Steve Bruce knows what it is like to win and lose the title on the final day of the season with Manchester United. So he will have a better understanding than most about what United's players are going through at the JJB Stadium tomorrow. But the Wigan Athletic manager has no intention of doing Sir Alex Ferguson's team any favours, even if he did shift gingerly in his seat at the mention of the prospect of having to share a glass of wine with his former mentor while Chelsea celebrate the title in West London.

“I'll be looking for the odd-job man to get the showers hot,” Bruce joked, before attempting to change the subject. He was part of the United team who were held to a 1-1 draw by West Ham United at Upton Park on the final day of the 1994-95 campaign, a result that handed the league title to Blackburn Rovers, despite their 2-1 defeat by Liverpool at Anfield. United made amends the next season when they beat Middlesbrough 3-0 at the Riverside Stadium on the final day while Newcastle United drew 1-1 at home to Tottenham Hotspur.

Bruce felt that those contrasting experiences had a significant bearing on the FA Cup Finals that followed - United lost to Everton in 1995, only to beat Liverpool at Wembley 12 months later, buoyed by their title success - so it remains to be seen whether the results at the JJB Stadium and Stamford Bridge tomorrow affect the outcome of the Champions League final between United and Chelsea in Moscow on May 21.

Bruce's abiding memory from the Upton Park upset was of Ludek Miklosko, the West Ham goalkeeper at the time, making a stream of fine saves to deny United and the Wigan manager would not put it past Chris Kirkland, who has kept eight clean sheets in the club's past 13 matches, having a similar sort of afternoon.

“We missed chance after chance against West Ham and it was as though it was written in the stars that it just wasn't meant to be,” Bruce said. “Their goalkeeper had a great game. Chris is as good a goalkeeper as I have worked with, but when you play United, one thing that you need is for your goalkeeper to play well.”

Bruce believes that his players need no incentive to go out and perform, although he does not expect United to crack under the pressure. “They are hugely experienced at it and the manager is,” Bruce said. “The reason why they play for United is because they can handle those situations.”

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