With Palace surging up the Division One table, speculation was growing this week linking Steve Bruce to the vacant manager's job at Birmingham City.

Blues manager Trevor Francis was sacked on Monday and the St Andrews board are believed to want former Birmingham player Bruce to take over.

Reports that Bruce has an escape clause in his contract has led to increasing speculation in the national press about his Selhurst Park future just four months into the job.

On Tuesday afternoon Bruce told the Guardian: "I have got an important game tonight (Bradford) and I don't want to think about what's going on at Birmingham. I'm not going to talk about that situation."

Bruce ended his playing career at Birmingham after Francis signed him on a free transfer from Manchester United in 1996 and since it began in 1998, Bruce's managerial career has been colourful with brief spells at three clubs.

The prospect of Bruce leaving for Palace's First Division rivals would be a sickening blow for Palace chairman Simon Jordan and the Selhurst Park fans who have seen him build a settled side without breaking the bank, that has taken them to the brink of an automatic promotion spot.

Neil Witherow, editor of fanzine Palace Echo, said: "I can't understand why any manager would want five clubs in five years.

"We are building a good team and everyone's right behind Steve Bruce, the chairman, the fans, so he should definitely stay and finish the job he has started."

Bruce's Selhurst Park revolution has started to take shape, and the £300,000 sale of last season's player of the year Fan Zhiyi, 31, to Dundee is evidence that Bruce has secured the trust of Jordan and the fans, with a combination of astute signings and brave decisions like leaving out-club captain Dean Austin on the bench.

Bruce said: "It looks as though the Fan deal is all done. The whole episode has disappointed me because we have been without him for two months. It's come to the conclusion that we need to find a replacement."

And Bruce is looking to secure the services of one month loan signing Steve Vickers on a longer deal to fill the void.

Bruce said: "There's a couple of options with Steve and we need to look at extending his loan."

Bruce told the Guardian that the any possible deal for Polish midfielder Arkadiuz Bak "is finished", but that he was still on the look out for new additions particularly up-front where he lacks cover for free scoring duo Dougie Freedman and Clinton Morrison.

He confirmed that Ipswich striker Richard Naylor is one possible target, saying: "Richard Naylor is one of a load of strikers we have looked at, but we haven't made a bid for him. We are looking all the time and will make additions when the right players are available."

October 27, 2001 17:30