Kinnear, who was the surprise choice as caretaker manager at St James' Park when Kevin Keegan resigned, opened his first press conference with a volley of abuse at journalists whom he felt had unfairly criticised him.

His outburst dominated the headlines for days afterwards but Bruce believes it was a canny piece of psychology from the man famed for creating the 'Crazy Gang' when he was former Wimbledon manager.

Prior to that the focus on Newcastle had all been about their poor form, Keegan's departure and owner Mike Ashley's plans to sell the club.

"I thought his rant at the press was absolutely fantastic," said Bruce, whose side face Newcastle at the JJB Stadium on Boxing Day.

"I was thinking 'Has he done it on purpose to take it (the pressure) away from the owner and the players and pile it on himself?'

"If he did do that then I have to say well done, pat on the back to him, because it has got them going and since he has gone in there they have lost two in 13 games."

Bruce was full of praise for the work Kinnear, who was out of work for nearly four years before being catapulted back into the spotlight, has done in stopping the rot at Newcastle

"Newcastle have always been associated with playing one way - they've had to be because the supporters are a little gung-ho - but he's made them more difficult to be beat," said Bruce, himself a Geordie.

"That is the difference he has made. When you are down at the bottom that little bit of experience is what you need."

Bruce has been in the strange position of having a weekend off in the middle of December as their match against Manchester United at Old Trafford was postponed because of the Barclays Premier League champions' participation in the Club World Cup in Japan.

Although a weekend without a game has allowed the Latics boss to get most of his squad fully fit it has also interrupted their flow.

Their last match on December 13 was a resounding 3-0 demolition of struggling Blackburn and Bruce said it would have been good to go to Old Trafford on the back of that result.

"We were playing right at the top of our form and it would have been an ideal time to go there," said the former United defender.

"The one thing it has enabled us to do is to sort out all the little knocks and niggles and give people the weekend off to be with their families.

"Hopefully that has recharged their batteries and in training they have been flying.

"I hope it has given them a nice tonic to take on the Christmas period with three games in a week, which is going to be difficult."

Defender Emmerson Boyce returns to Wigan's squad for the visit of Newcastle on Boxing Day after recovering from a torn hamstring.

Midfielder Wilson Palacios is also back from a one-match suspension which caused him to miss the 3-0 victory over Blackburn in their last outing on December 13.