How good was Bryan Robson?

BeforeKeanetherewasRobson said:
On some crap table like in a school canteen. Class.

An absolute bargain. City paid almost that for Daley and he was awful :lol:

I liked Bailey… until he let that cross go over him for the curly haired tw@t to win the Cup Final for Arsenal… ON MY FECKING BIRTHDAY! (I’m almost over it now).
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Me too but Bailey was as green as grass in 1979. He saved us in 1983 to redeem himself. Anyway, didn't Big Ron say that Matt Busby resigned from the club over the Robson signing? It was about the amount of money in the game not Robbo signing that irked him.
 
This point...

I honestly think had Robson been fit for World Cup 1986, we would not have lost to Argentina.

...is very well taken. Had Robbo been fit and played, Maradona would never have scored the immortal goal on the mazy run through England and would only be remembered for the Hand of God goal in crashing out to England
 
Moriarty said:
Me too by Bailey was as green as grass in 1979. He saved us in 1983 to redeem himself. Anyway, didn't Big Ron say that Matt Busby resigned from the club over the Robson signing? It was about the amount of money in the game not Robbo signing that irked him.
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“And Smith must score!”? :lol:

1983 F A Cup semi, we’re losing to Arsenal… Robson equalises

1985 F A Cup semi, we’re losing to Liverpool… Robson equalises

1990 F A Cup semi, we’re losing to Oldham … Robson equalises.

All three because of the timing of his run and movement. (And another semi final goal in 94).

And three goals in finals, only surpassed by forwards. And he turned down a penalty for a hattrick to let Muhren score.

He did like his FA Cup? Me too…
 
Moriarty said:
Plus Gary Bailey in goal, Jesper Olsen, Arthur Albiston, and the famous Ashley Grimes.

I was there on the day we signed Robbo. It was different to say the least having a signing session on the pitch. I remember the pundits and in particular Desmond Lynam grilling Ron about the size of the fee. What a joke. What would he be worth at today's prices?
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Ron Atkinson was asked about the fee. His reply "he's pure gold!".Great days!
 
BeforeKeanetherewasRobson said:
“And Smith must score!”? :lol:

1983 F A Cup semi, we’re losing to Arsenal… Robson equalises

1985 F A Cup semi, we’re losing to Liverpool… Robson equalises

1990 F A Cup semi, we’re losing to Oldham … Robson equalises.

All three because of the timing of his run and movement. (And another semi final goal in 94).

And three goals in finals, only surpassed by forwards. And he turned down a penalty for a hattrick to let Muhren score.

He did like his FA Cup? Me too…
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It's a big shame there was only 2 subs allowed in the 1994 cup final. He wouldn't definitively have got a run out and maybe lifted the cup that day.
 
He was everything to United in the 80's, if we didn't have Robbo we'd have had nothing its pretty simple.

He was the midfielder he could do it all, I was a bit young for his peak but we won the FA and CWC with him before his decline into a squad player by the time we won our 1st league under Fergie
 
With Martin Buchan and Denis Law my favourite United Player. Saw him live in Europen Cup Winners Cup in Rotterdam in1991.
 
I watched him play. He was the one shining light for club and country for all of the 1980's.

He was much more than a midfielder, as he could quite easily play as a center forward or a center back. And sometimes he did both in the same game because he was an all rounder. And if there was muck and bullets flying in the middle of the pitch, he'd be right in the middle of it. Which was sort of his downfall because he would get injured going in too hard into tackles.

He could knock 50 yard passes to the wingers with great accuracy, and score worldies from outside the box, but he was just as happy bundling the ball over the line, because if any ball was knocked into the box, Robbo would be on the end of it. He would run like a lunatic to be on the end of any cross, and he was great with his head as well. His timing was impeccable.

I think he is fairly unique in the sense that you can't really compare any other midfield players to Robbo. He really put his body on the line and risked it all every time he played. Modern footballers have much more self preservation these days, whereas Robbo played with the handbrake off.

