Titus Bramble has revealed he still feels a sense of injustice over the day Sir Bobby Robson was dismissed as Newcastle United manager. Robson was sacked in 2004 despite a fifth-place finish and with the club still competing in Europe. The immediate verdict was that players had let Robson down, leading to the appointment of Graeme Souness.
Robson's Man-Management Legacy
Bramble, who moved from Ipswich Town for £5 million as a 20-year-old, now works as assistant to Nobby Solano with the Pakistan national team. He credits Robson's man-management skills and life values as key influences.
"People will never forget how you made them feel. And Sir Bobby always made you feel a million dollars - even if he was telling you you'd not been picked!" Bramble said. "He had a brilliant knack of dealing with you, even if you were being told you were dropped or not playing, he would tell you why you weren't being selected for the team."
Denying Lost Dressing Room Claims
Bramble rejected suggestions that Robson had lost the dressing room. "Graeme was old school. He was honest, which I like in a manager, but the talk was that he came in as Sir Bobby had lost the dressing room. That was simply never the case; we loved him and were devastated when he went," he said.
"Certain people in the media back then made up stories about the younger players. Sir Bobby had our full respect, and he knew that the day he went."
Coaching Pakistan and Passing on Lessons
Bramble is now applying Robson's principles in his role with Pakistan. "Those people skills I learned from Sir Bobby are always there," he said. "It is a massive challenge because it is a cricketing country of 230 million people. But we feel there are some hidden gems here that we can get into the team and go from there."
He also coaches at the PASS soccer school in Abu Dhabi, emphasizing the importance of man management. "You work on people, and they are the most important thing, you know they are footballers, but they are people first," Bramble explained.
Near Misses and Fond Memories
Reflecting on Newcastle's near misses, Bramble said the squad lacked title-winning experience. "We had myself, Kieron Dyer, Jonathan Woodgate, Craig Bellamy alongside stars like Alan Shearer, Gary Speed and Shay Given," he recalled. "That's all that was missing."
He also remembered his winner against Chelsea in 2006 that took Glenn Roeder's side into Europe. "When I bump into Newcastle fans that's what they mention," he said.
Bramble's Newcastle connection led to his Pakistan role after a chance meeting with Solano in Dubai. With an expanded World Cup in 2030, he dreams of taking Pakistan to a major tournament. "We have just won a tournament in the Maldives, so it was a good start," he said. "We are now in the FIFA ASEAN Cup and this will be next level opponents."
