New Sheffield United boss Kevin Blackwell believes Bryan Robson was the victim of the volatile nature of football management.

Blackwell returned to Bramall Lane on Thursday, just under four years after leaving his job as assistant to Neil Warnock to take up the reins at Leeds.

The 49-year-old always felt he would one day return to manage United, although perhaps not in the circumstances that unfolded this week.

Robson came under pressure from demonstrating fans due to the team failing to mount an expected promotion challenge this season.

It led to him being offered an 'upstairs' director of football role by plc chairman Kevin McCabe, but he turned down the chance and departed after just nine months at the helm.

Blackwell, who has endured his own troubles at Leeds and Luton, was swiftly appointed, but only on a short-term basis to the end of the season.

There is the prospect of a longer-term deal dependant on results, which underlines the fickleness of football.

"I've always looked at what is happening at the clubs I've been at or played for because you always have an affinity for them," said Blackwell, ahead of his first game in charge on Sunday, an FA Cup fifth-round showdown at home to Middlesbrough.

"But I felt for Robbo because as a manager you are always only an unlucky bounce away from the sack or an unfortunate decision from a referee.

"That's how precarious our jobs are. You look at his tenure, and it was only nine months, which shows you the game is becoming more and more volatile.

"It is disappointing, but that's the nature of the beast at the moment.

"They're saying over the course of the next year that the average tenure of a Championship manager will be nine months.

"When people sit down and look at it logically, you have to say it cannot be right."

Despite the short-term deal handed to Blackwell, he at least feels he is at a more stable club in comparison to his time with Leeds and Luton.

"I was in a situation at both of my previous clubs where I talked players into coming, only to find out I couldn't pay their wages," reflected Blackwell.

"That is a terrible feeling, to take someone out of a stable environment and lure them into something that is totally unstable.

"I felt really guilty because of that, but that is a feeling I hopefully won't have here."

For now, Blackwell has Sunday's cup tie to look forward to and he is firmly of the belief the squad of players on hand is one of the best he has worked with, while off the field the club is on the up.

"In terms of a Championship squad this is a far stronger squad now then when I left four years ago," assessed Blackwell.

"So the potential is there. Now we have to tap into it and make sure it happens.

"Behind the scenes, what is noticeable is that the infrastructure has changed enormously.

"This must be one of the most forward-thinking clubs in the UK, with its links in China and Hungary.

"There aren't many clubs who have those kind of tie-ups, which shows the dynamics and where the chairman wants to take it."

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