All managers are self centred. If someone offered you £2m a year to do a job you knew were totally incapable of doing, with the guarantee of a huge payout when you inevitably fail, would you take it? It's a total no-brainer.
Steve Bruce either knew, when he took the job, just how out of how depth he was going to be in the PL this season and didn't care, or he genuinely and foolishly thought his outdated football management could see us compete this season. Either way you can't blame the fat pudding for accepting the job.
I'd definitely take up the offer of doing a heart surgery on Ashley - pay rise or no pay rise.