Wigan Athletic boss Steve Bruce insists he can keep the club in the Premiership - without resorting to route one football.

Bruce was stung by Latics star Paul Scharner's claims that he has made Wigan a route-one team and claims he has never used direct football.

"Anyone who knows me knows I've never played the long-ball way," said Bruce. "I totally disagree with anyone who says you have to play long ball to survive. We didn't knock it long when we beat Blackburn. There's a difference between a long pass and a punt up the pitch."

Wigan continue their survival fight at home to Newcastle today and Bruce added: "Would it be my biggest achievement to keep us up? It would certainly be up there with everything I did at Birmingham."