Challenges The Sir Bobby Robson Challenge - FMM18

[danovic78]

The Sir Bobby Robson Challenge

It was Diego Maradona's notorious "hand of God" that eliminated England from the 1986 World Cup finals in Mexico – but it was the manager Bobby Robson who had taken them there, advancing one step further to the semi-finals four years later in Italy, only to lose to Germany on penalties. Although widely lampooned and vilified by the press for his perceived inadequacies, Robson, was the man who brought the national side closer than any other to a repeat of their 1966 glory.

In the summer 1967, he had his first management experience in Canada with the Vancouver Royals, but after six months he returned to Fulham as manager. The club was in a trough and he was dismissed after only 10 months, moving on to find fame with Ipswich Town.

Robson's years at Portman Road were marked by two distinct periods. Initially, Ipswich played the kind of long-ball game at that time espoused by Liverpool. But Robson changed to a more deliberate and intricate style after he had signed two fine Dutch midfield players, Frans Thijssen and Arnold Mühren. These two, with their technical ability and passing skills, imposed a quite different pattern on the team, which proceeded to win the FA Cup in 1978, beating Arsenal 1-0, and the Uefa cup in 1981, beating AZ Alkmaar 5-4 on aggregate. Mühren, however, would later write scathingly of Robson and his alleged tactical ingenuousness.

Robson took over as England manager in July 1982, replacing Ron Greenwood. The so-called senior international committee plainly saw his as the face that fitted, yet it was well known, not least among the press, that he had what might euphemistically be called a hectic romantic life, the facts of which would not be laid bare until just before the 1990 World Cup in Italy.

Robson joined PSV Eindhoven in 1990, and in spite of much criticism by Dutch journalists and even his own players, he still contrived to win the domestic championship twice. However, he was sacked two years later. This was followed by a move to Portugal, where he did well with Sporting Lisbon, until, when things briefly went against them, he was dismissed, only to be taken on immediately by their rivals Porto, with whom he proceeded to win the league championship twice and the cup once.

In 1996, at the age of 63, he at last was given the plum of plums, the managership of Barcelona, twice offered to him in his Ipswich days and twice turned down. There he rebuilt the team, signed the marvellous young Brazilian striker Ronaldo, whom he had previously appointed at PSV, and embarked upon a new adventure, leading to the Spanish cup, the Spanish super cup and the European cup winners' cup in a single season before he was kicked upstairs. His success at the Catalan club led to him being voted European manager of the year in 1997.

In the middle of the 1999-2000 season, by now in his late 60s, Robson finally achieved a long-held ambition when he became manager of the team he had supported as a boy, Newcastle United. It was a club in turmoil, the consequence of the abrasive management of the Dutchman Ruud Gullit, who had fallen out with their most talismanic player, the centre-forward Alan Shearer. Robson quickly restored tranquillity and morale, and turned the previously disastrous season around. Two years later he was knighted for his services to football.

In August 2004, after five years in command, he was summarily dismissed by the Magpies' controversial chairman, Freddie Shepherd. In truth, his position had been rendered untenable when, at the start of the season, Shepherd announced that his contract would not be renewed when the season ended. 

 

Can you follow in the great man's footsteps?

The Challenge

• Load England, Holland, Portugal and Spain.
• Start at Fulham. 
• Phase 1 - England (max 2 clubs) - You must win at least one FA Cup and a European Trophy.
• Phase 2 - Holland - Win 2 titles and a National Cup.
• Phase 3 - Portugal (max 2 club) - Win 2 titles and 2 National Cups.
• Phase 4 - Spain - Win 2 National Cups and One European Trophy.
• Phase 5 - Holland - Win what you can in just one season before heading to England.
• Phase 6 - Head back to England to finish your career.
• BONUS - Sign a Brazilian teenage striker when in Holland and then sign him again in Spain.
• BONUS - Take control of England and win the World Cup.

The Rules:

• No preferences/unlockables. No uses of text changes, save editor or IGE at all.

• No cheating - Restarting to avoid injuries counts as cheating.

• SI databases only

• No Myclub or created player

• Own formations only.

Leaderboard

[kylieboi88]

This is an amazing challenge idea. Please allow me to follow if/when you decide to start this challenge.

Thanks alot for sharing!

[salohcin]

Great challenge! 1 question though, when you say return to England to finish career, do we need to complete all 30 seasons? If not, what qualifies as ending career?

[danovic78]

18 hours ago, salohcin said:

Great challenge! 1 question though, when you say return to England to finish career, do we need to complete all 30 seasons? If not, what qualifies as ending career?

You can do whatever you feel when you return, maybe adding a short extra challenge to finish off the career would be good? 

[salohcin]

1 hour ago, danovic78 said:

You can do whatever you feel when you return, maybe adding a short extra challenge to finish off the career would be good? 

Oh right nice thanks!