Bruce vows Wigan will give 100%
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Steve Bruce has rejected any suggestion that his Wigan side might not give their all in Sunday's Premier League game against Manchester United.
Bruce's former club United will win the title with victory over the Latics, who have nothing to play for. But Bruce said: "Everybody who knows me knows me better than that. What am I going to say to the team? 'Just roll over and let Man United win'? "That's not going to happen. Make no mistake, we'll be trying our utmost."
Wigan suffered a run of 20 straight league defeats to the "big four" of Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool following their promotion in 2005. However, under Bruce the Latics have drawn with Liverpool at Anfield, drawn at home to the Gunners, and held Chelsea to a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge in April.
If Bruce's side can also force a draw with United, the title will head to Chelsea if the Blues beat Bolton at home. Bruce lifted the league trophy three times with United, but in nine attempts as Birmingham boss he never beat his old club.
United have won all six of their league and cup games against Wigan, scoring 20 goals in the process. However, while 13th-placed Wigan have secured their Premier League safety, they do have more than pride to play for.
The Latics could drop as low as 15th if they lose to United, costing them a substantial amount in prize money.
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Bolton's bus ride to safety
KEVIN DAVIES has warned Chelsea that Bolton plan to park the bus in front of their goal at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. Wanderers could yet be relegated if they are on the wrong end of a hiding from the Blues, while Reading thrash basement club Derby. So Davies insists they will head to West London with the plan to put 10 men behind the ball and squeeze the life out of Chelsea's title challenge.
Boss Gary Megson has also revealed there will be no place for ‘champagne football’ as his team look to complete their great escape. That could mean an infuriating afternoon for Blues chief Avram Grant — whose predecessor Jose Mourinho coined the ‘park the bus’ phrase while talking about a negative Tottenham team four years ago.
But it will be comforting for Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson to know he could get an unexpected favour from his neighbours, who have kept 12 clean sheets already in the league this season. In-form Bolton have taken 10 points from their last four games and will be safe as long as there is not an 11-goal swing in favour of Steve Coppell’s Reading.
Fulham would also need to win at Portsmouth. But Davies insists the Trotters are looking to continue their recent revival and sign off a difficult season on a high note. He said: “It’s only goal difference now that can affect us so we’ll go to Chelsea and put 10 men behind the ball.
“Hopefully, if we do that we’ll be OK. We have to go down to Chelsea and do a job. “Once we’ve done that we can focus on next season. Three or four weeks ago we were written off when we’d not won in eight. So to turn it round like we have done with three wins and a draw is unbelievable. “It looks like we’re nearly out of it but now we want to finish well at Chelsea and put this season behind us.
Boss Megson maintains his team will continue their habit of trying to grind out results rather than aiming to turn on the style. He said: “We haven’t crossed the line yet, although we are very close to it. In our situation we won’t be playing champagne football. “We would be absolutely mortified if we blew it from this point on. But we have got one of the best teams in the world away from home. “Reading, though, have got to play a team who have won only one game all season — and that’s Derby.”