Steve McClaren on Alex Bruce's position at Rotherham United – and what needs to be done better
Steve McClaren says coach Alex Bruce is not in danger of losing his job despite Rotherham United's difficult start to the season but has spoken to the novice about being more consistent in his approach.
The Millers briefly dropped into the League Two relegation zone earlier this month and are only now outside of it on goal difference, a real test for Bruce in his first job as a Football League manager inheriting a club relegated twice in the last three seasons.
That points to deeper problems at the club, and is why Bruce's boss, head of football McClaren, says reports he could be close to losing his job have no foundation.
"No. Absolutely not," replied the former England and Middlesbrough manager when asked if Bruce's job was under threat. "It never has been.
"I report to Tony (Stewart, the chairman) nearly very day. He coms down to the training ground, has a cup of tea with the boys, knows the atmosphere, knows what the boys are doing and the hard work.
"(But) that can only go so far."
Consecutive draws – Saturday's after over an hour a man down at home to Shrewsbury Town – have given McClaren encouragement, but the Millers have still not won any of their last eight matches.
"We're in a results business," acknowledged McClaren. "He (Stewart) knows that, I know that, the players know that, Alex knows that.
"I think there was a conscious effort, especially after that bad week we had that we would talk about consistency in selection and consistency in shape and consistency in performance. If we get that we will win football matches.
"The first 20 minutes of the last two home games, that's Rotherham United – that's on the front foot, that's playing good football, positive football and what I like about this team, all the way through the games, whether we've played well or not, they work, they work, they never stop, never give up.
"I think you saw that with ten men on Saturday."
Rotherham started the season with a back four, but switched to a three after the first couple of gams.
But since the "bad week" McClaren referred to – the nadir was longer, in fairness – they have employed the 4-3-3 formation Bruce switched to at half-time at Fleetwood.
McClaren believes he has seen the foundations of a tam which can merge from this difficult start, and is bedding in 18 new signings as well as a new off-field team.
“Unfortunately, this is something you have to go through when you're putting a team together,” said McClaren. “Sometimes it gels straight away, but not very often.
"Other times you've got to have ups and downs – some adversity, some bad times, and that's certainly what we've had in the last few weeks. In the last two, three weeks – and we've had it all season, really – there has been some inconsistency.
"I think that was really highlighted in the last two home games where were 2-0 up and I felt certain we're going to get two victories.
"(But) I see Alex and his coaches working every day. I've be worried if they weren't doing the right work, I'd be worried if the players weren't putting in the hard work, but I'm not worried because they are doing those things, and that eventually will bear fruit."