Robson tells Beckham not to panic over form

Bryan Robson, the Middlesbrough manager and former England captain, has told midfielder David Beckham not to panic over his recent slump in form.

Beckham, who captained England's last match, has become increasingly frustrated by his failure to impose his usual authority in recent Manchester United matches where he has been tightly marked.

"The last thing David needs to do now is panic," Robson told the Daily Mail on Saturday.

"It's true he's having problems -- but the only reason is because he is such a good player, not because he has suddenly become an inferior one.

"In the end, I believe he'll be better for the experience.

"People say perhaps he should change his style, move into central midfield, work more on his pace or whatever. But he doesn't have to. All he has to do is believe."

Robson, a former United player and captain who guided Beckham during the early days of his career at Old Trafford, is confident he will overcome his difficulties before long.

"I watched David develop, and none of the senior players at that time had doubts about how big he would be," Robson said.

"Now his reputation precedes him. He must take it as a compliment that other teams close him down because they fear him. But he mustn't do any tinkering as his kind of talent will always come through."

Steve McClaren, United's assistant manager, also admitted Beckham had dropped below his usual high standards.

"David knows at the moment that he's struggling with his game. It's a big frustration for him," McClaren is quoted as saying in The Express.

"But in every sport every great player at some stage has a dip in form. David knows what he has to do and with these great players sometimes it takes them a while to work out how best to solve it."