Robson backs Blades to bounce back

New Sheffield United manager Bryan Robson believes the club have a “great chance” to win promotion back to the Premier League at the first opportunity.

The Blades were relegated on the final day of the season after losing at home to Wigan, consigning them to the Coca-Cola Championship after just one campaign in the top flight.

However, Robson, who has replaced Neil Warnock after seven-and-a-half years at Bramall Lane and will have Blades coach Brian Kidd as his new assistant, sees plenty of positives.

“It’s a case of everybody lifting themselves. You can’t go about feeling sorry for yourselves, you’ve got to get on with your next season,” said Robson, who returns to management having left West Brom in September.

“At this football club we already have some good players, the budget is pretty good and it gives us a great chance.

“We have some good players and with just a bit of fine-tuning they have a great chance of getting back up, but it will take a lot of hard work.

“I would like to keep all the best players and give them the challenge of getting back up, but also build the club so if we go up we have a better chance of surviving.

“I’m delighted to come back with such an ambitious squad.”

Robson has experience of winning promotion having guided Middlesbrough to the top flight in 1995 and, after a relegation, 1998.

He successfully kept the Baggies in the Premiership in 2005 but they were relegated last year and Robson left the club after a disappointing start to the next campaign.

Sheffield United plc chairman Kevin McCabe said Robson had all the qualities to lead the Blades back into the Barclays Premiership.

“Bryan is an experienced manager but also as we all know was a fantastic player, and we believe he is the manager who will blend the squad and improve Sheffield United and lead us back to where we rightfully belong, in the Premiership, in a short space of time,” he said.

“He will have the support of the board to fulfil that ambition. We aim to be in the top 10 in the Premiership at least within the next three to five years.”