If you watch his highlights on Youtube, it is astounding how he rides challenges and comes away with the ball. Or how he can control a ball on a bumpy pitch, and smash the ball into the top corner from 25 yards.

If we could bottle his mojo and give it to our current squad, they would be wiping the floor with the likes of Brentford, instead of the other way round.
 
Darkhorsez said:
Enjoy this … for ever my best memory of Robison in a Utd short ….

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My Grandad took me to this when I was 8. Can remember everything about it still.

Him asking me if I fancied going to the match when I got home from school and running home to ask my dad, walking up to the ground, the sheer noise when Stapleton scored.

Brings a tear to my eye just thinking about!
 
i first went to OT from 1967. I was 7. I went regularly when I started work at 16-1976 until 45-2005 when I moved to Wolverhampton area and he was the best midfielder and in my opinion best player I saw at Utd. Captain Marvel. Got everything in his locker. All on muddy pitches, not billiard tables they play on now.
Put it like this, if he was in his prime now, then this current shower of shit would certainly be playing better than this, otherwise he would be on them like a ton of bricks.
 
Didn't Giggs tell a story about a Sheff United player who threatened to break his legs. He told Robbo about it and he swapped positions with Giggs for a while and sorted the problem out.

Something else sprang to mind. When we won the league in 1993, Villa, managed by Big Ron, were runners-up but when the press asked him for a comment, his first one was "did Robbo get a medal?"
 
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Herschel Krustofsky said:
My Grandad took me to this when I was 8. Can remember everything about it still.

Him asking me if I fancied going to the match when I got home from school and running home to ask my dad, walking up to the ground, the sheer noise when Stapleton scored.

Brings a tear to my eye just thinking about!
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Lovely story - thanks for sharing
 
He was an absolute beast, very similar to Keane but an actual better footballer. Carried the club through some bad years. Had a bad injury record, but football allowed a lot more dodgy fouls back then. If he played today he would be regarded as one of the best players in the world. A club legend.

Anyone remember his column in Shoot Magazine every week ?
 
Not only an amazing player and legend, but also a genuinely nice person.

Have had the pleasure of spending time with him during United's summer tour and he is as good off the pitch as on...

Lots of reasons why he is a Global Ambassador.
 
It’s mostly been said already.
Robbo was immense.
The complete central midfield player.
High energy Box to box.
Commanding, highly mobile CDM.
Great tackler and physical presence.
Great header of the ball.
Lead by example.
Committed, driven and gave his all for the badge.

Robbo and Ray Wilkins were a class act, but we had inconsistency and weaknesses in other departments.
Sadly Wilkins left for Milan just as a young Sparky was establishing himself and Jesper Olsen and Gordon Strachan were bought on the back of that transfer.
If Wilkins had stayed with those additions in place, he and Robbo could have propelled us to break the 80’s Liverpool deadlock on the league.

Keano was also immense, but I reckon Robbo was Keane plus plus.
…
 
wolvored said:
i first went to OT from 1967. I was 7. I went regularly when I started work at 16-1976 until 45-2005 when I moved to Wolverhampton area and he was the best midfielder and in my opinion best player I saw at Utd. Captain Marvel. Got everything in his locker. All on muddy pitches, not billiard tables they play on now.
Put it like this, if he was in his prime now, then this current shower of shit would certainly be playing better than this, otherwise he would be on them like a ton of bricks.
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Do you remember much about the game from 1967? That was the first season I was allowed to go on my own or with my school mates. The atmosphere for home games was fantastic. We tried to get as close to the pitch as possible in the Stretford End. It had its dangers. One young lad got hit in the face by a David Herd shot as the teams were kicking in. There was blood all over his face and the St.Johns pulled him out onto the ground behind the goal to clean him up. Herd and John Aston came over to see that he was all right and the kid was allowed to sit there until kick off.
 
1981 to 1986 he was out of this world. Injuries sadly took its toll after that and he never fully recovered. But he was still good as anyone on his day after that.
 
daveskimufc said:
I've given my thoughts on a few of these threads recently, Ince, Irwin, Giggs.. I feel like I want to know more about another club legend... Bryan Robson.

