SIR Bobby Robson claims Sir Alex Ferguson is trying to adopt his buy-young approach to football management in a bid to ensure success is sustained at Manchester United long after the Scot retires.

Since Robson took charge at Newcastle United in September 1999, he has overseen a massive transformation of the Magpies' squad.

The majority of old heads have departed, while in the arrival lounge there has been a huge influx of promising teenage talents like Jermaine Jenas and Portuguese boy wonder Hugo Viana.

Tomorrow afternoon Robson leads his charges to Old Trafford - where they have not won since February 1972 - to face a Man. United side stretching away at the top of the Premiership table.

There is a hugely-impressive 20-point gap between the two clubs and a ninth Premiership crown looks as though it is going to be added to Ferguson's glittering array of honours come May.

But, not content with what he has achieved at United since he took over 17 years ago, the Red Devils chief is already drawing up plans to make sure they are in a healthy state when he does decide to call it a day.

At 62, Ferguson should be seriously considering heading for the retirement door, again. In fact, he already is, but he hopes to sign a new contract first.

The last time he thought of bringing to an end his highly-commendable career Robson, eight years his senior, talked him around and made the former Aberdeen boss see sense.

And Robson, whose side have lost their last four at Old Trafford, believes Ferguson is doing the right thing in staying at the helm for a while yet.

"Two years ago I told him he was crazy to pack it all in," said Robson.

"I said to him: 'Why are you giving it up because you have worked so hard to put Man. United where they are? Why don't you realise the benefits from your own work instead of passing it on to somebody else'.

"That's what he decided to do. He is staying on and he is trying to develop the next group of players, he is buying young and trying to buy a future for the club so he would leave it in good light.

"In actual fact that epitomises what I have tried to do here.

"Over the course of the past four years I have moved on a number of players and brought in younger players with a bit of quality.

"They have brought in Ronaldo who has quality in abundance, they have just signed Liam Miller and we knew all about him, and Kleberson as well who we fancied a lot.

"Experience is a great commodity, I think. And he has built a fine club, he has built a dynasty."

Ferguson was named the Manager of the Month for December yesterday, while his exceptional goalscoring midfielder Paul Scholes picked up the players' gong.

In the last three meetings between the two clubs Scholes has found the net five times, so Robson knows exactly what his side face tomorrow.

And the Newcastle boss admits that Kieron Dyer, who scored twice in last weekend's 3-0 FA Cup success over Southampton, still has a way to go before he can be regarded in the same breath as his fellow England colleague.

"I would say Scholes is England's best attacking midfielder," said Robson.

"He's elusive, a good passer of the ball, hits good cross-field passes and he's neat over ten and 15 yards.

"He also has an explosive right foot and when he gets in the box he gets on the end of things.

"He's England's best midfielder because he is different to Steven Gerrard, who is more a creative player. In terms of how Scholes puts the ball in the net, he is the benchmark for Kieron.

"When Kieron scored that goal at Southampton, when he powered the ball in, instead of sliding it in, that's how Scholes scores goals. He has got that finish, he thumps it in."

Robson, who looks like missing out on Ajax's Tunisian full-back Hatem Trabelsi, who is on his way to Juventus, will hand Shay Given his 200th Premiership appearance for Newcastle tomorrow.

And the Irishman revealed yesterday that he turned down the chance to sign for Man. United when he was leaving school because he feared first-team opportunities would be restricted.

The 28-year-old said: "When I was a 16-year-old I came across from Ireland at the invitation of Sir Alex Ferguson.

"I got first-class treatment but I picked up an injury and I went home.

"They wanted me back, but to tell the truth my hero, Peter Schmeichel, was the Manchester United keeper at the time and I could see him being No 1 choice for a lot of years which, of course, he was.

"I was young at the time and listened a lot to my father.

"He advised me to go to Celtic and that's what I did. But I cannot complain at the way things have turned out."

Meanwhile, Robson has no fresh injury doubts for the trip to Old Trafford.

And the Newcastle manager is hoping that his players can break the Theatre of Dreams hoodoo in a similar manner to the way they won at Southampton for the first time in the same number of years last week.

"The record at Southampton did surprise me but I can sort of understand the run at Man. United because not many people win there," he said.

"All it means is that Man. United have beaten Newcastle once in a season. That's all it means and I can understand it.

"The fourth spot is to be fought for and we have to go there with the intention of winning.

"Fulham went to Man. United and won. That result gives us a bit of hope because we had beaten Fulham four days earlier."

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