Furious Newcastle United boss Bobby Robson last night accused Southampton counterpart Stuart Gray of poaching head coach Mick Wadsworth.

Robson fired an angry broadside over the loss of right-hand man Wadsworth, who has joined the Saints on a four-year deal after almost two season at St James' Park.

A bitter Robson branded first-time manager Gray: "A little bugger" as he revealed the 'devastation' felt at Wadsworth's dramatic departure on the day United reported back for pre-season training.

Robson had such high regard for Wadsworth that he admitted he gave him a glowing reference when he sat with Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson on Centre Court at Wimbledon last weekend.

Wadsworth the subject of criticism from a section of fans last season, agreed enhanced terms with Southampton despite a desperate last-ditch attempt by Robson to persuade him to stay.

Robson fumed: "That little bugger down there, Stuart Gray, is very clever.

"He's a young, inexperienced lad who has got a big job to do, and he's managed to manipulate Mick Wadsworth from this club. I'll send him a congratulatory telegram!

"We have lost a very competent coach who, for some reason, was criticised at the end of last season which was unfair, incorrect and out of order.

"We had a blip last season but that wasn't down to Mick Wadsworth. That was down to the fact that we had more than £40m worth of players unfit.

"Every single member of my staff is sick that Mick has left this club.

"John Carver, our first-team coach, whose position was affected when Mick came to this club, is as devastated as I am that we've lost him.

"I sat next to Alex Ferguson last Saturday for five hours. We talked football and watched a bit of tennis and I think so much of Mick Wadsworth that if I hadn't been manager of Newcastle, knowing that Alex has lost Steve McClaren to Middlesbrough, I would have highly recommended that he take Mick on board at Manchester United.

"We've lost a very valuable member of our staff and I'm very bitter and upset about it."

Robson also hit out at suggestion of a rift with chairman Freddy Shepherd over the club's decision to agree compensation with Southampton before efforts had been made to keep Wadsworth.

"The fact that there has been innuendo that the chairman and I will fall out over this is ridiculous," said Robson.

"There is no problem between the chairman and me about Mick leaving. Mick came in yesterday morning with the view that he and I could remove the offer from Southampton and that he would be here today.

"But the story came out and that killed it."

Former Blackburn boss Ray Harford is being touted as a possible successor to Wadsworh.

Meanwhile, Robson confirmed that striker Alan Shearer is aiming to be back in action before the end of August

The United skipper underwent a second knee operation for tendinitis near the end of last season and Robson stressed; "The knee is fine and he feels good about it.

"We have to contact the surgeon on Friday to get the go-ahead for Alan to start running.

"Alan feels he could do that. We must not take any risks but Alan is optimistic that he might only miss a couple of early-season games and he is looking for a start at the end of August."

Robson, however, admitted that striker Carl Cort, who damaged ankle ligaments in an end-of-season friendly at Exeter in May, is unlikely to be fit for the start of United's Intertoto Cup campaign.

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