He left Utd in 1994 and that's when I really got into football and utd. Ive never seen him play or at least I don't remember watching him play ever, only clips and highlights. He played a few seasons with Boro, but his United years were before my time.

My dad goes on about him, his favourite player ever closely followed by cantona and he suggests he was a dynamic midfielder got forward and back, but I'd like some other fan opinion. Honestly appreciated, thanks
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Your dad was quite right.
He was a fantastic midfielder. Typical fighter with a great engine. Wonderful box to box surges.
Alas we have no one even close now.
 
I echo all the above statements. He truly was the complete player:

  1. Two footed
  2. Great tackler / ball winner
  3. Great vision / distribution
  4. Could beat players
  5. Good heading ability
  6. Fit (though his boozing (which I personally witnessed in the Alty area was excessive at times)
  7. Scored regularly (27 England goals from 90 starts as a midfielder says it all)
  8. That FA Cup semi-final goal against the dippers in 1985 was worth £1.5 million on its own!
  9. Hugely competitive - never put his head down or gave up.

I haven't carried out this analysis, but it would be interesting to look at MU's record when he was playing compared to when he wasn't. I would bet that it would demonstrate quite a difference, though some of this would have been the psychological effect on his teammates whether he was playing or not...

He really was that good.
 
Banana Republic said:
It’s mostly been said already.
Robbo was immense.
The complete central midfield player.
High energy Box to box.
Commanding, highly mobile CDM.
Great tackler and physical presence.
Great header of the ball.
Lead by example.
Committed, driven and gave his all for the badge.

Robbo and Ray Wilkins were a class act, but we had inconsistency and weaknesses in other departments.
Sadly Wilkins left for Milan just as a young Sparky was establishing himself and Jesper Olsen and Gordon Strachan were bought on the back of that transfer.
If Wilkins had stayed with those additions in place, he and Robbo could have propelled us to break the 80’s Liverpool deadlock on the league.

Keano was also immense, but I reckon Robbo was Keane plus plus.
…
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Apologies, BR, I posted before I read all the replies, and I came up with a virtually identical list. That says something in itself!
 


Lineker story on Robson, for his Greatest England 11 ( starts at 6 mins)
 
Brilliant footballer. V talented and intelligent on the ball, a leader, the ultimate driving force.. fantastic ball-winner and.... a genuine goalscorer.

I don't think there has been a better, all-round player at Manchester United in the last 50 years.
 
It’s hard to really put in to words. He was complete. An absolute Goliath of a player. He could literally do everything to the highest standard. A 23 year old Robson in todays game could very well be the best player in the world.
 
Monmouthshire Red said:
Robson was simply outstanding in a largely bang average team.
I also thought he'd become a top manager after a decent start with Boro and would be a shoo in to take over Tutuapp 9Apps from Ferguson.
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I wouldn't get him even close to ferguson ! but absolutely better than most of the last 5 coaches
 
gantherbale said:
I wouldn't get him even close to ferguson ! but absolutely better than most of the last 5 coaches
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No he wasn't.

A fantastic player and probably could have been a decent coach outside of the Premier League but he wasn't a good manager.

He had the sense to leave that side of things earlier than most do though.
 
My first ever live United game was the 1983 Charity Shield final at Wembley vrs Liverpool.

Bryan Robson scored both goals in a 2-0 win ... a memory i shall not forget :)

Cracking player.
 
Mad to think when you ask pretty much any United fan who their all time favorite player is, the same names often come up. Robson, Keane, Charlton, Scholes, Giggs to name a few.. all players who played in midfield, arguably the most important position on the pitch, and we haven't bought a single player in the last 20 years who can even attempt to hold a candle to any of those guys.

That's not indended as a dig or a moan, I just find it bizzare that we have neglected this position for a club who has historically prided itself on some of the greatest midfields ever to grace the English game. To think that even when we were struggling in the 80's, we had a player of Robson's class. Imagine him in our current team!
 
