Boss looks on bright side despite defeat

Three matches in charge – a win and draw and a defeat – do not represent the type of start the former England captain had envisaged when he replaced Neil Warnock at the helm in May but, as he explained today, unearthing his team from beneath a mountain of history was always going to be a time consuming process.

"I don't think you can start taking any notice of the table until about 10 or 12 games in," he insisted before continuing preparations for Saturday's visit of West Brom.

"It's only then that you can start getting any idea of where you or anyone else might be heading. By then you'll start to have some idea of what you have to do."

Despite enduring a weekend to forget – the disappointments of Watford being compounded by his beloved Manchester United's continuing woes in the Premiership – Robson was in upbeat mood when training reconvened at Shirecliffe.

Having expressed his dis-satisfaction with the performance at Vicarage Road – "It's not so much that I was annoyed with the lads as frustrated because I knew if we'd have stepped it up as we are capable of then we'd probably have gone on to win" – Robson has now drawn a line under events in Hertfordshire to concentrate his efforts on fashioning the type of squad he believes is capable of achieving promotion.

No rancour, no recrimination just a positive outlook and a steadfast belief in the principles which served him well as a player.

"For me there were plenty of pluses to take from Watford," Robson said before repeating his desire to sign a new midfielder before the transfer window closes at the end of the month.

"I thought we were the better team for much of the game and I think the boys have shown that they won't give up without a fight. I want that but there are things that we need to work on.

"Some of the lads can be a little bit direct at times and I want us to retain possession and pass the ball a bit more. But there were good performances.

“I thought Matthew Kilgallon stood up well physically against Watford, Leigh Bromby too and quite a few others because they didn’t dominate us in that department.”

With Chris Lucketti and Billy Sharp both set to return against West Brom – Robson admitting that Lucketti was omitted from the line-up at Vicarage Road because of Kilgallon’s form while injuries to Lee Hendrie and Gary Naysmith prompted him to reassess the risk of sending Sharp into battle with a broken hand – United will spend the next three days plotting the downfall of Tony Mowbray’s side.

Robson will be aware of the need for a first league victory but events in Brazil, where a delegation of United directors spent last week applying the finishing touches to a partnership with Sao Paulo, will also have captured the imagination of a man who clearly wants to leave behind a proud legacy when he departs South Yorkshire.

Simon McCabe, son of plc chairman Kevin, has been at the forefront of negotiations with the former World Club champions and, having impressed their counterparts at the Morumbi with their commitment to youth, United hope that, providing an agreement can be reached, it will prove profitable for both parties.

Already several young players currently plying their trade with the Tricolor Paulista have been identified as suitable exchange students.

The talks have been running in tandem with discussions about the forthcoming court date with West Ham following United’s decision to sue the Londoners following the Carlos Tevez Affair.