Barry Robson is replicating Sir Alex Ferguson template at Aberdeen as 'no nonsense' philosophy praised

Archie Knox reckons Barry Robson is succeeding at Aberdeen because he has adopted a no-nonsense policy like Alex Fergsuon.

Knox coached Dons boss Robson during his early years in the game when he was a kid on the books at Rangers. The youngster was “full of fun” back in the day but soon developed a highly serious approach which led him to Scotland caps and Champions League appearances with Celtic and has now taken him into top-flight management.

Knox, who was assistant to Ferguson at Pittodrie during the club’s greatest-ever triumphs in the early 1980s, has seen the progression and is delighted that a straight-to-the-point attitude towards work and graft are paying dividends. The veteran, who gave Robson his Oleg nickname as he had ginger hair like ex-Ibrox ace Kuznetsov, said: “Barry’s done really well. When he was at Rangers, if you were looking at boys who’d become managers, you probably wouldn’t put him in that category.

“He was a young lad who was full of fun and full of laughter. That kind of stuff. Some people, you identify and say they are serious right from the word go. Barry wasn’t that at that particular age. But he’s come back into football and taken on board all the things he’s learned elsewhere. And added to it.

“From what I hear at Aberdeen, from ex-players such as Neil Simpson and others, he’s been brilliant with all the younger ones.

“I think he just has the same philosophy as Alex did. Never any nonsense. This is the way I want you to play. This is what we’re going to try and do. And you deal with the players you have got. That’s what he’s done particularly well since he came in. There’s a confidence about him that you maybe wouldn’t have thought as a young boy. And 100 per cent, he’s got a