Robson named Blades boss

Premier League agree to Tevez arbitration

McCall returns to Bradford

Bryan Robson has been named the new manager of relegated Sheffield United and immediately aims for a quick return for the Premiership. The former West Bromwich Albion and Middlesbrough boss said:

“We’ve got a good squad and if we can fine tune it a bit, we can get back to the Premiership. The great thing about Sheffield United is the set-up. It’s surprised me how solid the foundations are. That gives you a great chance to go forward and improve the squad and hopefully get straight back.”

First-team coach Brian Kidd is promoted to assistant manager,

Robson takes over a week after Neil Warnock brought his seven-year Bramall Lane reign to a close. In a surprising statement, Blades chairman Kevin McCabe suggests Warnock should have gone earlier:

“Neil Warnock is a great motivator. We can reflect now maybe Neil Warnock wasn’t quite right for our Premiership ambitions. But he gave it his all. Hindsight is a great thing. Bryan is an experienced manager. We believe he’s the right man to get us back to the Premiership in the shortest possible space of time.”

Following weeks of increasing pressure, the Premier League succumbs and agrees to set up an arbitration tribunal to look at Sheffield United’s complaints over the controversial registration of Carlos Tevez. The Blades are hoping to win a reprieve from relegation but, according to an unofficial club source, hopes are not too high:

“We received a letter from the Premier League on Tuesday telling us they do not think we have any grounds to request arbitration - but they accept it is our right to do so. They have said they will not appoint anyone until Friday to give us the opportunity to withdraw the request - basically they are saying we are wasting everybody’s time. We still believe these matters need to be resolved so we will press ahead and ask for arbitration and we hope that this process can be concluded before the end of June.”

As ex-Bradford City boss Bryan Robson arrives at Sheffield United, assistant manager Stuart McCall departs to take over at the Intersonic Stadium. It’s the 42-year-old’s first managerial post although he is a very familiar figure at City having enjoyed two playing spells with the Bantams and a brief stint as caretaker manager following Chris Hutchings’ sacking in November 2000. McCall was with Bradford during their two seasons in the Premiership but returns as City return to the basement division for the first time since 1982.