silverfox
Well-Known Member
RON Atkinson has warned the Baggies boo-boys to lay off Bryan Robson during the fallen hero's first Hawthorns homecoming since he was sacked.
Big Ron predicts there will be a mixed reception when Robbo returns to his old stomping ground with Championship rivals Sheffield United on Tuesday.
Robson went from hero to zero in many fans' eyes when he followed his glittering Albion playing career and his famous managerial Great Escape with relegation.
But Atkinson hopes that the Hawthorns faithful will remember the good times rather than dwelling on their former favourite's Premier League failure and stuttering start to last year's Champion-ship campaign.
Atkinson knows all about running the gauntlet at West Brom having returned there after deserting them for Manchester United.
He remembers deflecting all the stick from Robson during the pair's visits with the Red Devils - but quipped that Robbo was on his own this time!
"I think he should be OK when he goes back, at least I would hope that he is," he said.
"There was a bit a stick when he went back as a player but I think that all resolved itself. He didn't get too much anyway because most of it was aimed at me!
"He won't have me as a distraction this time but Robbo's got a thick enough skin not to let it worry him."
In a week when West Brom announced the redevelopment of their Halfords Lane stand, Atkinson recalled another reason for fans to go easy on Robson.
It has gone down in folklore that the sale of Robson to Old Trafford for a then British transfer record of £1.5 million in 1981 generated the funds for the stand to be built.
"If you were to draw up a top 10 of all-time great Albion players then Bryan Robson would be in it," said Atkinson.
"And in all probability he'd be somewhere near the top because there's not many players better than him to have pulled on a blue and white shirt.
"When I was the Albion manager I resisted offers to sell him and if I'd have stayed at Albion I wouldn't have sold him to Manchester United either.
"But I always remind people that when I took him and Remi Moses to Old Trafford over 25 years ago it paid for a new stand so they didn't too badly out of him."
Atkinson admitted that Robson had a mixed managerial record during his 22-month spell in The Hawthorns dugout.
But with 19 wins, 38 defeats and 24 draws from 81 games, he rejects suggestions that Robson was a complete failure.
And Atkinson insists that the former England captain's legacy will live on if some of the stars he signed helped Albion to promotion.
"He did OK there as manager and keeping them up in the first year was one hell of an achievement," he said.
"In the second year it didn't quite work out there for him and I suppose it was inevitable when it ended.
"But there's a few players that he brought in or that he worked with that are still there and playing particularly well.
"It was also Bryan who persuaded Kevin Phillips to come and play there and he's probably the main reason why they're top of the league.
"So never mind giving him stick there's a few reasons to thank him."
Robson had the last laugh during his first reunion with the Baggies this season when Sheffield United gained a rare 1-0 win at Brammall Lane back in August.
And Atkinson fears that taunting Robson could come back to haunt Albion fans as the Blades bid to recover from a disappointing season so far.
"I'm sure there'll be a few fans who give him a bit of stick," he said. "But it will probably die out after the first 15 minutes and everyone will just concentrate on the game.
"In fairness the more stick they give him the more it could work in Sheffield United's favour because it could lift them."
Atkinson has been surprised by Sheffield United's slump under his former skipper - but he is backing Robson to halt the decline at Brammall Lane.
And he believes it could be a difficult time for Albion to be playing the Blades following their recent FA Cup shock of Premier League Manchester City.
"It hasn't gone as well as he would have liked but it's still early days," said Atkinson. "It's not easy to lift a relegated team as he's found with Albion and with Sheffield, but I'm sure he'll get it right.
"He managed to get a decent result against Albion at their place and I'm sure he'll get his players fired up to try and do the same again."
Big Ron predicts there will be a mixed reception when Robbo returns to his old stomping ground with Championship rivals Sheffield United on Tuesday.
Robson went from hero to zero in many fans' eyes when he followed his glittering Albion playing career and his famous managerial Great Escape with relegation.
But Atkinson hopes that the Hawthorns faithful will remember the good times rather than dwelling on their former favourite's Premier League failure and stuttering start to last year's Champion-ship campaign.
Atkinson knows all about running the gauntlet at West Brom having returned there after deserting them for Manchester United.
He remembers deflecting all the stick from Robson during the pair's visits with the Red Devils - but quipped that Robbo was on his own this time!
"I think he should be OK when he goes back, at least I would hope that he is," he said.
"There was a bit a stick when he went back as a player but I think that all resolved itself. He didn't get too much anyway because most of it was aimed at me!
"He won't have me as a distraction this time but Robbo's got a thick enough skin not to let it worry him."
In a week when West Brom announced the redevelopment of their Halfords Lane stand, Atkinson recalled another reason for fans to go easy on Robson.
It has gone down in folklore that the sale of Robson to Old Trafford for a then British transfer record of £1.5 million in 1981 generated the funds for the stand to be built.
"If you were to draw up a top 10 of all-time great Albion players then Bryan Robson would be in it," said Atkinson.
"And in all probability he'd be somewhere near the top because there's not many players better than him to have pulled on a blue and white shirt.
"When I was the Albion manager I resisted offers to sell him and if I'd have stayed at Albion I wouldn't have sold him to Manchester United either.
"But I always remind people that when I took him and Remi Moses to Old Trafford over 25 years ago it paid for a new stand so they didn't too badly out of him."
Atkinson admitted that Robson had a mixed managerial record during his 22-month spell in The Hawthorns dugout.
But with 19 wins, 38 defeats and 24 draws from 81 games, he rejects suggestions that Robson was a complete failure.
And Atkinson insists that the former England captain's legacy will live on if some of the stars he signed helped Albion to promotion.
"He did OK there as manager and keeping them up in the first year was one hell of an achievement," he said.
"In the second year it didn't quite work out there for him and I suppose it was inevitable when it ended.
"But there's a few players that he brought in or that he worked with that are still there and playing particularly well.
"It was also Bryan who persuaded Kevin Phillips to come and play there and he's probably the main reason why they're top of the league.
"So never mind giving him stick there's a few reasons to thank him."
Robson had the last laugh during his first reunion with the Baggies this season when Sheffield United gained a rare 1-0 win at Brammall Lane back in August.
And Atkinson fears that taunting Robson could come back to haunt Albion fans as the Blades bid to recover from a disappointing season so far.
"I'm sure there'll be a few fans who give him a bit of stick," he said. "But it will probably die out after the first 15 minutes and everyone will just concentrate on the game.
"In fairness the more stick they give him the more it could work in Sheffield United's favour because it could lift them."
Atkinson has been surprised by Sheffield United's slump under his former skipper - but he is backing Robson to halt the decline at Brammall Lane.
And he believes it could be a difficult time for Albion to be playing the Blades following their recent FA Cup shock of Premier League Manchester City.
"It hasn't gone as well as he would have liked but it's still early days," said Atkinson. "It's not easy to lift a relegated team as he's found with Albion and with Sheffield, but I'm sure he'll get it right.
"He managed to get a decent result against Albion at their place and I'm sure he'll get his players fired up to try and do the same again."
