How we could do with another ‘Captain Marvel’

Robson made his debut for United just five days later in a League Cup match at Tottenham which ended in a 1-0 defeat. His League debut came just six days later against Manchester City in a goal-less draw at Maine Road. It was to be the start of a long and illustrious career in United’s red shirt.

Robson also blossomed at international level as well and became a permanent fixture (when not injured!) in the England side. United finished up third in Division One that season, and Robson played in 32 games. When the season ended, it was off to the World Cup in Spain. He could not have made a more spectacular start. After just 27seconds of England’s opening game against France at the Estadio San Mames in Bilbao, from a throw in by Steve Coppell, and headed on by terry Butcher, Robson ghosted in on the blind side of the French defence to thump the ball home. It was the fastest goal ever scored in the World Cup Finals and that record was to stand for some 20 years. Although England never lost a game in that World Cup and won all of their three Group 1 games, two scoreless draws against hosts Spain, and West Germany saw them eliminated at the 2nd Group stage.

He returned to Old Trafford for the 1982/83 season, and at this time, Martin Buchan was still the Club Captain but was not playing in the first team. The season was a long hard one and United challenged on all three domestic fronts, finishing third in the League, runners-up in the League Cup, and winning the FA Cup at the second attempt in a replay at Wembley against Brighton. Robson did not play in the League Cup Final against Liverpool because he had torn ankle ligaments in the semi-final against Arsenal and was not fit to play. However, after seeing off Arsenal again in the FA Cup semi-final, it was a storming performance from Robson that paved the way for United to win the Cup in the replayed game. He scored twice and actually refused to give himself the chanceto score a hat-trick when United were awarded a penalty kick. Instead the job stayed with Dutchman Arnold Muhren, who duly converted. So it was a proud Robson, who as team captain, led his troops up those famous old 39 steps and then hoisted the old trophy high above his head to the delight of the Manchester United hordes in attendance. It was his first medal in senior football.

After Martin Buchan had left the club in 1983, Ray Wilkins became Club Captain albeit for a very short time, and Robson replaced him. It was a post that he was to hold for 10 years. He became such an important figure in the United team. After the FA Cup win of 1983, they won the old trophy again in 1985, beating the much fancied Everton team 1-0 after extra time, despite having Kevin Moran sent off in the second half when it was 0-0. Robson drove the team onward just as he had on the famous night at Old Trafford when battling against a 2-0 deficit in a ECWC tie against the mighty Barcelona at Old Trafford in 1984, which ended in United prevailing by 3-0. Some would say that was his finest hour in a Manchester United shirt.
By the sheer skill, weight, and determination in his performances for United, and the way that he led by example, Robson had won over the admiration of all the adoring Manchester United fans. “Captain Marvel” became his common nickname. He and Atkinson had a great rapport with each other and United were playing well and were competitive, but they just did not seem to be able to go that one step further which was needed to win the League. Why? people would ask, could a team with so much talent, not go the whole way? They had an abundance of skill, flair, and also of steel when needed, but that first title since 1967 seemed just so elusive as ever. Robson was the supreme athlete in the eyes of the football fraternity. Gifted, determined, brave, courageous, inspiring, and a born leader – all the accolades were there for him. His team mates would follow him anywhere – and many did – not only out of the pitch, but off it as well.

Robson was as fit as the proverbial butcher’s dog, and had a metabolism and constitution that was beyond belief. But not all of his team mates were of the same mould, or had the same engine. However, he developed into the main character in the dressing room and the one whose lead was followed. He did part of Atkinson’s job for him in that whenever there were poor performances, Robson would not wait for Atkinson’s input. He would call a team meeting but not at the Club – at a local Cheshire pub. He had the ethos that the team that drinks together plays together. In some ways, Atkinson contributed to his own eventual fall from grace at Old Trafford, because although he knew what was happening, he turned a blind eye to it. As long as the lads were doing it out on the park, his philosophy was – let them get on with it. Eventually, it all took its toll.

Atkinson spent little or no time with players who were outside of the first team circle, and that hurt some of those fringe players. For Robson, drinking was part of the bonding process and of the coming together for players who had gripes. It was an all for one, one for all, thought process. While he had the physical and mental capabilities to handle it – many other players didn’t – especially some of the younger players. Gordon Strachan said in his autobiography that after leaving training each day, once they got into Cheadle village it was either turn right to go home, or turn left for a session in the pub, and 5-10 pints. He was one player who opted out. Players like Whiteside, McGrath, Gidman, Moran, McQueen, Hughes, all liked a taste of the barleycorn, but with some other players, the drinking culture began to cause divisions. Some, established internationals themselves, believed that if it hadn’t been for the drink, then United would have won that elusive First Division title during Atkinson’s tenure.

