How ex-Sunderland midfielder Elliot Embleton is faring at Blackpool ahead of life under new boss Steve Bruce

When Elliot Embleton left Sunderland this summer, it was, in many respects, the end of an era. The academy graduate, Mackem through and through, departed Wearside after a six-year association with the first team at the Stadium of Light, and a much longer stint with the Black Cats writ large.

His farewell was an emotional one, and his exit was bittersweet in the eyes of many; few supporters would have openly called for Embleton to be sold, but after a hellish spell on the treatment table and a subsequent tumble down the pecking order, there was also a tacit understanding that the midfielder needed a switch to kick start a career that was in threat of stagnating.

Ultimately, that new beginning would come at Blackpool - a club that the 25-year-old had previously enjoyed a fairly successful loan with a few years prior, helping them to promotion back to the Championship via the play-offs in the process. Speaking about his return to Bloomfield Road earlier in the summer, Embleton said: “I’m buzzing to be back and looking forward to the future here at Blackpool. For me, I need to get back playing football and I’ve got such happy memories here, where I feel like I played well and we ultimately ended up getting promoted.”

But how have things fared for Embleton since he was unveiled as a Blackpool player for the second time? Broadly speaking, it has been a difficult start to the new campaign for the Tangerines. With just two points from their opening four matches, they currently sit 22nd in the League One table, and as a consequence, the club parted company with Neil Critchley - the manager who signed Embleton - at the back end of August. Earlier this week, it was announced that his replacement will be former Sunderland and Newcastle United boss Steve Bruce, meaning that Embleton already has a fresh face in the dugout to consider.

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That being said, a change in management may prove to be a positive for the 25-year-old. So far this season, he has been limited to just four substitute appearances - totalling just shy of 100 minutes - in League One, although he has started both of Blackpool’s EFL Cup outings, including a 2-1 win over Blackburn Rovers last week.

That lack of substantial opportunity has seemingly been reflected in Embleton’s output too. Still without a goal or an assist to his name, stats gurus Whoscored have saddled the former Sunderland man with an average match rating of just 6.1 in the league - the third-lowest figure in Blackpool’s entire squad. To an extent, that is wholly understandable; making an impact from the bench is hard enough for any player, let alone when they are being introduced into a side who are struggling as overtly as the Seasiders currently are. There is also the question of match fitness. Embleton is coming into this season off the back of a lengthy spell on the sidelines, and was always likely to have to ease his way through the ring rust.

But with a new manager may also come a new chance for Embleton to prove his worth, and a new lease of life. Certainly, he is a player with more than enough talent to establish himself as a dangerous presence in the third tier. Now he just has to find a way of doing so.