......YBR will be asked tomorrow to take temporary charge of the England team. That's the rumour from Lanky Gate. So, if it does happen, would he continue as NUFC manager at the same time? They're saying it would be temporary, pending the arrival of a "proper coach", naming Wenger and Erikson as being potential replacements when their current contracts expire. Clearly the FA don't see YBR as a long term prospect.

Now, I don't think FS woul dbe too enamoured with this, but what exactly does a rolling 12 month contract mean? And knowing YBR's passion towards the England side, I could easily see him trying to exert pressure on Shep ("Down Shep, down!").

So, could YBR crack it? Could he do both, given that his England role may only be for a few months?

-- Anonymous, October 15, 2000

Answers

The Italian Job only Screach?

-- Anonymous, October 15, 2000

There seem to be two theories here. One is that he will be asked to take charge of the team for the friendly against Italy; the other is that he will be asked to manage the side through to the end of the season to enable the FA to wait for a coach who might be under contract until then - the thinking being that this could be Sven Goren-Eriksen at Lazio, or Fabio Capello at Roma (!!).

For Bobby to lead the team in the friendly against Italy would not be too onerous, and actually would be a nice reprise to his international management career. FS would be extremely unwise to block this proposal, and risk upsetting BR.

The other proposal is totally preposterous. How on earth could the FA expect a 67 year-old to do two jobs, and how could it possibly to felt to be fair to NUFC. If the FA try this on, FS should tell them to go stick their heads where the sun don't shine. I would hope Bobby himself would see the folly in such a proposal.

-- Anonymous, October 15, 2000

Teamsquawk are reporting that The Toon are to offer BR a new deal in a bid to prevent him walking out and taking charge of England on a full time basis.
They say "Robson, 67, is currently working on a 12-month rolling contract at St James' Park, but reports suggest that the Magpies are prepared to negotiate a new deal which would see Robson commit his long-term future to Tyneside".

Something about stable doors, bolts and horses springs to mind!

-- Anonymous, October 15, 2000

So Clarky, yo utake it that either scenario has YBR still as manager at NUFC while doing a part time job with England? Surely the contract thing is a smoke screen? I thought that all parties were in agreement at the time he signed it that a "rolling contract" was a great idea, tying YBR to Newcastle for as long as he wanted/was able. Surely the only other benefit to YBR of a new contract would be additional cash? And I don't think YBR is driven too much by cash.

What do you think would bring him most satisfaction? Winning something with NUFC or with England? Hmmmm - hard one to call that. But in reality, I think the former is more likely.

-- Anonymous, October 15, 2000

Screacher,

I actually think its unlikely he would walk away from the Toon - at least I hope so - but managing England for 'just one more game' will undoubtedly have great appeal to him. However, he has such a high regard for the England job that he could perhaps be persuaded by the FA to get involved in a ridiculous combination of both jobs. If FS resisted this then BR could take umbrage and walk away: if he agreed to it, it seems highly likely to fail, NUFC would suffer badly and Bobby's health could be affected.
It looks like the classic "heads you lose, tails you don't win" situation for Mr. Shephard - and indeed for all concerned.
Hopefully Bobby's wife would see the personal risks for him in such a situation and put her foot down - mine certainly would!

-- Anonymous, October 15, 2000

I think lanky gate are reckoning on more candidates becoming available as the months go on in the premier league, so they just want someone to give a bit of confidence to the England lads in the next two friendlies.

Lets face it between now and march (the next W cup game)the likes of Bryan Robson and Peter Reid, along with Jim Smith, Harry Redknapp and Joe Royal could all be looking for a new job.

-- Anonymous, October 15, 2000

Stand back a second and look at the state of the England camp (Buff ?) and morale around everything to do with England. The FA either have to appoint the will of the people and get everyone all excited again, or put in an interim boss.

The interim boss must NOT be a long term option just in case he is not the long term answer but he get s some short term success which 'forces' the FA into giving him a longer chance. This happens too often when league teams sack a manager and have no obvious replacement, give it to the reserve coach who wins three games and get s the job he has no qualification for. (Dinnis, McFaul, Butcher, the Sunderlan dguy with the big nose ....).

The ideal person in this scenario is Joe Mercer, but I'm pretty sure he's dead so it'll have to be another grandad type .... Bobby Robson. He will be overjoyed at helping out, knows in his heart that it should be a job for a younger guy and will not push for anything more than serving God and country just one more time.

-- Anonymous, October 15, 2000

buff,

I can just see that cheeky grin on YBR as he heads his Mini down some steps and through some pipes!!

-- Anonymous, October 16, 2000

Aye but as soon as Bobby leads us to a creditable draw in Italy, there'll be a clamour for his permanent appointment and you know what the FA are like. The longer they don't appoint El Tel, the greater the risk that he'll tell them to stuff it.

-- Anonymous, October 16, 2000

I'd like to think Bobby would take the same approach he did when we were caught short. He wouldn't come until his current contract was up.

-- Anonymous, October 16, 2000

This is starting to worry me slightly

Bobby Robson would only contemplate turning his back on Newcastle and taking the England manager's job for a second time if it were offered on a full-time basis, with no strings attached.

If the FA does eventually decide to approach Robson - and to date he has had no contact with officials since Kevin Keegan's departure - then the Magpies boss could be left with his most difficult decision in over half a century's involvement in professional football.

Robson would have to choose between the home-town club he has loved all his life and the call of his country in need.

Club chairman Freddy Shepherd has changed his mind and given the 67- year-old coach permission to talk to the FA.

Robson, the most successful national manager since Sir Alf Ramsey, is a passionately patriotic man and would find it almost impossible to turn down a call if the FA made an approach.

However, Robson would have certain prerequisites. He would not be willing to manage Newcastle while also coaching England, with the work involved making that impossible.

Nor is he the type to accept a short-term appointment, say on a game- to-game basis, to simply keep the seat hot for someone else to take over.

There is much talk of him taking charge for the friendly in Italy in four weeks' time but he would certainly not leave Newcastle just to be thrown aside by England in the not-too-distant future

-- Anonymous, October 16, 2000