DAVID Flitcroft believes Bury have made progress on and off the pitch in his first year in charge.

This week marked 12 months since the 40-year-old was appointed Shakers boss by chairman Stewart Day.

Saturday’s draw at home to Luton in the FA Cup saw him reach his anniversary with a win percentage of 39 per cent, claiming 20 victories from his 51 games in charge, drawing 17 and losing 14.

A big chunk of those losses have come in the last few weeks, with supporters starting to ask questions of the manager’s position after going into the weekend’s FA Cup tie on the back of four straight defeats.

But a last-minute Danny Nardiello equaliser eased the pressure.

And while Flitcroft, whose side remain eighth in League Two, has never cut the figure of a man whose job was under threat, he conceded the sacking of Hartlepool manager Paul Murray was a stark warning to every Football League boss.

“I always look at the bigger picture, and when I see the Hartlepool manager getting sacked after seven games (in charge) it has become farcical - the world of football has become farcical,” he said.

“I think it heaps pressure on everyone at the football club.

“But what we have done over the last two weeks is sat down, assessed where we have come from, assessed what we are up to and assessed how far we have evolved.”

Bury go into Saturday's trip to Oxford and next Tuesday's replay at Luton with one of the strongest squads in the division, bolstered by the return of fit-again loan striker Hallam Hope.

Yet 12 months ago they were under serious threat of relegation from the Football League.

Bury briefly fell into the drop zone in the first few weeks of Flitcroft's tenure before eventually climbing out of trouble to finish 12th.

They have kicked on this season, twice moving top before a recent poor run of results has seen them fall just outside the play-off places.

But Flitcroft remains confident the building blocks are in place to see them up there fighting for promotion come the end of the season and challenging for honours for many more years to come.

“Certainly as a football club and as a team we are evolving and striving to get better,” he added.

“Have we made progress? I think 100 per cent, in every area.

“We just need to keep having the belief that if we stick together and show the similar sort of progress we made last season, then that will continue this season and the seasons beyond that.”