Steve Bruce goes public on Zaki's behaviour - is he right?

[M+D]

Angry Bruce lambasts absent Zaki

igan boss Steve Bruce has questioned Amr Zaki's future at the club after the striker failed to report back from international duty for the fourth time.

The club have been unable to contact the 26-year-old since he played for Egypt against Zambia on Sunday.

"I can honestly say that in all my time in football I have never worked with someone as unprofessional," said Bruce."In Zaki's case it really defies belief from a player who is on loan and trying to earn himself a long-term contract."

Zaki, who scored Egypt's only goal in a 1-1 draw with Zambia, started the season in superb form with nine goals in 13 games taking him to the top of the Premier League goalscoring list. But he has struggled to maintain those high standards, with his last goal for Wigan coming on 28 December.

"I really am at the end of my tether with him," said Bruce, who will fine Zaki for the latest indiscretion. "I am now fearful that if I don't take firm action, it will disrupt the rest of my squad, who - to a man - behave totally professionally," continued Bruce on Wigan's official website.

"Before this latest incident, Zaki had already been fined considerably more than the average person in Britain earns in a year and he will now face another heavy fine.

"This is the fourth time he has not reported back on time from international training. I have already fined him the maximum allowed but this just seems to have no effect."

The Egypt team doctor has faxed Wigan a report claiming that Zaki has picked up a hamstring injury and needs rest, but that has not been backed up by the required scan.

"I just feel it's time that we went public on just what a nightmare he has been to deal with," added Bruce. "I am right behind my players representing their countries, it is a tremendous honour for the club. This is not the issue here. My South American players, for instance, have to go much longer distances but I have never had a problem with any of them.

"I'm sick of answering questions about Zaki's whereabouts and I don't want anything to distract the players from preparing for another massive game for us on Sunday against Everton. Zaki's behaviour has shown total disrespect to the club who pays him a very good wage and, equally as importantly, to the fans who sing his name from the stands.

"I think it's time for them to know the truth about the man. This situation needs to be resolved as soon as possible and I don't feel it's appropriate to say anything more at this stage, apart from how let down I feel, personally and professionally."

Zaki's Egypt and Wigan team-mate Mido made it back to the JJB Stadium on time.

So refreshing to hear a manager have a real go at a player for being unprofessional, at least that's my view. (Although how constrcutive going public will be I am not so sure) Anyway, what's everyone elses take on this? Thought it's worth a thread as the quotes are so amazingly direct and different to what we hear every week from managers.

 

[Lord Dula]

I've got a lot of time for Steve Bruce.

 

[Clrnc]

Zaki deserve to be playing back at Eygpt. Loan should be terminated soon

 

[AnthonyG]

Good on Bruce. Zaki has talent no doubt, but maybe he started to think himself too good for Wigan after his great start to the season.

 

[Klaus Daimler]

Bad attitude or not he's still behind one of the most epic headers ever:

 

[Unforgiven]

At the beginning of the season all the pundits were saying he was going to get over 20 goal this season, a load of rubbish really. Overrated player, stupid what he has just done.

 

[USArsenal]

i dont think he's over-rated, but i do think he started with a bang and then hit the proverbial wall.. he probably would have started scoring again if he wasnt such a prick...

im glad Bruce blasted him.. too many prima donnas in the game.. if he cant be bothered to report back to his club, then he should be blasted.. im betting that Brucey cant wait to get rid of him at this point, ability or not..

 

[AnthonyG]

I don't think he's overrated either. The problem Wigan face is that if he does really well on loan then he's unlikely to want to stick around anyway, especially given his apparent attitude. Maybe he and Robinho can go on a mid-season getaway together.

 

[hackajack]

I think Bruce has decided enough's enough and this is really a message to the others players who will know he's been taking the piss.

 

[DOUBLE-YOU]

Bad attitude or not he's still behind one of the most epic headers ever:

HAHAHAHA

brilliant pic.

i think Bruce is fed up and want's him out the club. By embarrasing Zaki, the player will leave on his own accord and wigan won't have to pay him anything.