As Club Captain, Robson should have been more responsible – especially where the younger players were concerned. Whatever he says about bonding, surely there were far better ways to do it than looking down the bottom of a pint pot? How did the junior players take to all this and what example did it set them? And surely, the divisions it caused in the team was not a good price to pay for the sake of a few afternoons or evenings on the piss? But it was not uncommon at that time to see more than the odd United player looking the worse for wear in local watering holes – predominantly the Four Seasons Hotel in Hale Barns, The Griffin in Bowdon, and the Amblehurst Hotel and Little ‘B’ in Sale. And leading the pack would be Robson who seemed oblivious to the damage that it was causing. For him, he could run it off – and did. But other players couldn’t. Did he never think of the damage it was causing to himself though? How did it effect his recovery process after injury? Atkinson should also shoulder the blame also because he turned a blind eye to it all. He simply refused to accept that the drinking had got out of control – and ultimately he paid the price for it.

In 1986 Atkinson was sacked after a poor run of results, and it has to be said signings. In came the tough Alex Ferguson who had done great things at Aberdeen, which included not only knocking the Glasgow “Old Firm” right out of their stride domestically, but had also managed to win a major European trophy when his unfancied team had beaten Real Madrid in a ECWC Final. Gordon Strachan had played under him at Aberdeen before his move south to United, and he warned the United players once they had heard who their new “boss” was to be – that they were in for a culture shock. Ferguson found the playing side of Old Trafford to be in as poor a state as you could get and he was astounded by the player’s lack of fitness. However, he did not wield a big stick initially and did as he had promised the players that he would do – give every one of them a chance. Sadly, the drinking culture continued and after one particular bad result at Wimbledon, he set out to tackle the problem.

His initial evaluation of the United squad was that most were not good enough to play for a club of such esteem – he reckoned no more than six players met the standards he required. But he needed time, especially as he set about reorganizing the whole playing structure in the club from top to bottom. When he had arrived in Manchester the club rule was that the players were not to touch alcohol for 48 hours before a game. It was apparent that this rule was being abused and he gathered the squad together and lectured them, and instituted a new rule that the players were not to drink whilst they were in training. One by one he got rid of the miscreants and other players he did not rate were moved on. Slowly but surely, Ron Atkinson’s old guard were moved out, and by the time 1990 came, Robson (still club captain) was the sole surviving member.

Throughout the previous three seasons, injuries were taking their toll on Robson’s body. However in 1990, when United reached the FA Cup Final, he was fit to lead United to another FA Cup triumph and played a huge part in the run up to it. The following season he captained the team in Rotterdam when they defeated the mighty Barcelona to win the ECWC. In 1991/92 he captained United to their first League Cup success at Wembley in a 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest but that elusive First Division title slipped away from them when they threw it away over the last few games of the season handing on a platter to arch rivals Leeds United. Season 1992/93 was the inaugural season of the FA Premier League, but Robson’s body was succumbing more and more to injury. Robson made just 15 league appearances during that season. He scored on the final day of the season against Wimbledon. By that game United were Premiership champions and Robson finally won the league championship medal that he had sought for the last decade. It was not just injuries that were restricting the 36-year-old Robson’s first-team chances. Éric Cantona had been signed during the 1992–93 campaign and played up front with Mark Hughes,while Hughes’s former strike-partner Brian McClair had been converted into a midfielder. This counted against Robson and the biggest blow came in the summer of 1993 when United signed Nottingham Forest’s Roy Keane.

But Robson was still able to make enough appearances for another Premiership champions medal in 1993–94, and scored one of their four goals in the FA Cup semi final replay victory over Oldham. Unfortunately, he was dropped from the squad for the FA Cup final against Chelsea, a decision which manager Alex Ferguson later admitted was one of the hardest of his career. His career at old Trafford came to an end that summer when he accepted the position of manager at Middlesborough.

Robson will always be remembered as an icon and legend by Manchester United fans – and rightly so. He never ever gave less than 100% when out on the field of play. But as a Captain, he did have failings.

Tom Clare has been following United for over half a century and has had the pleasure of seeing some of our finest players in all their pomp.

Next week he will chronicle Steve Bruce