Watford replace Robbo after three months back at the club
The well-liked former defender will instead become a “key part of TC’s opposition analysis work,” the club announced this morning on its official website.
Robbo didn’t rejoin the team until the middle of October, but his appointment was well appreciated because it added another legendary player and former player to the coaching staff.
The 1999 Play-Off Final champion has been practicing attacking and defending set pieces for the most of the last three months.
“There are a few factors involved, very much including family considerations, so Robbo and I discussed how he could remain closely involved with our group,” Cleverley said, adding, “I have a huge amount of respect for Robbo’s work and his commitment to our football club as a true Watford man.” “This option means he’s still very much part of our team for now – just not quite so visible to supporters on matchdays.” The left-sided defender rose through the ranks at the club to establish himself in the first team at Vicarage Road.
The lineup that defeated Bolton Wanderers 2-0 at Wembley in 1999 to send the team to the Premier League for the first time included Robbo, a strong, no-nonsense defender who never shied away from a tackle.
Before being moved to West Brom in 2003, when the team was experiencing financial difficulties, he made 228 appearances for the Hornets.
Before completing his career with Birmingham City, he played for Bolton and Leeds after a very successful stint at The Hawthorns.
Throughout his playing career, Robinson made over 700 senior games and scored eighteen goals.
After serving with the Blues for his first coaching position, he went on to work as Gary Rowett’s assistant at Millwall before the two moved to Birmingham at the end of the previous campaign to try to keep them in the Championship.
Robbo had expressed in private that he wanted to return to Vicarage Road in some way and had never tried to conceal the fact that Watford is his club.
A little over three months after Cleverley turned that ambition into a reality, his position at the club has evolved.
In the meanwhile, the Watford manager now has a familiar face in the dugout with him.
“Zigor’s a guy I know very well – I worked with him for the best part of 18 months when he
“He and I discussed it on a Zoom call a few days ago, and it was a highly successful period in the club’s history.
“He can come in and help us further in the areas where we need it.”
Cleverley’s initial interim head coach, Armand Kavaja, left earlier in the season, and was replaced by Spanishman Javier Pereira, who left a little more than a month later to be replaced by Robbo.
According to Cleverley, “It’s actually pretty difficult to quickly build a staff and get the perfect balance when you’re thrust into a role without too much notice – especially when it’s your first shot at a senior level.”
“As I previously stated, we cannot be afraid of change when it occurs because there are still one or two areas where I believe we haven’t achieved the ideal balance yet in terms of maximizing the performance of the staff for the benefit of the players.”
“You must view change as a chance to grow and advance, regardless of the causes.”
After leaving Vicarage Road, Aranalde, a former Walsall and Carlisle United player, collaborated with Gracia at Valencia, Al Sadd, and Leeds United.
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