Robson puts his faith in Bernard

Sir Bobby Robson is challenging Olivier Bernard to repay Newcastle’s investment in him against the club which tried to snatch the Frenchman from under their noses.

The 22-year-old defender’s representatives had agreed terms for the player to move to West Ham - tomorrow night’s opening Barclaycard Premiership opponents for United - during the summer, only for the furious Magpies to launch a bitter tug of war to keep hold of him.

They did just that after a Premier League commission, in a decision later backed up in an appeal hearing, ruled the former Lyon youngster was still contracted to the club for another season.

Bernard immediately performed an astonishing U-turn to pen a new three-year deal at St James’ Park, and following the departure of compatriot Sylvain Distin to Manchester City, is likely to line up against the Hammers at left back.

"He’s only a young boy, but he’s very strong and when we get him in good shape physically, I think he’ll be a good player," said Robson.

"He’s strong and he’s very quick, he’s clever on the ball, he can go past people, he’s got a great left foot.

"We’ve spent two years on this boy. He wasn’t the finished article when we got him, not by a long, long way. Players forget that sometimes. They forget what clubs have done for them.

"We’ve spent two years on him and we consider him to be our player. We made him what he was and we weren’t prepared to let anybody just steal him.

"He knows that with Robbie Elliott, if his head is not right and he doesn’t play right, he won’t be around.

"But he knows he’s got a chance. I’m starting with him, I’m giving him a chance. That’s what he wanted, I’m giving it to him and we’ll go from there."

West Ham’s move for Bernard, who had grown frustrated with his lack of first team opportunites at St James’ Park, was met with an angry response by the Tynesiders, but Robson insists it is now all water under the bridge.

"Glenn Roeder out of courtesy did ring me up and kind of basically apologise for the way the whole thing had gone," said Robson.

"They were badly advised, they got the wrong information and the boy was badly advised. We stood and fought for our rights, which was right because we won it and won it on an appeal again.

"There wasn’t any doubt who was right and who was wrong, and it’s history. Glenn rang up to that effect and said ’We were badly advised, sorry about it all’. It’s OK. He had the courtesy to ring me and apologise, so that’s fine."

Newcastle go into their first Premiership game of the new season brimming with confidence after last season’s heroics and Wednesday night’s 1-0 win over Zeljeznicar in Bosnia which has left them with one foot in the Champions League.

However, Robson knows his side have a lot to live up to and admits he will be delighted if they can maintain their top-four status.

"The three major clubs will dominate again in terms of the championship, I think,” he said. “Most of

the rest of us are just a little bit of that cut away.

"We did wonderfully well, I think, to finish fourth, and as we improve, they improve. They always seem to be that little bit ahead of us.

"Having now recovered the scene here when it was sinking a little bit - there was a suggestion we might go out when I took over - we’ve got where we are now with the squad we’ve got and the investment that the chairman has made working closely with me about player acquisitions, and we have to be seen always in the top six.

"Now whether we’re sixth or first, or fifth or second, or fourth or third, I don’t know, but we have to be seen to be one of the top clubs in this country, and therefore, if we are - which we are - we should always be in those six positions, always in a UEFA European spot."

Robson will be without six first teamers - Gary Speed, Laurent Robert, Craig Bellamy, Carl Cort, Andy O’Brien and Clarence Acuna - through injury, but new signings Titus Bramble and Hugo Viana are likely to make their Premiership debuts for the club.