Interim manager Barry Robson insists Steve Agnew’s man management skills will be vital in reviving Aberdeen’s fortunes as the hunt for a new manager continues.
Agnew was taken to Pittodrie to assist Robson as the club’s hierarchy search for a replacement for Jim Goodwin.
Amid the chaos of the Dons’ dramatic crash in form that resulted in Goodwin’s sacking, Robson believes highly experienced Agnew will bring calm.
Agnew has been No.2 at Newcastle United, Middlesbrough, Aston Villa, Hull City and West Brom.
He was also caretaker manager at Middlesbrough in the English top-flight for 11 games in 2017 until the end of the season.
Robson previously worked under Agnew when Robson was a player and the 57-year-old coach was assistant to Gothenburg Great Gordon Strachan at Boro.
He believes Aberdeen are “lucky” to have a “terrific coach” of Agnew’s stature who has racked up a decade in the English Premier League.
Robson said: “Steve has great experience and brings a calmness.
“He has worked in the Premier League in England for more than 10 years.
“Steve managed Middlesbrough for 11 games in the Premier League as well.
“He has worked with (under-)18s, 21s and as an assistant manager and first-team coach.
“The players and staff will love working for him.
“He is a brilliant guy and the club is lucky to have him.”
A good man passionate about football
Robson and Agnew were in the dugout at the weekend as the Dons returned to winning ways with a 3-1 defeat of Motherwell.
It ended a five-game losing streak for the Reds.
Agnew’s previous post was as assistant head coach to Steve Bruce at West Bromwich Albion.
However, he left that role when Bruce was sacked in October.
Robson said: “Steve is a good man who is passionate about football.
“He loves the game.
“Those are the kind of people I like working with.
“Steve is also very bright in the game with loads of experience.”
‘A wealth of knowledge to tap into’
Development phase manager Robson has been place in interim charge with Agnew until the Dons appoint a new manager.
Chairman Dave Cormack and the club’s board are willing to take their time to appoint the right candidate.
Aberdeen do not have a game this weekend and are next in action when facing Celtic away on Saturday, February 18.
Robson insists Agnew will be invaluable due to his unique outlook.
He said: “I worked with Steve when he was assistant down at Middlesbrough and I was a player.
“Even back then I would go to the coaches’ office and sit and speak for hours.
“I would try to argue with him to prove me wrong on different things.
“When people talk about coaches, they talk about these guys with tactic boards.
“Where they talk about all these movements, how we are going to do this and play that way on the tactical side.
“What Steve brings is a wealth of knowledge of people and how you tap into them.
“He questions you all the time, asking: ‘What about this?’
“He looks at things in a different way on a massive amount of things.
“All the little wee intricacies, he thinks about.
“He is a great guy, a terrific coach and the players will enjoy working with him.”
Agnew said he ‘could feel this club’
Agnew flew up to Aberdeen on Sunday, January 29, just 24 hours after Goodwin had been axed, after answering the call to be Robson’s assistant.
He was pitched straight into the dugout three days later when Aberdeen, reduced to 10 men early on, lost 3-1 to St Mirren.
Agnew has been at Pittodrie less than two weeks, but has already told Robson the club “has something”.
Robson said: “I was standing on the sideline with Steve (against Motherwell).
“He is new to Scottish football, but said he could really feel this club.
“That you can feel the club when the fans started to come with us and we got three goals.
“He said: ‘I like this. This club has something.’
“This is a man who has been everywhere. And he feels this club.”
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