Defiant Robbo on the warpath

BBC Sport Online's Derek 'Robbo' Robson kicks off the weekend by hitting back at readers who have dared to criticise him. Listen to him ranting away by clicking the audio box on the left of the page.

Sarah from Byker writes: Looks like you're right with your comment about the Geordie bottlers - why can't they win in London? It's an embarrassment. Is it time for Bobby to retire to the seaside?

There's been a lot of fuss about why the Geordies can't win in London - well they can't really win anywhere else either.

I do think they get excited, though, when they see the bright lights and the shops and they can buy clothes rather than borrow from their relations.

I don't think Sarah should be in such a hurry to get rid of Bobby Robson, though.

Leave off Wor Bobby

I think Bobby's a lovely lad. OK, he's a bit old and a bit doddery and he does start sentences and get halfway through and not know if he's going to get to the end or not, but there's a pretty long tradition of English football managers like that.

You've got the likes of Peter Reid and Harry Redknapp - good lads, they don't seem to know what they're talking about but they get results.

Another question from the North East, this one comes from John in Sunderland and he says: Oh dear, Robbo, 13's your unlucky number, mate! So much for El Tel when the Boro boys can't even beat a bunch of has-beens on Wimbledon Common.

I hope you'll be watching on Saturday when the only team in the North East that counts steam into the quarter-finals by crushing Harry's jellied eels.

Right, well let me put the record straight. We only lost that game because Ugo lost his head and smacked somebody in the mouth.

Apparently it was a pretty good strike as well and the other boy's still seeing stars. I'd like to see one of the Sunderland defenders pull off a punch like that under pressure.

Sunderland will suffer if Peter Reid leaves

Apart from that, I'm fed up to the back teeth with Sunderland's gloating fans saying they're the best in the North East.

Well, Sunderland fans, you might be just about the best in the North East at the moment, but I tell you this for nowt - you're not the best in the country and the only reason people have got a soft spot for you is because they know you're never gonna win owt.

You haven't won anything since 1973, and that was fluky - Ian Porterfield, ugliest man ever to score an FA Cup final goal.

I don't really care what you say. We're on our way back with Venables the barrow boy in charge. We'll wait until next season to see who's on top in the North East.

Reidy'll be on his way very soon and then we'll see what mettle those players have got. I bet anyone 20 quid that we'll win over the two games next season in the league.

I think draws are more likely if El Tel's still there, Robbo

Nah. He's starting from the back and working his way forward - that's good, intelligent management.

We've had a few e-mails gloating about Boro's defeat - do you think you're getting a taste of your own medicine here?

I don't care - Boro are on the way up. We were bad three months ago, absolutely awful, but now that Robson's moved from coach to being driver we'll be back with a bang next year.

Right, I'm sure you want to get off that subject, so here's a question from Steve in Daventry:

Steve Ovett - preferred to Coe by Robbo

Are you trying to say John Hartson's only good enough for Sunday football? Well what about his performance on his debut for Coventry on Monday?

One perfectly good goal disallowed, one perfectly good shout for a penalty turned down - sounds like you could do with him up on Teesside, mate!

What's he going about? All I said was Hartson's a big fat lad and we'd all like one of them in our team of a Sunday - that's high praise indeed!

Fat lads up front have always been a bit of a handful - and I'm not just talking about their sheer bulk.

They can shield the ball from a big centre half and they're difficult to shake off the ball.

I mean, when you connect with a shot with 14 or 15 stone behind you, it's marvellous, it really flies. It's not about timing, it's about sheer weight.

You had Quinn at Newcastle and Wagstaff at Hull - they were both fat, and good. That's all I was trying to say.

OK, moving on from football, the other great debate has seen Coe and Christie getting their spikes into one another. David from London wants to hear your views on the subject.

Well, I've never liked Coe from the moment he beat Filbert Bayi, who has the best first name of any athlete ever. Filbert. Named after a nut. Well done.

Anyway, I've always preferred Ovett, you know the wave down the straight, little bit cocky, whereas Coe was a bit stuck-up, a bit poe-faced, bit public school - not up my street at all.

Jimmy 'shouldn't go with the good players'

I think it's probably to do with his name to be fair. His dad, who was also his coach, gave him a very unfortunate name. Nobody would play with a Sebastian in the playground - I certainly wouldn't.

So how do you think they could resolve their dispute - a running race maybe?

Now that's a good idea - 100m sprint, followed by a 1500m sprint - or they could just talk it out over some Ginseng tea.

Finally, it seems like snooker's going the same way as darts, with the breakaway being confirmed. Mrs Saunders from the Isle of Man asks whether you think this will damage the sport - and have the players made the right decision in switching allegiances?

Well, I think they're all greedy, money-grabbing...you know. I mean, Paul Hunter won 150 grand for winning the B&H Masters and he only played about 40 frames of snooker. It's not exactly exhausting is it?

It's ridiculous. They should all put up and shut up and get on with playing the game. There's plenty of people around the country who are handy with a cue in their hand - you've just got to know which end to poke the ball with.

Let's face it, Jimmy White's never going to win the World Championship if he keeps going with the good players instead of staying with the bad ones who want to still play for the WSA.

Do you think Robbo is sport's Voice of Reason? Or is he a left-back short of a starting XI?

Say what you think - and, remember, Robbo will be back on Friday to give his unique response.