Bruce to Wigan

Chardee MacDennis

Does this move make sense to anyone? It has to be for the money that's all I can think:

EDIT: well maybe job security but he is moving down

bbc.co.uk/football wrote:

Birmingham manager Steve Bruce is close to joining Wigan for a second spell as their manager with the Latics hoping to unveil their new boss early this week.

"We look like we have a contract agreed but nothing has been signed," Wigan chairman Dave Whelan told Radio 5 Live.

Wigan could have to pay as much as £3m in compensation to Birmingham.

"There's a clause and we have to honour that," added Whelan. "We've agreed that with Birmingham. To get a manager of Steve's quality I think is a bargain."

Of all the managers who could realistically manage Wigan, Steve Bruce has got to be up there with the best

Wigan want Bruce to succeed Chris Hutchings, who was sacked at the start of November after 12 games in charge.

Bruce, who had a brief spell in charge of Wigan in 2001, has been Birmingham manager for nearly six years but he could be out of a job in January if Hong Kong businessman Carson Yeung's proposed takeover of City go through.

The 46-year-old held what were described as "positive talks" with Yeung a fortnight ago after the 3-2 home win against the Latics.

But uncertainty still remains over whether he has a long-term future at City once Yeung's expected takeover takes place, which may force him to look elsewhere.

Former boss Paul Jewell told the BBC he had rejected an "unbelievable" offer to return to the club and has since admitted his interest in the vacant Republic of Ireland job.

Jewell left Wigan in the summer, saying he needed a break from football.

His assistant Hutchings stepped up to replace him but was fired with the team languishing at the foot of the table.

They are currently 19th, with just two league wins in 13 games.

Mitch Connor

well, he has been no assurances by BIrmingham and the new invester that he will be kept, not even given a meeting to discuss his future, so it is perfectly understandable that he would make a move to secure his own future. It is a step backwards, imo, but he has very few options open to him.

Chardee MacDennis

it says above he had a meeting and it was positive.

PHB

Bruce has been great for Brum, Wigan would do well to get him. It's defo a step down, but the manager doesn't seem to want to keep Bruce on, so what can you expect him to do.

DSB

I never even knew Bruce managed Wigan before. Mad.

Bounty Hunter

DSB wrote: »

I never even knew Bruce managed Wigan before. Mad.

was only in a caretaker capacity iirc 8 games or so i think

Necronomicon

Makes sense for him, he's looked stressed out with all the takeover talk, every time someone brings up the subject in an interview he looks like he's going to crack. Going to Wigan would offer him stability, with Whelan there they don't look like they're gonna be taken over anytime soon. I think it'd be a good two fingers to Carson Yeung, who hasn't allowed the current board to offer him a new deal.

Whelan said they're meeting monday and hope to have an announcement tuesday, so by all accounts it looks like a done deal.

Mental Mickey

He's f**king mad to take on a job like Wigan. Yer man Yeung is bonkers if he doesn't offer him a new deal at Brummie......Bruce is a good manager, and I think Birmingham will sink like the Titanic if he goes........??

An Citeog

I'm sure Yeung is looking at Birmingham like Shinawatra at Man City. They have a large fanbase and the potential for growth is huge. Maybe, like with Man City, he wants to bring in a top class European manager and Steve Bruce just doesn't fit the bill for him. I'm sure Bruce is aware of this and that's why he wants to jump ship to another Premiership club, rather than waiting to be pushed and finding himself out of a job with no opportunities.

marco_polo

PHB wrote: »

Bruce has been great for Brum, Wigan would do well to get him. It's defo a step down, but the manager doesn't seem to want to keep Bruce on, so what can you expect him to do.

He must have serious self esteem issues if he doesn't want to keep himself on

aidan24326

It's a sideways move at best but if Birmingham aren't giving him any assurances, despte him doing a decent job, then he's quite right to look out for his own interests. Wigan are a club who'll never really go much higher than where they are though, would be more potential at Birmingham City. Best he could hope for at Wigan is to do what Curbishley did for Charlton i.e turn them into a solid mid-table outfit.

Necronomicon

I've backed Wigan for relegation like most others, but I might have to rethink my stance if (or when as the case looks like) Bruce goes. I always thought he was good in the transfer market. Combine that with Dave Whelan's cheque book, and they might just survive.

Look at Brum's first season in the Premiership. They weren't in the healthiest of positions, but in the january window they signed a good few players (including Christoph Dugarry) and finished pretty comfortably. He has a knack of convincing decent players to come to his club. Walter Pandiani didn't quite work out in the Premiership, but he was a bit of a scalp to bring into a club fighting relegation. He also convinced De Ridder to join Brum this summer.

So if he does join Wigan, I think the transfer window could be interesting.

aidan24326

Necromomicon wrote: »

So if he does join Wigan, I think the transfer window could be interesting.

That will be key to it alright. A bit of good business in January and Wigan could still finish a few places clear of the relegation zone.

And with Derby being absolutely hopeless that's one down already.

pickarooney

He's apparently trebling his wages with the move, which must make the decision that bit easier.

yahoo_moe

Necromomicon wrote: »

I think it'd be a good two fingers to Carson Yeung, who hasn't allowed the current board to offer him a new deal.

There was an issue with Stock Exchange rules, though, which don't allow a new contract to be entered into while takeover talks are underway (unless shareholders give their backing)... and that meant more than Carson Yeung and probably would have required an EGM or something

Actually, does that mean that Birmingham now have to hold an EGM if takeover talks are still ongoing and they need to appoint a new manager?

Nunu

This afternoons press conference to unveil Bruce has been cancelled. Club spokesperson at the moment explaining that because of an 'unresolved issue between Bruce and Birmingham' he is not Wigan manger at the moment and there will be no further development today.

Extraordinary really and a bizarre set of circumstances??
No contract has been signed yet between Bruce and Wigan.

Chardee MacDennis

Lippi has now turned down the Birmingham job - are they really expecting managers of that quality to manage a team that, i think anyway, could be a candidate for relegation.