Steve Bruce believes Paolo di Canio was sacked by Sunderland due to his old-fashioned management style.

Di Canio, whose appointment at the Stadium of Light caused shock due to his openly fascist views, was axed on Sunday with the Mackems rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table on just one point from five games.

“You cannot manage in the Premier League these days through a fear factor,” Bruce told Talksport. “You’ve got to be able to manage individuals. Man-management has become more relevant in my experience than coaching.