“Nasri would be great at Old Trafford,” Robson told MEN Sport. “I think the big problem Sir Alex Ferguson will have chasing these top players is that players now aren’t looking to move solely for football reasons.
“Before, United were at the fore of all top transfers because players wanted to play for Manchester United for football reasons. But these days money is a big issue.
“Clubs like City and Chelsea are wielding the cash, players are attracted to that and it seems City are interested in Nasri.
Silverware
“It is up to him. Does he want to play for a club who’ve won titles and silverware year in, year out and have been to three out of the last four Champions League finals?
“Or does he go for money to a club who might not be able to promise that like United for another couple of years? Is it money or is it football?
“I don’t know what he will decide but for me he is the one United should get.
“It’s impossible to replace Paul Scholes like-for-like, but Nasri would be the midfielder I’d want to attempt the job.”
Robson’s twilight years at Old Trafford before he moved into management at Middlesbrough were spent largely trying to gain fitness in the reserves and it gave him the opportunity to team up with a teenage Paul Scholes.
“I was a sub for the first team a lot in my final year at United and I wanted to play reserve matches to keep my fitness up,” recalled Bryan.
“It was great in that I got to play with that Class of ‘92 before their breakthrough to the seniors. Of all the talent in that lot it was Paul who stood out for me, but actually he wasn’t playing in midfield he was up front.
“When I was in the centre of midfield I had Nicky **** alongside me, David Beckham to the right and Ben Thornley was on the left. So that meant Scholesy was up front with Robbie Savage.
“But it wasn’t a waste as far as Paul was concerned because he scored a goal for us every game. He was a great centre forward.
“Obviously it was in midfield that he shone for the first team.
“I think the term great is used too easily these days for players, but it is absolutely spot-on for Paul. He was such an intelligent footballer. He had great vision. When he had his back to play it was as if he had eyes in the back of his head. It was astonishing what he could see.
“There was the ability to knock a ball wide and then ghost in just at the right moment to put the ball in the net. That’s when those centre forward days came into it. He scored some wonderful goals that way but also from great distance.
“His striking of a ball was superb. The technique was perfect. He reminds me of the very top professional golfers how they keep their head still and strike through the ball without any effort.
“It was fantastic to watch that technique. He could send the ball straight as an arrow a million miles.
“As an all-round player he had absolutely everything – except he couldn’t tackle! But was he tough.”
