Rotherham United v Salford City: Alex Bruce insists performances will decide his goalkeeper as Ted Cann criticism grows
Alex Bruce has a call to make in goal ahead of Rotherham United's League Two home game against his previous club Salford City but as ever, he insists it is his players who will decide.
Goalkeeper Ted Cann (inset) has not made the best case for himself in recent matches, and 20-year-old Brentford loanee Julian Eyestone will be hoping for a senior debut. Millers coach Bruce was giving nothing away.
"We'll have to wait and see," he said. "The goalkeeping position is the same as any other position.
"I want my defensive back line to tell me, basically, that I deserve the shirt, I deserve to play.
"We've conceded too many goals in the opening five games. Defensively we need to get better. We're working on that constantly.
"Who plays behind the back line we'll have to wait and see but whoever is picked, it's an opportunity for each individual every time they play.
"Normally in football if you play well, you win and you do the right thing in terms of minimising mistakes, you keep your shirt. That's what I want.”
The Millers have conceded seven goals in five games and supporter criticism is mounting.
"There's such a huge platform to throw abuse,” said former Leeds, Hull, Sheffield Wednesday and Huddersfield defender Bruce, who was on Salford's coaching staff last season. "When I played you used to just look at one mark on a Sunday out of ten and hopefully you were above six.
"Now you got social media and Twitter and Instagram, there's a lot of platforms for people to have opinions and put pressure on individuals, not just in football but in society. My advice would be not to read it."
Rotherham are looking into a deal for centre-back Dominic Iorfa, a free agent since his Sheffield Wednesday expired in the summer.
"Dominic is training with us," confirmed Bruce. "He's a very good player and he's someone that would obviously benefit the group. Whether we could bring him in or not we'll have to wait and see. It's what Dominic wants, what we have available, what the expectations are , there's a lot going on. "