Brammer’s Blog

Although he’s been in the Oakwell hotseat for less than a fortnight, Mark Robins has certainly stamped his authority on the club, and early indications suggest that the future is looking a lot brighter for the Reds.

The new gaffer has injected more belief and a greater work ethic into the squad, and they no longer look like the side which capitulated as soon as they conceded a goal earlier this season. I hate to use that old stereotype – but we actually look like ‘Battling Barnsley’ again.

It has also been a refreshing change to listen to Mark’s post match interviews and feel like you’ve been to the same game as him. Not only does he give credit where it is due, but he’s not afraid to criticise if he feels it necessary. This is in stark contrast to Simon Davey who would often speak in bland cliches and rarely reveal anything insightful (which ultimately contributed to his lack of rapport with supporters).

Fans can forgive bad performances if they know the players have given 100% commitment and that they are treated with respect by a manager who gives an honest view of the game, explains his decisions and doesn’t seek excuses. So far Mark Robins has delivered on all fronts.

However, as he has rightfully pointed out, actions speak louder than words and where his predecessor spoke about becoming more ruthless, Robins is ruthless. He may be thoughtful and quietly spoken but you can already tell that this masks a steely determination to succeed.

There will be little doubt in the dressing room as to who is in charge. To quote the man himself “If the players come with me and do what I am asking of them there won’t be a problem. If they can’t or won’t then it is a different matter”. And he’s been good to his word with under-performing players dropped or dispatched on loan, and reinforcements recruited to solve obvious frailties (such as a lack of competition in defence).

His demeanour on the touchline during games also suggests that he is a man in control. He continually stalks his technical area encouraging or berating his players – in fact I can’t remember him retreating to the bench in any of the matches so far. I also like the fact that he’s not afraid of making decisions or indeed acknowledging when he’s made the wrong decision. The Watford match illustrated this when he had no hesitation in replacing the below-par Thompson with Odejayi after just 30 minutes. Not only that, but he then took Odejayi off when he too failed to have an impact.

Of course it is still early days and we shouldn’t get carried away by a couple of good results. The next few months are going to be tough – especially with the transfer window being closed till January – but Mark Robins is certainly winning over many fans by the way he has gone about the job so far. His hard work and honesty has certainly struck a chord with the people of a town which was built on similar values.