Robson: A time to dig together in the trenches
Bryan Robson has endorsed Jose Mourinho’s show of passion at Old Trafford on Monday night and called on everybody at Manchester United to adopt a siege mentality in the face of adversity.
The Reds were beaten 3-0 by Tottenham Hotspur on a difficult night at the Theatre of Dreams. Afterwards, Mourinho decisively walked onto the pitch to applaud supporters in all four stands of the stadium, before pausing in front of the famous Stretford End to show his respect and appreciation for a crowd that had stayed to clap a beaten team off the pitch.
Robson knows just how powerful that connection with the crowd can be and our former club captain is defiant about United’s start to the season, highlighting this as a time to fight in the trenches.
“We have got to stick together because nobody outside of this club is going to stick with Manchester United,” said Bryan on MUTV. “If the fans are not encouraging the team, the more the media are going to jump on the bandwagon and hammer the team even more.
"This is a time when you dig in together in the trenches, pull for each other and get that confidence back. The lads have got to put more hard work in, but with the squad of players we have got we can turn this around.”
'Our fans are loyal and true'
"The fans are always terrific and that was a great response to Jose," said Bryan Robson on The Paddy Crerand Show...
Expanding on his point, Robbo continued: “That is what is great about Man United fans, since I have been at the club, at least. When you are having a bad time they are still behind you, and if you are having a good time they don't get carried away. The fans are always terrific and I thought that was a great response from them.
"When you get beat 3-0 at home, it is good to have the fans staying loyal and true to you because it is a long, hard season. There is a long way to go yet."
'Keep showing that passion, Jose'
"The passion the manager showed was lovely to see - keep doing that Jose," said Alan from Irlam in a lively phone-in...
United will travel to Burnley on Sunday on the back of consecutive Premier League defeats, away to Brighton and at home to Spurs. Robson is confident the Reds will return to winning ways at Turf Moor and get back on track.
“The lads, not just the manager and his staff, have got to get the best of themselves and show a great team spirit, if they want to get out of this and get back to challenging at the top of the league,” Bryan explained on The Paddy Crerand Show.
“All they need to do is win the next game, change it that little bit, then the confidence starts coming back, injured players return, the fitness of the players is that little bit better and, all of a sudden, things can come together very quickly.”
'Good or bad - United is always big news'
A fired up Robbo told Stewart Gardner: “For 30 years, they've been wanting to hammer us because of Sir Alex's success."
On the subject of recent media scrutiny, Robson feels the criticism from the press has in general been too harsh, but he accepts it is an inevitable part of representing a successful club like United.
“For 30 years, the media has wanted to hammer us because of Sir Alex's success,” Bryan said. “But then we won the FA Cup and then Jose comes in, and wins three trophies in his first year. So to not win anything last season and begin this season with two defeats in the first three games, the media are loving it, because they have been used to seeing Manchester United achieve success so much.”
Watch The Paddy Crerand Show on MUTV.