9th November 2004: As expected,
Bryan Robson was confirmed as the new Albion manager this afternoon.
His choice of assistant was always going to be a key decision and
Nigel Pearson's credentials aren't bad at all.
Pearson captained Middlesbrough during Robson's tenure as manager
and for the last two and a half years, he's been working as a national
coach with the FA most recently leading the England Under-20 side.
He has previously been first team coach at Carlisle United and Stoke
City, ironically under Gary Megson. Robson knows Pearson well, and
as well as significant coaching experience, he will bring with him
an in-depth knowledge of the best young players in the country which
can only be a good thing for West Bromwich Albion.
There has also been talk of Robson bringing in Dave Parnaby to run
the youth set up at the Albion. Parnaby has presided over an extremely
successful academy at Middlesbrough that is starting to reap dividends
with the likes of Stuart Downing and his own son Stuart Parnaby. He
took the Middlesbrough youth team to two successive Youth Cup finals,
winning the second of those earlier this year. If that rumour does
indeed prove to be true, it would be another good addition to the
backroom staff.
There were plenty of people who had doubts when Robson's name was
linked with the manager's job, me included. But having looked in more
detail at his record, he was a success at Middlesbrough, and has a
proven track record of managing top quality players. Just as Megson
will be viewed as a success at the Hawthorns, a final season in which
things didn't go right for Robson should not tarnish the previous
six successful years on Teeside.
I am optimistic for the future, although "Pop" does have his work
cut out to keep the Baggies up this season.
Onwards and upwards!
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