The Bury manager Kevin Blackwell has been under a lot of pressure recently. The team are flirting with relegation in the League One, and there is a real chance that they could be playing in League Two next season.

However, Blackwell has said that he feels that his team is a mid-table team due to the football that they have played this season. Bury come into the match against Stevenage at home having lost the three recent encounters. They have also managed to score just one goal – against Colchester United – in this run of three defeats.

Despite this, Blackwell has said that his team have been unlucky this season on a number of occasions. The team are 22nd in the Championship table with just 33 points on the board. They have played 38 matches so far, and they have to make up six points in order to think about safety. However, the team in the final safety spot – Oldham – have a game in hand over Bury. Blackwell has said that he would have certainly had the team in a much better position had it not been for the transfer embargo. The 40-year-old veteran defender Efe Sodje has returned to the club after his loan spell came to an end.

“Some of the stuff we've played this season has been outstanding and I've always felt that we're a top-ten team. But you need that bit of quality in certain areas to make sure you can do that. I know what the problem is but when you're embargoed you can't change things. You have to work with what you've got and keep making the players believe," said Blackwell ahead of a meeting with Stevenage. After this match, Blackpool will be facing the likes of Bournemouth, Crewe Alexandra, and Leyton Orient in the remaining eight matches of the season.