IT WAS interesting to see Bryan Robson getting the manager's job at West Brom despite a few foreign names being linked with the vacancy.

Bryan was captain of England in my time with the national team and, coming from the same part of the country, we got on very well.

He was a fantastic player who led by example and during his management time at Middlesbrough, saw them make the transition from Ayresome Park to one of the first of the new grounds The Riverside.

He took Boro to Wembley for the first time in their history and to promotion to top flight.

His CV shows they got relegated as well but it should be remembered that points had been deducted because of a fault by the administration that allowed him to field an ineligible player.

I'm sure he isn't back in the game now because he needs money. He really loves the game and I suppose, in many ways, it's good to see a British manager getting the nod.

Already this season, there have been nearly 20 managerial changes, one of the most surprising being the exit of Jacques Santini from Spurs in the same week that the very first foreign manager in England received a medal from the Queen.

I could keep you waiting until next week for the answer, but it was Bert Trautmann who managed Stockport for a while after a distinguished career as Manches-ter City goalkeeper.

Since then, would you believe, there have been another 21 foreign managers in the game - not all in the top flight.

For instance, at present, there is a double act at Cambridge - Herv Reynard, nicknamed The Fox, and his assistant Claude Leroy - and no doubt the supporters there are being entertained week in, week out by wonderful, scintillating continental skills. Somehow, I doubt it.

You have to admire Wenger and even the arrogant Mourinho, who I noticed walked straight on the pitch to congratulate his players after they had beaten Newcastle after extra-time this week.

But it would have been nicer had he gone to the opposing manager to shake his hand and say something like: 'Good game, well done.' But I suppose that will come after he's lost a few himself.

It would also be nice if some of these gents turned up at the annual dinner of the League Managers' Association.

I think only Danny Bergara, Jan Molby and Egil Olsen have ever attended, although Arsene did once turn up.

Mind you, he had won the managers' award of the year and the function was being held in the hotel he was living in at the time!

Another interesting quiz question would be how many foreign players came in from outside of England to the Premiership alone in the 12 months from May 2003-May 2004? The answer is 111 - nearly six per club.

I don't know what old Emlyn and Shankly and co would have made of that...