"His reward for the hard work he has put in is the chance to lead the club back into Europe.
"But I never doubted he would achieve success here because he has such a great relationship with the players.
"He does not demand the respect of his players even if, at his age, he has the right to do so.
"Instead he earns it by putting a tremendous amount of effort into his job.
"And people should remember that Bobby doesn't yet have the strength in depth that Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger and Gerard Houllier enjoy - that's what makes his achievements even better."