"Sam Allardyce is a genius"
Allardyce's reputation for building long-ball, physical teams is unjust, says Robinson. "He's a genius. He makes you feel 10 feet tall. I learnt so much: set-pieces, in possession, out of possession; how to prepare and how every single detail mattered. Sam rounded me. It was hard to leave him."

Yet the lure of the Dons, and Ince, for a second time proved too strong last summer. "Paul offered me the assistant manager's job and I thought it was the correct career move," says Robinson. "I'd gone as far as I could as a coach - the Premier League - but I wanted to take the next step. Sam thought I'd stay, and he probably still thinks I made the wrong decision. But we still talk and I hope he's proud of what I've done."

Ince, meanwhile, found it difficult to replicate former glories. Last season proved to be frustrating, and following a 12th place finish, club and manager parted company again. Robinson was left holding the baby once more. "When Paul resigned, I was shocked," he reveals. "He said to me that he was not the right man, and he told the chairman [Pete Winkleman] that I should be the manager. He told me to stay and prove what I could do. I also received a ringing endorsement from Robbie Fowler, who said I was one of the best coaches he'd worked under. I'm not ashamed to admit that Robbie was a hero of mine, so to hear that blew me away. It also showed that despite my age, I must be doing something right."

Having overseen the final three games of last season, Robinson set out his proposals to Winkleman in relation to taking on the role full time. He highlighted not only his strengths but his weaknesses, and ensured the chairman that he'd surrounded himself with men who had the experience he lacked.

Enter John Gorman (assistant manager) and Dietmar Hamann (player-coach). "John is the best at what he does, having assisted Glenn Hoddle with England and managed Swindon in the Premier League," says Robinson. "I knew Didi through my time at Liverpool and I wanted an experienced holding midfielder. He played for Germany and we're extremely lucky to have him. He wants to start coaching - we've given him that platform. The lads have been inspired by his presence. If he can play 35 games this season, we'll have a great chance."

Early indications of a successful partnership between manager, coach and club came during pre-season when the Dons scored 20 goals in seven friendlies, and performed admirably against Birmingham and West Ham. And while Robinson's approach is more Anfield than Ewood, Allardyce's influence remains. "I had no nerves the first morning of the season [before the Wallsall game]," says Robinson. "I was prepared. I leave nothing to chance. That enables me to relax. I'll have a laugh but then I'll come away from the dressing room, whereas last year I would stay in there."

"I want to care for and respect the players," he continues. "They mean so much to me, and I would never lie to a player. I'll say anything to their face, but I'm also very calculated and precise in what I say. You can't always be nice, and sometimes I flip. You've got to have aggressiveness, but it's all about picking the right time. At half-time, I come in the manager's office for two minutes first. I'll write down the good points and the bad points. Why overload them? The last thing you say is what they remember."

With six managerial appointments in six years at Milton Keynes, Robinson knows failure will be dealt with ruthlessly. "If you ask me where I want to be in a year's time, I'd say still in a job! But I want to get this club out of this league: we deserve to be higher." That brings him round, inevitably, to the dreaded age issue again. "If we fail, someone will say it is because I lack experience. It annoys me when people say I haven't got that - just look at the people around me. I'll do everything I can to ensure that it doesn't happen. But saying that, I'm looking forward to hitting 30!"

Considering how much he's packed into the last decade, rival managers should be very afraid of what Karl Robinson might manage to achieve in his thirties.