I think he was in terms of skillset even better than Keane, higher level of quality and range in his game, but Keane was probably more consistent due to not constantly having to come back from injuries.
 
eire-red said:
Mad to think when you ask pretty much any United fan who their all time favorite player is, the same names often come up. Robson, Keane, Charlton, Scholes, Giggs to name a few.. all players who played in midfield, arguably the most important position on the pitch, and we haven't bought a single player in the last 20 years who can even attempt to hold a candle to any of those guys.

That's not indended as a dig or a moan, I just find it bizzare that we have neglected this position for a club who has historically prided itself on some of the greatest midfields ever to grace the English game. To think that even when we were struggling in the 80's, we had a player of Robson's class. Imagine him in our current team!
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Especially when Ferguson said when Kante was at Leicester that he would have been his top target if he was still manager. He knew what an engine room looked like.

To be fair, Casemiro had his moments first season and over his career he would be a similar level to those. But could have done with him 2 years earlier. And Pogba had the raw attributes, and cost plenty of money, but didn't have the mental game at all.

Bobski said:
I think he was in terms of skillset even better than Keane, higher level of quality and range in his game, but Keane was probably more consistent due to not constantly having to come back from injuries.
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Keane recovered well from a cruciate ligament injury tbf. Not half as many injuries as Robson overall but to be commended how he came back. That 98-02 period, when he shaved his head particularly around 2000, he was an absolute monster of a player. And a lot of that was due to his training and preparation, which was better than Robson, who played in a more liberal, drinking era.
 
Moriarty said:
Plus Gary Bailey in goal, Jesper Olsen, Arthur Albiston, and the famous Ashley Grimes.

I was there on the day we signed Robbo. It was different to say the least having a signing session on the pitch. I remember the pundits and in particular Desmond Lynam grilling Ron about the size of the fee. What a joke. What would he be worth at today's prices?
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I was also there that day and if I remember correctly Sammy Mac, who Robbo was gonna replace, scored a hat trick
 
BeforeKeanetherewasRobson said:
On some crap table like in a school canteen. Class.

An absolute bargain. City paid almost that for Daley and he was awful :lol:

I liked Bailey… until he let that cross go over him for the curly haired tw@t to win the Cup Final for Arsenal… ON MY FECKING BIRTHDAY! (I’m almost over it now).
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And it was on the MOTD opening sequence for years after :mad:
 
KeanoMagicHat said:
Especially when Ferguson said when Kante was at Leicester that he would have been his top target if he was still manager. He knew what an engine room looked like.

To be fair, Casemiro had his moments first season and over his career he would be a similar level to those. But could have done with him 2 years earlier. And Pogba had the raw attributes, and cost plenty of money, but didn't have the mental game at all.
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Jose was the only manager we've had in the last decade I feel who actually tried to build a functioning midfield capable of competing.

It's actually sad to see how lacking we are in key areas when you think of the likes of Robbo and how good they were.

Even Liverpool in their barren era seemed to always have quality players like Gerrard, Alonso, Owen, Fowler, Carragher etc.
 
Gavinb33 said:
He was everything to United in the 80's, if we didn't have Robbo we'd have had nothing its pretty simple.
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It still annoys me that he wasn’t fit for the 84 European semis v Juventus. Didn’t help that we also missed Hughes and Wilkins for the first leg at home

Juve were ridiculously stacked (Platini, Boniek, Tardelli, Gentile, Scirea, Rossi!) and we lost 3-2. Robson plays, we win, it’s that simple… that’s not me with rose tinted glasses, Robson proved time and time again he could make us win games we shouldn’t (like Liverpool the next season)

….and we’d have beaten Porto in the final :(
Bobski said:
I think he was in terms of skillset even better than Keane, higher level of quality and range in his game, but Keane was probably more consistent due to not constantly having to come back from injuries.
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Keane was also surrounded by very good (minimum) and great players. Robson had a few (Hughes, Whiteside, Wilkins, McGrath) but had to do/did so much, that his body took a lot more work/hits.
 
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