite easily have been four points better off. Saturday wasn`t a classic but we should be better than that to see off their set-piece. It cost us last Saturday and it has cost us again.’

Bruce went on to say that we are clearly still a ‘work in progress’ because he knows we are capable of playing a hell of a lot better than we did in the last few, so for him it’s still about finding the right system and formation that allows us to show our strengths off both offensively and defensively on a consistent basis.

‘I do believe that we will get better and better as the season goes on. There was no real spark from us and we didn`t get to grips with it until we introduced Livermore and Maloney. That gives us food for thought and we`ll move on.’

The main disappointment for him was the showing in the opening 45 minutes of the game, but he felt we showed a lot of improvement in the second period, especially after the introduction of the two named above, but first half he felt we were trying too hard and trying to force it but even then in the second half the one chance that fell to Maloney, he felt should’ve made the game two nil and it would’ve largely been deserved even though the result would’ve clouded the performance.

‘I was disappointed with the first half but in the second we were much brighter. We tried to go from back to front too quickly, but really we should have been 2-0 up with a great chance for Maloney. We then got caught by a sucker-punch which we`re really disappointed with. We should have won it after that (Curtis Davies) because it was a really fantastic chance. You don`t get many like that. We`re huffing and puffing a bit at the moment, but still picking up points.’