Robson to watch on as Rams go to Kidlington

The highly-experienced Robson was installed as boss at Love Lane on Tuesday and his second spell in charge of the club began with a 2-1 victory that evening in the Russell Cotes Cup against Eversley and California.

He has decided to allow director of football Gary Lines to continue picking the side for the moment while he runs the rule over the players currently at the club.

Robson will be in attendance at the game in Oxfordshire and around the dressing room before and during the match but Lines will select the starting line-up and make tactical changes during the game.

The new manager will be keeping a close eye on how the players perform and he plans to speak with them all in the coming weeks as he looks to build the side and tactics which will start putting some points on the board for the Rams.

Petersfield still have a lengthy injury list going into Saturday’s encounter with opponents who are also down towards the bottom end of the division one central table.

One or two more players are expected to leave the treatment room and get themselves back out on to the pitch but the Rams will still be without around seven first team regulars over the weekend.

Chairman Graeme Moir says the whole club has been lifted by Robson’s arrival and he hopes this will start to show in the performances.

Moir said: ‘Everyone at the club has started smiling again and morale has been boosted massively by the new manager coming in.

‘We can go to Kidlington with renewed optimism and the situation we found ourselves in may well bring a performance that will net us three points.

‘John will be giving everyone a clean slate and a fresh start so they can prove themselves to him in terms of their ability.

‘I’m sure with him watching on the players will be eager to prove their worth and show they should retain their places in the first team.

‘It will take time for the situation to be turned around here in terms of where we are in the table but throughout the club now there is a happy, confident feeling about the place and a fresh determination to show people what we can do and what we can achieve.

‘Everyone needs to be patient but I am fully confident we are going to turn our situation around very soon.’