Karl Robinson approached by Albion

[Driver8]

7 pages in and someone says it!

Argus reported it.

 

[SULLY COULDNT SHOOT]

As my earlier post alluded to i'm less than enamored by the prospect but hey ho.

This article has a number of interesting factoids to consider:

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2012/sep/24/mk-dons-karl-robinson-sunderland

Karl Robinson has a name now, unlike the day he was appointed as the manager of Milton Keynes Dons in 2010. "It was funny: for six months everybody talked about 'the youngest manager in English football' but no one ever mentioned my name," recalls Robinson, now 32 and known for more than just his age. When Martin O'Neill takes Sunderland to Stadium mk for Tuesday's Capital One Cup tie, he will be pitting his wits against a manager who is tipped to emulate his own progression from the lower leagues.

In the two years that he has been in charge since replacing Paul Ince, under whom he worked as first-team coach at both MK Dons and Blackburn and then assistant manager, Robinson has twice guided the club into the play-offs and cultivated a slick style that has drawn comparison with, yes, Barcelona.

"At this level we are unique in terms of our ball retention," says Robinson. "I remember seeing an interview that Gordon Strachan gave in which he said when he first got a job as manager, all he wanted to do was win and he didn't care how but I've gone the other way in that I want to play well first.

"I do believe that if you play well and enjoy what you do, then nine times out of 10, you should get the results. And it's a joy to watch us. We had 560 completed passes on Saturday [in the 4-1 win at Bury] and we're averaging 425 so far this season." Only six Premier League teams have a higher average, led by Arsenal with 506.

Robinson says this has been his philosophy since his non-league playing days, after which he became, at 29, the youngest person ever to earn the Uefa ProLicence. The Liverpudlian's approach to his studies showed that practical intelligence underpins his idealist vision. "A lot of people doing their badges choose to study Barcelona but in football the less resources you've got, the more you have to do.

"So I wanted to look at teams from both worlds: I chose Athletic Bilbao, who were very interesting, and Shamrock Rovers, who were geared towards being very successful at their level and, the year after I visited them, they were playing against Spurs in Europe. That whole thing was a tremendous learning curve for me."

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Now people are eager to pick his brains. "I've gone back and given lectures to other people doing the courses. In fact in the summer there were some people on the course who also work in League One and I was thinking: 'Hmm, I'm not sure I want to tell these guys too much about how we play.'"

To advance his players' learning, Robinson has made interesting appointments. Mick Harford joined as assistant manager in the summer, after the former England No2 John Gorman retired, and the former Arsenal striker Ian Wright coaches the forwards three days a week. Robinson even pulled off the improbable feat of making Wright uncomfortable under the spotlight when he produced a film of the former striker's goals and asked him to talk the squad through them. "He felt a little embarrassed but we got tremendous resultsout of it. The players were enthralled and really enjoyed the fact they were not just seeing the goals but having him talking about his mindset, his technique and what he did every day in terms of his approach."

Seeing such staff at MK Dons, and names such as Alan Smith and Jimmy Bullard in the playing squad has created a perception that MK Dons are awash with money but Robinson insists that is not the case. "There are teams in this league with twice our budget," he says. "We only have 18 first-team professionals, which is a very small number. We had injuries on Saturday that meant we couldn't even fill the bench. We don't splash cash but we have great togetherness and great staff and feel like we're in a good place."

Robinson is such a contributor to that feeling that players such as Smith and the midfielder Stephen Gleeson only agreed to sign new contracts after assurances that the manager was not going to leave for a bigger club. "I've had chances to jump off but the chairman gave me an opportunity when a lot of other people wouldn't have so I feel I've got to give him something that will make him happy.

"If we can get up to the Championship next year, when our stadium will be completed [with a 32,000-capacity], that would be a phenomenal achievement by everyone."

He sheepishly admits that a long-term dream is to manage Liverpool, the club he still goes to watch as a fan whenever possible. "But I don't mean now, I mean in 15, 25 or 40 years. I've got that time: I guess that's an advantage of starting young."

And really that gives you all the reasons why he will not want to come to us.

 

[fruitnveg]

I'm open minded enough to give him fair whack if he gets the job. Should be interesting, if nothing else.

 

[FRYG]

I wouldn't mind Karl Robinson but would hope the club would go for an experienced head as assistant if this is the case, like they should have done with Hyypia.

