Bryan Robson

[cooperblade]

Captain Drunk is interviewed in this month's World Soccer. He says the big disappointment of his career is that he didn't get long at the Lane because the fans "didn't take" to him and forced him out. He says he thought he was turning things round.

He also says that he was offered a great contract to stay at the Lane as Director of Football but turned it down on a point of principle as he doesn't agree with that role.

 

[Robbie]

He also says that he was offered a great contract to stay at the Lane as Director of Football but turned it down on a point of principle as he doesn't agree with that role.

What's his role at Man United?

 

[Oreyt]

What's his role at Man United?

Mascot\Gonk.

 

[Bramley]

Think he's an ambassador, so working corporate hospitality and the executive suite.

 

[Pollingtonblade]

what a c**t.

He is the biggest waste of speace we've ever employed.

The fact remains that had we appointed a decent football manager that summer we would be still in the Prem now, the fact also remains SUFC decided to not interview potential candidates for the role.

I hope Terry Robinson burns in hell the FAT T**T

 

[Bramley]

I think the Fradi fans wanted to burn him alive when they saw his expenses sheet...

 

[Houso]

Poor appointment without a doubt, but would have been good in a DoF role in my opinion.

For some reason he's still quite respected in world football.

 

[Santos]

Weak of him to blame the fans. Fans wern't against him vocally at the games at the start, I think we were all willing to give him a chance. He probably wasn't helped by the post Relegation blues which a lot of clubs have but he didn't help himself in many ways. That side was devoid of any spirit or ideas. Blackwell's teams may be a bit dull but atleast they're pretty well drilled in the basics, something that was lacking with Robson and something which wasn't the fans fault at all.

If he's right and he's a good manager then I wonder why an English club haven't snapped him up?

 

[raul]

Eh? Every time I saw him my blood boiled, how effing warm does he want??

 

[DazBlade88]

Poor appointment without a doubt, but would have been good in a DoF role in my opinion.

Completely agree. I remember being shot down when I suggested that to my mates when he was still our manager! He could attract the players, he just couldn't get them playing together.

 

[JJ Sefton]

Completely agree. I remember being shot down when I suggested that to my mates when he was still our manager! He could attract the players, he just couldn't get them playing together.

With the money he had we could have given Dr Josef Venglos the job and attracted the players we did.

 

[LouTheBlade]

Robbo is well wide of the mark with that assessment. We were in a sorry old state for the latter 5 of the 6 months he was with us and prior to him being sacked we drew at home 0-0 with Scunthorpe and got a fortunate point away to West Brom.

We had the best squad of players in the division by miles and we should have been in the top four with anyone at the helm. The fact that we were in the bottom 8 or 9 showed just what a poor manager he was. Our fans were more than patient with him and im surprised that car park protest didnt occur 2 months earlier.

He was a fantastic player - possibly one of the best this country has produced and after having the good fortune of meeting him at a dinner function, I found him a lovely bloke with some great stories to tell. Sadly I was very disappointed with him as a manager. You only have to look at his record to realise its not his thing;

- Got Middlesbrough promoted with a sack full of money
- Got Middlesbrough relegated with a sack full of money
- Got Middlesbrough promoted with a bigger sack full of money
- Kept West Brom up after most of the hard work had been done
- Got West Brom relegated after spending a decent sum of money
- Bradford.....lets not even go there shall we?!

Most expensive mistake we ever made :thumbdown:

 

[Grecian2000]

Bradford.....lets not even go there shall we?!

Good call. A place best avoided if ever there was one.

 

[Oreyt]

Good call. A place best avoided if ever there was one.

Lived there for 3 years.

Wouldn't piss on the place if it were on fire unless I could piss petrol.

A tad harsh maybe, but I don't have many fond memories of the place.

 

[SwissBlade]

He WAS given a chance by the fans he just couldn't get the basics right.

For me the only reason he didn't take the DoF role was down to his own pride.

His philosophy was get in one superstar and the rest can bollocks.

We would have gone straight up with a half decent manager.

McCabes biggest mistake was not getting rid sooner, when it was clear that we were going absolutely nowhere.

If Robbo'd done his job, the Blades fans would love him.

