20th September 2006: The news that Bryan Robson had left West Bromwich Albion by "mutual consent" on Monday morning has provoked mixed reactions in the football world.

For many Baggies fans, it has later than they would have liked, but earlier than they expected. A recent internet poll suggested that three quarters of them wanted Robson to be removed from his post, but even they will be surprised at the timing of the departure.

The media, on the other hand, have been generally critical of Jeremy Peace's decision, feeling that eight games into a new season is hardly enough time for the manager to prove himself, particularly when the team lies just five points from the top of the table.

On the face of it, this stance seems reasonable. Twelve points from eight games is hardly disastrous and, having apparently been backed in the summer, one could sensibly argue that Robson deserved more time. But in my view, the reality of the situation is not as clear cut.

It is important to realise, however, that the vast majority of journalists who have taken this stance are not regulars at the Hawthorns and have probably seen only a handful of Albion games in the last nine months. Two who do not fall into this category are the BBC's Adrian Chiles, and Chris Lepkowski of the Birmingham Evening Mail. Their comments are somewhat different to the majority of their journalistic colleagues.

Adrian Chiles' article pretty much sums up my own feelings on the situation. I wanted Bryan Robson to succeed but, since the turn of the year, results simply haven't been good enough.

Chris Lepkowski's article goes into more detail about Robson's reign and highlights why the fans have become ever more frustrated with his management.

I backed Robson consistently through last season. My view was that, after the miracle of the Great Escape, he deserved a full season to prove his ability to take the team forward. I saw glimpses of the excellent football we all crave in the victories over Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur in the closing weeks of 2005, and that was enough for me to pen my support for him when the calls started for him to be sacked in January. But the way in which the team collapsed to relegation with a whimper, picking up just four points from the last thirteen games, was, in my opinion, enough to get any manager the sack.

It is true that Robson was not the sole guilty party, and maybe that is why he didn't go in the summer. The players certainly did not perform to the best of their ability, and Jeremy Peace must take some, if not most, of the blame for the debacle in the January transfer window which left the side crucially short of strikers. However, the squad that Robson had at his disposal last season was surely good enough to keep the club in the Premiership.

Other than the odd injury, Robson had three strikers at his disposal, four if you include Nicholson, but chose to play the oldest and slowest of them, Kevin Campbell, on his own for many games, and the most talented, Kanu, was criminally under-used. Why, in the must-win games against Villa, Bolton and Newcastle in the closing stages of the season did he start with his skipper as the only recognised striker, a ploy which had failed to produce a win all season? In every match Albion won in 2005-06, they started with two recognised strikers.

The manner in which the team surrendered their Premiership status was enough to see Robson lose his job, in my opinion. Jeremy Peace decided to give him another chance, and I felt that I should do the same.

Peace's tight wage budget may have denied Robson the services of Kanu, David Thompson and Danny Shittu, but the squad is far superior to most in the Championship, with Birmingham City the only club that can be compared in terms of quality. And yet the team has struggled to beat inferior opposition and produced a thoroughly inept display against Sunderland. Performances since then may have been slightly improved, but if the club are to be promoted this season, it looks like something more radical is required, and I do not believe that Robson is capable of producing it.

This season alone would certainly not be enough to get a manager sacked, but when coupled with the second half to the last campaign, it is far more understandable. Chris Lepkowski summed up in his article how the club has changed since the Great Escape when he said "As someone who has reported exclusively on Albion for a longer time than most, I've watched what was an ambitious club drained of all colour, spark and enthusiasm.

He goes on to say that it does not have to be permanent.

Robson was a great player for Albion, Manchester United and England, but the jury remains unconvinced as to his abilities as a manager. As I have already said, I wanted him to succeed, but I want Albion to succeed more, and I believe the time was right for a change. All Albion fans will remember the Great Escape, and I thank Robson for that experience, and I wish him all the best for the future.

But it is now time to look forward to the next era at the Hawthorns.

At the time of writing, Steve Cotterill is the favourite to succeed Robson on a permanent basis, and I would welcome that appointment. The choice of a new manager is never easy, and there is always a risk, but I would prefer to see a young hungry manager with something to prove than a more experienced one that has failed more times than he's succeeded.

I hope that Mr Peace and the board make the right appointment quickly, and we can look forward to the rest of what will hopefully be a successful season.




Jon Want, 20th September 2006