When a Birmingham City supporter called a radio phone-in after the Fulham match in December to criticise Nicky Butt, Steve Bruce was so angry that he grabbed the microphone from the presenter and snapped "you don't know what you're talking about".
Yesterday, however, the Birmingham manager found it impossible to defend his former Manchester United team-mate for a second time.
Butt, who had stormed out of the team hotel when he learned that he had failed to make the substitutes' bench for Monday night's match at West Ham United, has been fined two weeks' wages for his petulance. The financial punishment means that the club's highest-paid player will forfeit around £76,000.
The player yesterday issued an apology for travelling home without seeking permission from the Birmingham manager. "After being told I was not to be a part of the West Ham game I made a decision I regret, a decision I made on the spur of the moment and while I was feeling totally dejected," he said. "It was the wrong decision and unacceptable. I would like to apologise unreservedly to the manager, coaching staff, team-mates and fans for my actions."
Bruce, who had played his son, Alex, ahead of Butt on Monday evening said that he had no choice but to discipline the former England international.
"The incident upset me because it's out of character for Nicky," said the Birmingham manager. "I honestly believe that. We have spent a lot of time together. But I cannot have any player of mine acting in the way he did.
"There would be anarchy in the dressingroom if people carried on like that every time I made a decision that they had taken exception to."
His exclusion from Monday's squad represented a new low for Butt in a career that has nosedived ever since he left Manchester United for Newcastle United 18 months ago.
Having started only 16 Premiership matches during his time at St James' Park he joined Birmingham on loan in the summer with a view to a full-time move. However, his poor form this term together with Monday night's events makes it highly unlikely that he will remain at St Andrew's beyond May.
There is no chance of an early return to Newcastle as had been mooted. The 31-year-old is on loan from St James' Park until the end of the season and he cannot go back to Newcastle before May unless the Premier League give their approval and both clubs are also in agreement.
Meanwhile, Sunderland manager Mick McCarthy hopes to have Northern Ireland defender George McCartney available again for tonight's Premiership trip to Blackburn.
McCartney missed Sunday's 1-1 draw with Tottenham with a hip problem after returning from a long injury lay-off at West Ham, and he will be joined in the squad by Steve Caldwell, Stephen Wright and Dean Whitehead, who were all suspended at the weekend.
Bolton striker El-Hadji Diouf looks set to sit out the Uefa Cup game against Marseille tonight and could be facing a hernia operation. Diouf suffered the injury while on African Nations Cup duty with Senegal and Jared Borgetti is standing by to come in. Manager Sam Allardyce said: "They filled him with pain killers to get him to play and we might have to pay the price." Jay-Jay Okocha is set to return as Hidetoshi Nakata is suspended.