 

[Knackered Blade]

One other point about the Robson appointment. In hindsight, and hindsight is a wonderful thing, the Robson era has had huge financial implications for SUFC. We signed the big earners eg Beattie, in a gamble that went terribly wrong. After we bailed out and sold Beattie, the realisation that we had to cut our cloth accordingly has meant the selling of most of the players from that time period. Only Morgan, Killa, Naysmith, Monty, Quinn left now?
Our present financial worries are not only due to the general football malaise but also to the Robson era. I believe the knock-on effects of the Robson appointment will be with us for many years.

 

[Sothall_Blade]

Robson also says that he was offered a great contract to stay at the Lane as Director of Football but turned it down on a point of principle as he doesn't agree with that role.

So who is currently doing the job that Graham Taylor and Bryan Robson were offered a “great contract” to do?
This time last year, McCabe said on Radio Sheffield that an appointment to the position was imminent. He then hinted that it may be someone already at the club. So who was it?
I would have guessed at either Terry Robinson or Ron Reid but as neither is no longer with United. Who is it now? Trevor Birch? Kevin Blackwell? Nobody?

 

[Micalijo]

He WAS given a chance by the fans he just couldn't get the basics right.

For me the only reason he didn't take the DoF role was down to his own pride.

His philosophy was get in one superstar and the rest can bollocks.

We would have gone straight up with a half decent manager.

McCabes biggest mistake was not getting rid sooner, when it was clear that we were going absolutely nowhere.

If Robbo'd done his job, the Blades fans would love him.

Totally agree. Was chatting with a mate at work about Hull and Stoke going up that season. We absolutely murdered Hull at the end of that season (not thanks to KB of course - anyone could have done it with the players available!) and if only we had another couple of games to get in the play-offs. Although KB would probably have cocked it up against Hull at Wembley.

What I find strange onm here is plenty call McCabe a good leader but he must have known that season was our best chance and I don't understand why he didn't act sooner. Picking managers is his most important job and he has failed twice on the trot now. We have hindsight yes and Santos will take great delight at Boro's example with Strachan but things were clearly wrong under Robson and even late December we could have got rid and made play-offs.

 

[SheepdipBlade]

What's his role at Man United?

He's been managing the Thailand national team since last Sept - but don't know if that's a full time post.

Given that the Thai first division is home to players from the Blue Sq Prem, he's probably managing at about his level.

 

[Santos]

Totally agree. Was chatting with a mate at work about Hull and Stoke going up that season. We absolutely murdered Hull at the end of that season (not thanks to KB of course - anyone could have done it with the players available!) and if only we had another couple of games to get in the play-offs. Although KB would probably have cocked it up against Hull at Wembley.

What I find strange onm here is plenty call McCabe a good leader but he must have known that season was our best chance and I don't understand why he didn't act sooner. Picking managers is his most important job and he has failed twice on the trot now. We have hindsight yes and Santos will take great delight at Boro's example with Strachan but things were clearly wrong under Robson and even late December we could have got rid and made play-offs.

Out of interest who was to blame for the three games we lost that season under Blackwell (Charlton, PNE & Southampton)?

 

[sitwell]

Weak of him to blame the fans. Fans wern't against him vocally at the games at the start, I think we were all willing to give him a chance. He probably wasn't helped by the post Relegation blues which a lot of clubs have but he didn't help himself in many ways. That side was devoid of any spirit or ideas. Blackwell's teams may be a bit dull but atleast they're pretty well drilled in the basics, something that was lacking with Robson and something which wasn't the fans fault at all.

If he's right and he's a good manager then I wonder why an English club haven't snapped him up?

I don't rate him and think it was a disastrous appointment ,but many fans were against him from the start. At Worksop as he walked up to the dugout a well known blade shouted to him ' have you just come from the pub you fuckin alco'. Kidd just looked on angrily and Robson looked at the floor in bemusement ,many Blades were disgusted ,some laughed.

 

[Santos]

I don't rate him and think it was a disastrous appointment ,but many fans were against him from the start. At Worksop as he walked up to the dugout a well known blade shouted to him ' have you just come from the pub you fuckin alco'. Kidd just looked on angrily and Robson looked at the floor in bemusement ,many Blades were disgusted ,some laughed.