 

[Biggus]

I've got a lot of time for Steve Bruce.

Oh Dula, you and your wacky- way out- weird sense of humour.

 

[Stevo the Villan]

As much as it pains me to admit it about the ex-blue nose potato faced arsewipe...he's a very good manager.

 

[Jameel46]

Think he dealt with it wrong in my opinion, in house matter, you don't go to the media and say that about a player in your squad. I doubt Zaki would even want to stay at the club after Steve Bruce disrespected him in the media.

 

[tam1886]

I doubt Steve Bruce would want him after Zaki disrespected him not once, but four times by not reporting back after international duty and not getting in contact.

You do it once, you keep it in house, twice too, but four times is just taking the piss. I wouldn't expect that from someone throughout their whole career never mind in one season.

 

[Jameel46]

It's still an in house issue, if he does it too many times then you deal with him harsher but still keep it in house. You don't out him to the media and if you do you just tell them why you've fined him/left him out the squad, you don't bend him over for the media to go in him. To be honest it shows a lack of professionalism from Steve Bruce.

 

[True Gooner]

Maybe, but this is the fourth time Zaki's misbehaved and fining him had no effect.

Zaki probably had one eye on the exit door anyway, since he was only on loan and thinks that he's too good for a club like Wigan. Bruce's comments should show the world exactly what Zaki is and should teach him a lesson.

And I'm also sure that most Wigan fans would be grateful that Bruce has come out and told them exactly what's going on, instead of beating around the bush.

 

[Jameel46]

I don't know where he says Zaki has 'misbehaved', he was late coming back to wigan (why would anyone be in a hurry to get there? ). And letting the fans know what going on is just to tell them he's late reporting back, you don't tell them 'he's the most unprofessional player' just to make them go against the player aswell, there's no reason do to so other than Bruce feeling bitter about zaki's punctuality.

 

[regele]

The guy is a douche, at the end of the day it's Wigan who pay his wages, so why should he not be in a hurry to get there? Bet he was rushing to sign the contract in the summer...

I'm not entirely sure why you keep reiterating your point and talking about Bruce feeling bitter and what not, when it's quite clear that he's bringing it out because it's the 4th time it happened (as in it happened 3 times before and he didn't say anything), there's a limit to everyone patience and if this is what it takes for him to report back on time in the future, so be it.

 

[Jameel46]

that's stupid, hif e's late too often then you fine him, that's how you punish him. It's idiotic to suggest that Steve Bruce was right to out him in front of the media, it is unprofessional from him so it's hypocritical for to accuse Zaki of being unprofessional. Steve Bruce and Wigan Athletic aren't handling the situation correctly and have made it into a story which now surrounds one of their players, it is ridiculous when people fail to see that.

 

[tam1886]

blah blah blah stupid...blah blah blah idiotic...blah blah blah ridiculous...

How surprising :roll:

Punish him by fining him? They've done it three times already. Three times it hasn't worked. At some point you need to reassess the situation and try something which will work. Not only does it potentially weaken his squad, but it could have an unsettling affect on Bruce's other players if he continually lets one player off on so many occasions of poor discipline. And let's not kid ourselves, fining a football player is letting him off really isn't it? It's hardly going to make a material difference to him. He might not be able to buy that Ferrari for another week, but it makes no difference unless the player acknowledges where he went wrong.

I believe that nowadays fining players is a really only a manager's way of demonstrating he is unhappy with the player's conduct. It carries very little threat or incentive to improve, unless the player genuinely feels he has let the club/manager down and shown an unintended lack of respect. Zaki has clearly shown he doesn't care as he has disappeared four times, three of which we are sketchy on the details of. But what we do know is that this time he has given the club the runaround once too many times and they feel this is the only action left to them.

It's not as if they have come out criticising him after one incident. It's a recurring theme, likely to carry on happening if stronger action isn't taken. And I also think they owe it to the fans to let them know how poor his behaviour has been.