I rated Bryan Robson very highly as a player, going right back to his West Brom days. But when it comes to management skills, I reckon the former England captain is barely Conference standard. And if he's the right man to get Sheffield United back into the Premiership, then his predecessor Neil Warnock is the most placid character in football!

I reckon the proof of Robson's limitations will be seen to the full in Monday's play-off final when Jason Koumas, the midfield playmaker he froze out during his time as West Brom boss, inspires the Baggies back to the Premiership a year after bungling Robbo took them down.

Let’s face it, Captain Marvel's management record is moderate at best. OK, he took Middlesbrough into the Premiership in his first season, but despite breaking the bank on buying the likes of Juninho and Fabrizio Ravanelli, the nearest he got to further honours in his six years in charge at Boro was to reach three cup finals and lose them all. He also oversaw their relegation in 1995-96, though admittedly he did take them up again a couple of seasons later before quitting in 2001.

Those were Robson’s best days in management. The worst came two years later when he accepted the manager's job with Division One strugglers Bradford City – and got them relegated at the first attempt after they lost 20 of their final 28 games. Unsurprisingly, Robson's short-term contract was not renewed.

In November 2004, he agreed to return to his old club West Brom as manager - 23 years after leaving the Hawthorns to join Manchester United. By Christmas Day the Baggies were bottom of the Premiership but amazingly, Robson and his players managed to stay up on the final day of the season.

Albion's great escape was arguably Robson’s greatest moment as a boss, but their record of only six wins and 34 points from 38 games was the worst of any club ever to survive relegation from the top flight. The following season the inevitable happened – and down they went to the Championship. But I am convinced that would never have happened but for Robson's much-publicised bust-up with Koumas, arguably Albion’s most influential player.

The Koumas story is bizarre, to say the least. The Wales midfielder, son of a Cypriot chip-shop owner, inspired the Baggies’ promotion to the Premiership in 2004, when he was named in the First Division team of the year.
In the summer of 2004, he signed a new contract with Albion, but during the following season fell out with new boss Robson. Now I don’t know the full details of their differences, but Robson transfer-listed the former Tranmere star, saying he was ‘disappointed with his attitude’.

At the start of the 2005-06 season, Robbo allowed Koumas to move to Cardiff City on a season-long loan – and he duly proved a star turn at Ninian Park. He scored 13 times in 44 appearances, was voted the Bluebirds’ Player of the Year and won a place in the PFA’s Championship team of the season.

In his absence, West Brom and Robson plunged back into the Championship. Cardiff, meanwhile, tried without success to negotiate a transfer fee for Koumas before the start of the 2006-2007 season, only to fail to reach an agreement with West Brom.

Koumas was effectively on strike throughout the negotiations and even trained on his own away from the club. However, he ultimately signed a new three-year deal just before Robson left the club "by mutual consent’’.
Koumas, of course, never looked back. His club career rejuvenated under new manager Tony Mowbray, he quickly returned to first-team action – and went on to become this season’s Championship player of the year.

On Monday, the Wrexham-born star will be one of the biggest threats to Derby County as West Brom attempt to battle their way back into the Premiership in the play-off final at Wembley. But the big question his renaissance poses is: ‘Why did Robson have to fall out with Koumas to the point that the player wanted nothing to do with him or the club?

If Koumas is a difficult personality to handle, then how come Cardiff’s Dave Jones, Mowbray and Wales boss John Toshack have got him firing on all cylinders? To me, it all smacks of Robson lacking the ability to understand the best way to motivate a player. Every individual is different and in this case the player concerned was absolutely vital to West Brom’s success.

Sorry, Blades fans, you've got the wrong man and I fear you will experience more downs than ups next season. Maybe you need a Jason Koumas to help you out…