You always get one or two morons and no doubt similiar isolated incidents have occured with Blackwell, Warnock and those before them. But in general I think there was a mood of 'Wouldn't have been my appointment but can't do anything now so let's see how he does'

 

[Coily]

I don't rate him and think it was a disastrous appointment ,but many fans were against him from the start. At Worksop as he walked up to the dugout a well known blade shouted to him ' have you just come from the pub you fuckin alco'. Kidd just looked on angrily and Robson looked at the floor in bemusement ,many Blades were disgusted ,some laughed.

Was said well known Blade pissed by any chance?

Think we all had reservations about Robson, and it didn't take too long for them to be proved right. I'm still trying to work out how he thinks we were being turned around?

 

[Large Mendonca]

Was said well known Blade pissed by any chance?

Think we all had reservations about Robson, and it didn't take too long for them to be proved right. I'm still trying to work out how he thinks we were being turned around?

Turned around from a mid table championship team into a division one team

 

[alcoblade]

Turned around from a mid table championship team into a division one team

Exactly right - we definitely established direction under Robson, and there was not pot of gold where we were going. A disastrous appointment where for once, the "want it now" mentality of fans saved a club rather than cost it.

Sadly, we were still burdened with his enormous wage-bill and old unsaleable players - so the damage is still being felt.

UTB

 

[SheepdipBlade]

Exactly right - we definitely established direction under Robson, and there was not pot of gold where we were going. A disastrous appointment where for once, the "want it now" mentality of fans saved a club rather than cost it.

Sadly, we were still burdened with his enormous wage-bill and old unsaleable players - so the damage is still being felt.

UTB

Thing is - it wasn't just the usual suspects. Even die-hard clappers like me were in the car park (though I couldn't get me boots of in time ). As far as I was concerned, we'd have been better off having my collie as manager for all the good Robson was doing - in fact having no manager at all and leaving team selection and tactics to Capt Morgan would have been much more preferable.

 

[alcoblade]

Thing is - it wasn't just the usual suspects. Even die-hard clappers like me were in the car park (though I couldn't get me boots of in time ). As far as I was concerned, we'd have been better off having my collie as manager for all the good Robson was doing - in fact having no manager at all and leaving team selection and tactics to Capt Morgan would have been much more preferable.

Yes, I firmly believe it would be impossible to get less from the players at his disposal. A chimp WOULD have done a better job, I'm convinced - if only because the players would have been left to themselves.

I was an avid clapper who turned to car park protester too.

UTB

 

[broomhillblade]

Totally agree. Was chatting with a mate at work about Hull and Stoke going up that season. We absolutely murdered Hull at the end of that season (not thanks to KB of course - anyone could have done it with the players available!) and if only we had another couple of games to get in the play-offs. Although KB would probably have cocked it up against Hull at Wembley.

What I find strange onm here is plenty call McCabe a good leader but he must have known that season was our best chance and I don't understand why he didn't act sooner. Picking managers is his most important job and he has failed twice on the trot now. We have hindsight yes and Santos will take great delight at Boro's example with Strachan but things were clearly wrong under Robson and even late December we could have got rid and made play-offs.

Congratulations Micalijo - with a neat bodyswerve you managed to have another dig at KB in a thread about Robson. Keep up the good work!

 

[Micalijo]

Anything to keep you sweet oh Lord and Master of the Blade Universe.

 

[Elsecar_Blade]

You cannot argue with many of Robson's signings. Majority of them came good at some stage.

I don't think the fans were against him from the start though. Yes, there were a number - including myself - who thought it was a bad appointment given his previous record but the SUFC fans were willing to give him chance to build a passing side. Most would have been excited by his signing of Beatts for sure. We made a solid but not spectacular start but for me, the turning point was Scunthorpe away. Beaten by a League 1 outfit, ex player on the scoresheet, after coming from 0-2 to 2-2 and should have gone on to win.

The squad he had was more than capable - as KB proved - of being a top four side and IMO would have walked the division under Blackwell or Warnock. His poor start got him in trouble, his lack of any kind of personality made it worse and the team was obviously under-achieving. And then we went to Hillsborough. For me, that was the day I turned against him. I can lose to Wednesday and accept it (probably moaning about referees) but I couldn't accept the piss-poor attitude of SUFC from top to bottom that day.

Biggest disappointment of his career? Course, it was his last chance and he blew it. But he has to recognise how disappointed the Blades fans were at being on the fringes of the Championship relegation zone in February.