Bryan Robson, under increasing pressure from disgruntled supporters at Middlesbrough, hinted yesterday that he may be prepared to walk away from the Riverside club at the end of the season should results not improve and fan disaffection continue to grow. It is the first time Robson, a player and a man renowned for his defiance, has revealed anything even approaching defeatism.
"I will assess whether I want to remain at the club depending on how well we have done at the end of the season," Robson said. "It's about whether we are still moving forward."
After the 4-1 home defeat to Derby on Saturday, which followed losses against Wrexham in the FA Cup, Tranmere Rovers in the League Cup, and Sheffield Wednesday in the Premiership, the notion that Middlesbrough are in fact travelling backwards is gaining credence amongst Boro's fans. Robson, 43 last week, signed an extension to his five-year contract 14 months ago and has a relationship with his chairman Steve Gibson which is regarded as unsurpassed in terms of loyalty and friendship in football. It is most unlikely that Gibson would ever push out a man with whom he has socialised ever since Robson left Old Trafford to become Boro's player-manager in May 1994. Of Premiership managers, only Alex Ferguson has been at his club longer.
However, given that Middlesbrough's next three matches are all away from home - at Liverpool, Manchester United and Leicester - both Gibson and Robson may soon be forced to acknowledge that a change at the top might be necessary. Robson even mentioned relegation yesterday.
"I understand how disappointed the fans were on Saturday," he said, "no one was more disappointed than I was. I have no problems with the criticism aimed at myself. Expectations were very high at the start of the season and I want to see high expectations, but the important thing is that we're all in this together - manager, players and supporters. We must not panic.
"But the way we've been playing we have to look at the other end of the league and say there is a realistic chance of us getting dragged into the relegation zone if we don't do something about it."
Buying his way out of the current malaise does not appear to be an option for Robson - "I haven't got that much money to spend" - and there would be little sympathy for him from disillusioned locals were that his chosen course of action. Although Middlesbrough have recouped around 75 per cent of the £60 million plus that Robson has spent in the past 5 1/2 years, it is the figure paid initially that critics always remember.
While Robson contemplated his future yesterday, Liverpool put in place another brick in their on-going reconstruction under Gerard Houllier when the German international defender Markus Babbel agreed to move to Anfield from Bayern Munich at the end of the season. He will cost nothing as he is a free agent in June.
Babbel's arrival has been expected - he sat in the stands at Anfield for the recent game against Wimbledon - but still represents a significant coup for Houllier. At 27, Babbel has been chased by several of Europe's leading clubs over the past few years and at one point Alex Ferguson was so confident he had secured Babbel's signature that he told a reporter of the deal. But United, Bayern and Babbel could not agree terms.
Babbel referred to that when confirming he was joining Liverpool. "This is my lifetime ambition," he said. "I have wanted to play in the English Premier League for some years. I nearly joined Manchester United and then Newcastle, but I've followed the fortunes of Liverpool for many years and this is a dream come true for me."
Dietmar Hamann, once a Babbel team-mate at Bayern and set to be again at Anfield, was generous in his praise of his compatriot. "On the open market he would be worth £8 million, possibly as much as £12 million and maybe even more. We're close mates, we've known each other for 15 years, but I didn't need to sell the club to Markus.
"Markus says he wants to play for an ambitious club and that is what he will find here. What the manager, the team, the supporters and the whole club wants is to bring back the glory days of the 1980s. Markus played in the Champions' League final last season and I know that he wants to reach the same level with Liverpool."
