Misogynistic Spud-head or Managerial Genius?

"If we're not careful, we'll be playing in high heels and skirts and playing netball."

- Steve Bruce

With Steve Bruce's acrimonious departure from Birmingham City now complete, and Latics chairman Dave Whelan explaining it all away as "two women having a fall-out" (Brenda Spencer and Karren Brady), it is now all down to the potato headed Bruce to drag Latics from the mire in which they find themselves.

Bruce, unpopular with many Latics fans after showing the door to Roberto Martinez and nine other players before deciding we were merely a stepping stone for his ambitions and ditching us for Crystal Palace, will return £250,000 in image rights to Birmingham City and Bernard Cribbins.

Reportedly on a handsome £40,000 a week at his new club, this shouldn't dent his bank balance too badly, but he will need to conjure a sharp turn in Latics fortunes in order to sway the doubters amongst the clubs' supporters.


And these doubters have a point. Explaining away his exit from the club the first time as being down to his wife wanting to live in London, it begs the question: Why is he back in Wigan? And since when has a man whose view of women is straight from the Mike Newell stable of misogyny, ever taken a female's feelings into account on his single-minded drive to Premier League management?

He will watch Saturday's match at Arsenal from the stands, and from there will be able to witness the monumental task ahead of him in order to repay Whelan's faith, and convince those who think he is not up to scratch.