After the 9-1 defeat to Tottenham on Sunday, Dave Whelan spoke to Sky Sports News in support of Roberto Martinez and also had a few to say about former manager Steve Bruce. Whelan has blamed Bruce for making a few ‘dodgy’ signings in his reign making the depth of the squad weaker. Although Whelan did not mention any names, it is not hard to point out the below par players Whelan highlighted. Oliver Kapo, Marlon King, Daniel de Ridder, Ben Watson, Richard Kingson are just a few names who have failed to make a decent impression in the squad.
Of course Steve Bruce has denied this, ignoring these fringe players and only focusing on Hugo Rodallega and Charles N’Zogbia. Well Steve, if you want Kapo, Watson and co. You are more than welcome to them. As far as Hugo and Charles are concerned, keep away.
Bruce told the Sunderland Echo: "I saw the quotes from Dave Whelan and I know that he was in Barbados at the time, so maybe he'd had one or two glasses of white wine when he made the remarks!
"I could respond but I'm not going to because I don't want it to blow up into something it doesn't have to be.
"I had a great relationship with the Wigan chairman and the one thing he was good at was always trying to protect the manager whenever possible, so I haven't taken offence at what was said.
"I think he was just trying to take the heat off his manager and I can understand that.
"I was trying to think of the couple of dodgy signings he was on about and I can only think of Hugo Rodallega and Charles N'Zogbia, who were signed at the back end of my time there and if Wigan want to offload those two then we will be happy to take them.
"I'm not going to get embroiled in that sort of stuff, but he knows the decent job I did for him."