Fergie won't get a Brucey bonus

Bruce has seen himself thrown in the championship spotlight in the final weeks of the season as Wigan, the club he manages, could ultimately decide whether the trophy stays at Old Trafford or goes back to Chelsea.

The point they secured at Stamford Bridge three weeks ago, when Emile Heskey equalised in the last minute, played a huge part in Bruce's successful bid to keep the club in the top flight and seemingly ended Avram Grant's hopes.

Yet now his side take on United, the club where he won eight trophies in nine seasons, on the final day knowing Chelsea will be crowned champions if their result against Bolton is better than United's at the JJB Stadium.

The conspiracy theorists might be having a field day but Grant should have no cause for concern, according to Gary Pallister, his former defensive partner at Old Trafford. The duo provided the rock that United's three League titles between 1993-96 were built on and Pallister knows Bruce's will to win will ensure the title race is decided fairly on the pitch.

Pallister said: "Steve is a leader and when he was a player he wanted to win every game and he is no different as a manager. That is why he has done such a great job at Wigan.

"He was upset when Birmingham allowed him to leave earlier in the season and showed what he could do by keeping Wigan up. You can't put your feelings for Manchester United behind you, but he is professional. He was never handed anything on a plate when he played for Manchester United and he won't start doing it for them now.

"Besides, Wigan have players like Michael Brown who played for Manchester City and Emile Heskey who played for Liverpool in their line-up. Theywon't want to do United any favours.

"If people think Wigan will just lie down and let Ferguson win the League they are very much mistaken."

Bruce has been on a scouting mission in Egypt but insisted that there is no way he would tell his team to take it easy.

He said: "Sir Alex [Ferguson] won't be expecting me to do him any favours and he knows he will not get any. For anyone to think otherwise is unacceptable."

Pallister and Bruce were on the pitch when former team-mate Bryan Robson sent his Middlesbrough team out on the final day of the season in 1996 with United needing a win to clinch the title.

Even though Newcastle could have still pipped the Reds, Pallister recalls that Robson did not give them any help.

Pallister said: "Robbo is as big a United figure as there is, but his team were all over us for 20 minutes and they had nothing to play for at the time.

"Chelsea should have no fears about Wigan taking their foot off the gas."

Manchester United have been regarded by most pundits as the best team in England this season and could also lift the Champions League having booked their place in the final against Chelsea in two weeks' time.

However, Pallister is fearful that their campaign could have a sting in the tail and suffer similar agony to what he and Bruce went through in 1995.

The duo share one of the most painful days in the club's history when they lost the title in the final game of the season. They could have been crowned champions after Blackburn lost at Liverpool, but they only managed a draw at West Ham and missed out by a point.

A week later they also lost to Everton in the FA Cup Final and ended the season without any silverware.

The same will happen if Chelsea walk away with the double and Pallister added: "A whole season's work went up in flames in just 180 minutes against West Ham and Everton. The current team don't want to do the same.

"It is one of the worst memories of my career and still haunts me now. If you fail in big games like that and end a season with nothing it is hard to bear.

"What happened at West Ham was sickening. We were half expecting Blackburn to beat Liverpool because there is no love lost between Liverpool and United. We wondered what motivation they would have to beat them, but they did and it just shows what the Premier League is all about.

"We had chance after chance at West Ham and couldn't manage to put the ball away. Their keeper, Ludo Miklosko, stopped everything that came near him."

Ferguson's side have uncharacteristically shown some nerves in recent weeks having been strong favourites to clinch the title after Arsenal's slump in form.

Pallister believes they are feeling the pressure, but is confident they will still finish on top. He said: "There will be jitters. The players have to hold their nerve, but they will be pleased they have the destiny in their own hands.

"I didn't think Chelsea could take it this far. You have to give full credit to Avram Grant and his players.

"For a manager who has come in for so much criticism, he is sticking two fingers up to all those people who doubted him."