"I do know what I'm doing," insists Steve Bruce, despite describing his Aston Villa side as "embarrassing" in their 4-1 Sky Bet Championship defeat at Sheffield United.
Bruce's side were 3-0 down by half-time at Bramall Lane on Saturday, in what was Villa's first game since the club's new owners appointed former Liverpool and Chelsea managing director Christian Purslow as their chief executive.
"We were a team that was fragmented and one or two turned into a circus act," said Bruce.
Villa pulled one back in the second half through Anwar El Ghazi, who joined on a season-long loan from Lille last week, but have now gone five games without a win.
"It was embarrassing enough but it could have been one of those more embarrassing ones," added the manager.
Last season's play-off final defeat to Fulham meant missing out on Premier League broadcast money and left Villa needing to sell their prize assets as the club faced a financial crisis.
But new owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens arrived with fresh investment for transfers and were unwilling to let key player Jack Grealish depart for Tottenham, despite a £25m bid.
Bruce insisted the owners gave him their backing on arrival, with the Villa boss boosted by further signings in the form of Premier League players Tammy Abraham and Yannick Bolasie on loan in the final days of the transfer window.
But after fans chanted 'you don't know what you're doing' during the defeat to Sheffield United, Bruce has defended his position as manager.
"We are Aston Villa so when you get beat badly, you have to accept the consequences," he added.
"The social media dinosaur thing will be coming out and 'you don't know what you're doing'.
"But, look, I have been four times out of this league and got beaten last year in the play-off final.
"I think that would encourage me that I do know what I am doing."