IAN Robinson is enjoying feeling wanted again after spending three frustrating months in the Wessex wilderness.

The 53-year-old former AFC Totton boss was yesterday unveiled as new manager of Lymington & New Milton and admitted he had felt "a bit despondent" about not getting a job earlier.

Robinson first applied for the Fawcett's Field vacancy back in February when Graham Kemp quit the New Forest side. But the man who spent seven years dragging Totton up by their bootstrings to become an established top-five side, watched on in disappointment as, first, ex-Pompey midfielder Stuart Doling and then Gary Squires pipped him to the post.

But neither Doling nor Squires lasted more than a handful of games amid some turbulence behind the scenes.

Robinson, pictured, has watched a few games since his controversial departure from Totton. He quit in a fit of pique on February 18 after a shock 3-2 home defeat by BAT and was flabbergasted to learn less than 24 hours later that John Robson had been lined up to replace him.

He said, with a heavy hint of irony: "That was a great 53rd birthday present! I must admit I've been getting a bit despondent since then watching other people get jobs ahead of me.

"Gary Squires and Stuart Doling had no Wessex experience and I was thinking: 'What more have I got to do?'

"I had seven good years at Totton and have never washed my dirty laundry in public since leaving there."

Headded. "Lymington are geared up to move in the right direction and with the clubhouse and facilities they've got here it should be easy to attract good players.

"I never had anything like this at Totton.

"The Testwood Park pitch was among the worst in the league and the dressing rooms were the worst."

Asked if he fancied taking any of his old Totton side to Fawcett's Field, he said: "I'd like a lot of them, but it's not really feasible to ask Southampton-based players to come all the way down here to play."

Robinson's right-hand man Richie Phippard will join him at the Linnets and they are on the lookout for a coach.

Former Totton coach Dave Taviner has agreed to help out in pre-season but has a season ticket to watch Pompey in the Premiership.