I'll start this by adding the disclaimer that I wasn't alive when Bryan Robson played for Manchester United, I am very aware of that fact before it is most likely pointed out in the comments, so I am very much writing this based on the stories I have heard from fans who have seen him play and also my own experiences from watching a handful of his games which were on repeat.
By all accounts, every story I've ever heard of Robson, be it as a player or meeting him in person has been a positive one and unfortunately, I've never had the pleasure of either to my own disappointment but the main thing word that I always hear associated with the man is respect.
He both commanded it on the football field and also gives it to everyone he meets and that is the reason despite the calls on social media that what this team needs is a player like his eventual replacement Roy Keane as captain and in the centre of midfield for current-day United, I would much prefer Robson.
The final trailer was released for Robbo: The Bryan Robson Story on Saturday and it paints the picture of a player that was highly appreciated by everyone he played with and feared by everyone he played against.
With 100s of quotes to choose from the documentary, it is hard to pick one as the best, to sum up, Robson as a player. Former manager Ron Atkinson called the player 'solid gold' and Sir Alex Ferguson obviously was overflowing with praise, but I think the quote from Gary Neville, said in the documentary and reported on United's website is the best encapsulation.
Neville, when asked what Robson meant to him and the team, said; “[Robson] epitomised everything I thought a United player should be”.
“He flogged himself to the end of every game and gave blood, sweat and tears. He was a true leader. When he burst into the box, it was like his life depended on it. You could see it in his face and his running style. Everything was a fight and a battle.”
It's been clear that United have been missing a true captain since Keane left the club, but as a fan who grew up watching the team mainly in the period after the Irishman left and with the success that immediately followed his departure, it was hard for me to truly quantify the damage that the absence of a clear leader caused until only a few years ago.
United players feared Keane and his exacting standards, but I feel like in modern football he'd be eaten alive by social media and interclub politics which isn't his own fault, but is just what the game has become.
Robson on the other hand would be much more the captain need right now and with Harry Maguire's current lack of form, someone who leads by example would definitely ring true with this current crop of players, especially in tandem with the current holder of his famous number seven shirt Cristiano Ronaldo.
The plus side is it would solve United's midfield issues as well, the limited amount of games I have seen of Robson make it clear he was an elite box-to-box midfielder, just as effective in attack as he was in defence. To compare him to modern players who would fit a similar mould in terms of style of play, Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham come to mind.
I think the only downside of Keane and Robson would be that neither of them would last 90 minutes on a football field without being sent off given the standard of tackling (and by that I mean I've seen farmers do less cropping).
Overall it's a shame that United have let time pass without establishing more leaders on the field and identifying a captain of the standard of Robson, and more so they have also let the position he commanded with such vigour fall into disrepute, but there is hope that in the future they can solve both issues.
Anyway here's to times gone by and I for one will certainly be watching the Robson documentary when it is released at the end of this month.
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