Football: Robson's road to ruin or rapture

Middlesbrough are standing on the brink - of relegation and FA Cup glory. Simon Turnbull has followed them on their incredible journey

Thursday 1 May

May day at Middlesbrough. Boro have had the luxury of a week's R and R since the last match in their marathon season, a 1-0 defeat at Tottenham. Distress signals are not immediately evident on Bryan Robson's face as he takes his place at the back of the suite at the Riverside Stadium in which the club's latest book launch is taking place.

Doom to Boom, the story of Middlesbrough's rise from the ashes of liquidation in 1986, rolled off the presses just as the doom and gloom was descending on Boro's season of great expectations. Boro's Best, based on the club's all-time top 50 players, as voted by present and former players and managers, must have seemed a safer enterprise. But, then, the winner of the poll had to be one of the managers threatening to scatter Middlesbrough to points Nationwide next season.

Graeme Souness was sorry, Mark Page, the compere, says, but he had been unable to arrange a flight to Teesside. Robson picks his way past the tables of old-time greats - Wilf Mannion, George Hardwick, Alan Peacock - to accept the presentation copy to which 19th place entitled him. His eyes remain concentrated on the carpet when it is suggested he was training hard in case he was required to perform a playing role in the four matches facing his team in the final eight days of the Premiership season.

Robbo, it transpires, has something of a mayday nature on his mind. As his players hurry off to be measured for their Wembley suits and the Boro old boys depart on a guided tour of the ground, the manager holds court with the press next to the buffet. He fields questions about the week's break and Saturday's home game against Aston Villa, then is asked whether his players are fit. "Well, my four goalkeepers are all injured," he replies. "We've asked the Premier League for dispensation to bring someone in but they haven't come back to us. As things stand we'll just have to wrap Ben Roberts in cotton wool and if anything happens to him Neil Cox will go in goal." It's just another day down at the Riverside office.

Saturday 3 May

Robson smiles as he settles behind the microphone in the Riverside's press room. Until the final 10 seconds of the match just ended it seemed he would have to assume a brave face and cling to the cliche about mathematical uncertainties.

He has the look of a man who has escaped the noose. And well he might. Had it not been for Fabrizio Ravanelli's last-gasp penalty Middlesbrough's last grasp of safety would have, in effect, disappeared.

"Mathematically we could have still done it," Robson says. "But, with the other results today, if Fabrizio had missed it probably would have put us down." Sunderland, Southampton and West Ham have all won and Middlesbrough are still four points adrift of the safety zone. Robson, however, remains bullish. "We can still do it," he says. "We need something out of the Manchester United game and then we have Blackburn and Leeds to come. It's in our own hands." And Ben Roberts' injured elbow. The cotton wool has done its stuff today.

Monday 5 May

Back in the theatre of his playing dreams, Robson has seen his team relinquish another two-goal lead. But this time they have failed to respond with a winner.

Robson nevertheless considers a 3-3 draw with Manchester United as a good point gained rather than two expensively squandered. "It was vital we took a point," he says, standing in the corridor outside the away-team dressing-room which must still seem alien territory to him. "The lads know if we win our last two games we'll stay up." It seems they will have to win them, at Blackburn on Thursday and at Leeds on Sunday, without Fabrizio Ravanelli. The hamstrung striker hobbles towards the waiting coach on crutches.

"It's too early to assess the damage," Robson says, "but he's got to be doubtful for the Cup final, never mind the last two League games." And Middlesbrough, despite their hard-earned point and their manager's apparent contentment, have got to be doubtful for next season's Premiership.

Wednesday 7 May

The spectre of relegation has clearly grown in Robson's mind in the 48 hours since he left Old Trafford. At his preview press conference for tomorrow's trip to Blackburn he broaches the subject of demotion for the first time.

Asked if he is surprised to find Middlesbrough under threat with two games to go, he replies: "No. Our performances before Christmas have put us here. What annoys me more than anything is that I know if we survive these next two games we'll be a far better team in the Premiership next season. The way we're building the team I can see positive things developing and that might have to stand still for a year. That frustration is my biggest emotion.

"I think it took Juninho a year to settle in and since then he's been playing fantastic football. Since Nigel Pearson has come back from injury it's no coincidence that the team has done better too. I look to next season as much as anyone and I can see us going forward. But, like I say, if we go down everything will have to stand still for 12 months."

At least Robson's bank account has not stood still. He backed two winners at Chester yesterday. "What about another two winners, tomorrow night and on Sunday," someone prompts. Robson laughs. "I hope so."

Thursday 8 May

Robson does not have a winning smile on his face in Ewood Park's Media Theatre, more of a drawn expression. Though nobody wishes to pain him with an ill-timed reminder of the obvious, the goalless draw has given Middlesbrough a five-point loss from this particular fixture.

Tony Parkes has already been in, celebrating the completion of his caretaking task. Asked if he was going to follow Martin O'Neill's lead and relax on Sunday by taking a back seat up in the stand, he replied: "Oh, I might go down to the town centre and do a little bit of shopping, just leave the lads to go out and enjoy it."

The last-day scenario now facing Robson is no laughing matter. It is more serious than win or bust. Even victory at Leeds might not be enough to preserve Middlesbrough's top-flight status. As Robson entered the room, the travelling Teesside media troops had been having a heated debate about Boro fighting for their docked three points in the High Court. The words "straws" and "clutching" came to mind.

Robson is asked what odds he would give, as a noted student of form, on his team beating the drop. But his mood, let alone his mind, does not stretch beyond the pragmatic. "That's all hypothetical," he says. "We know what we've got to do. We've got to go to Leeds and win to give ourselves a chance. Even if we'd won tonight we would have had to win at Leeds to make sure. Obviously the disappointing thing is it's not in our hands any more."

It might have been if Graham Poll had awarded a penalty when Juninho was clearly fouled by Colin Hendry. Robson, admirably, chooses not to dwell upon the incident, despite repeated questioning about it. "You pick up the papers tomorrow," he says, "and it's not a pen because the ref hasn't given it. There's no point in us harping on about it. We've just got to get our minds on Sunday's game. My job now is to concentrate my efforts and the efforts of my players on the Leeds game. That's all that's important now."

Friday 9 May

Robson's tunnel vision has become distracted in the 12 hours since he faced the press at Blackburn. Back at the Riverside, the North-east branch of the fourth estate are obliged to seek his response to the apparent rumblings of trouble at t' mill.

In a radio interview Curtis Fleming has criticised Ravanelli for returning to Italy for treatment. "He should be with us," the Dubliner told Teesside's commercial station, TFM.

Robson has thunder in his eyes. "That's all rubbish," he says, or words to that effect. "I'm not getting involved in that. I've heard a report today that Ravanelli's supposedly not coming back. People just keep trying to stir things up all the time.

"I've spoken to Fabrizio this morning and he's flying back to join us tomorrow morning. He feels he'll be okay to play on Sunday. He went back home because he believes in the treatment they give him over there."

The morale in the dressing-room is still high, Robson insists. "The lads aren't down," he says. But they might be by Sunday night. And then the boss of the Boro really would have a job on his hands.