 

[London Irish]

You are usually well versed so I wonder if you are having a laugh. MK Dons are well off because they don't spend. They hardly ever buy players and they are a selling club. KR has had a very tight budget. Ask any MK Dons fan and they will telly ou they are well pleased with KR except that they felt they should have gone up last season except Bamford left and didn't come back and they couldn't replace him. He's still learning and he makes mistakes but he's a manager with potential and certainly good enough to grow with us.

As for Barker, a reputation as manager does not translate to a role as an assistant manager.... look at Sammy Lee.

Sorry this is myth making - ANY club not operating on tight budgets in League one is a rare exception. He's been given every opportunity to succeed and has fallen short every time, in some seasons embarrassingly so. This appointment would be rewarding FAILURE

 

[Postman Pat]

Argus reported it.

And Derby Telegraph, but that is probably just re-cycling the same story:

http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/Cha...-Sami-Hyypia/story-25754849-detail/story.html

It is believed, though, that Brighton have approached MK Dons about talking to boss Karl Robinson.

Liverpudlian Robinson, now 34, became the youngest manager in the Football League when MK appointed him in May 2010 at the age of 29 and is regarded as a bright young coach with a team that plays an attractive brand of football.

 

[shaolinpunk]

With respect to the OP this isn't being reported elsewhere.

From BBC Three Counties Radio on Twitter (which sparked Naylor's tweet about it)

"The Sports team @Ashmead72 & [MENTION=21987]geoff[/MENTION]Doyle1 understand that #BHAFC have approached [MENTION=14038]mkdon[/MENTION]sFC to speak to Karl Robinson about job. @BBCSport"

 

[Gwylan]

With respect to the OP this isn't being reported elsewhere.

Apart from being the main headline on the Argus site

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

Ah okay, fair enough *holds hands up*

 

[Puppet Master]

Argus reported it.

Fair enough, just woke up and reading with one eye open

 

[BigGully]

Really will be gutted if the board make this appointment. At least Sami's appointment showed some ambition - even if he wasn't properly vetted. This will be greeted by a vast yawn by all those people wavering over renewing season tickets, it's like Bloom's version of Dean Wilkins - a few insiders will like it but the broader fan base will shrug their shoulders and walk

But surely the boards responsibility is to try to recruit what they feel is in the very best interest of the football club, they will have contacts and access to knowledge that not one fan could ever have.

They cannot appoint to make a few thousand unqualified and disgruntled fans happy, that really would be disastrous.

 

[WhingForPresident]

Personally I'd prefer Robinson to the likes of McDermott/Hughton/Sherwood.

MK would let him go, but I'm not sure he would actually leave considering this season is the best chance he has had of getting the team he has moulded for years up to the Championship.

 

[Stuart Munday]

A good time for him with the transfer window opening, he might see what MK Dons can offer him to stay before making any decision.

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

This has all the signs of Tony Blooms first choice, flying back from Australia, someone instructed to contact MKDons in advance and upon arrival straight to a neutral venue, sign seal and slip off back too Australia.

Sounds to me like Tony and the board have already complied the list and the first choice may have given indications that hel could be interested through third parties previously.

 

[SULLY COULDNT SHOOT]

Sorry this is myth making - ANY club not operating on tight budgets in League one is a rare exception. He's been given every opportunity to succeed and has fallen short every time, in some seasons embarrassingly so. This appointment would be rewarding FAILURE

Is this based on your opinion or have you spoken to fans? My sister and her family and her friends are all Dons fans and they completely disagree with you. Im told they are even more FTP conscious than we are.

 

[Simster]

Anyway, he'll turn it down when it transpires that his salary offer will be:

a) less than he was earning at MK Dons.
b) less than recruitment clown, David Burke.

 

[Perkino]

That guy at Sunderland has just been banging on about how he's a head coach, he might be a good option

 

[Napper]

Done a reasonable job without pulling up trees.

Plays good football.

Lets face it anyone better than Hyypia and Jones

Doesnt get the juices flowing particularly

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Feels like the cheap, compliant 'Do as your told and work with Burke' option.

Did you REALLY expect anything else? Pulis, Sherwoood, Hughton et al, they were never going to be appointed.

Sorry but if it's Robinson who Tony appoints, (or anyone else), it will always be an unexpected candidate out of left field, that's just the way that Tony Bloom operates.

 

[rool]

What is the first name of the most famous fictional castaway ?

Chuck, isn't it?