Why is Robbo suddenly disposable?

[Rocksuperstar]

Something's been bugging me since the emergence of all of these "team for next season", "who'd you buy" and threads along them lines - for the two seasons before this Robbo was a White Hart Lane hero. He had thousands singing about his status as Englands number one, pulling off exceptional saves left, right and centre, commanding his back four like a general.

This season, amongst a team of poor performers, he's been singled out and is now, according to most of the posts i read, someone quite a lot of you would be happy to see sold this summer - what the fuck is wrong with you all? What is this; we like you if you're good but you show the slightest slip in form and, not only should you be dropped from the first team, you should be sold.

You sound like a bunch of Chelsea fans.

Robbo is a great keeper who, in the four seasons he's been with us has achieved some incredible things - becoming England keeper at the relatively tender age of 23, earning his first team place in a top flight side, recognised for his excellent reflexes to drive our push up the table and, along with a very steady back line to lead, helped us into a position we had only dreamed of for years.

Now he has a dip in form and suddenly you ungrateful bastards want him sold - no chance to find his feet again, no chance to get his confidence back or build any kind of relationship with a regular defensive line and he's expected to shoulder all of the blame for our abysmal number of goals shipped.

Do any of you not look at this and think, "hmm, what's changed since he was last looking sharp", then notice that the single thing different is the defence being shuffled about almost daily? That defence that gets caught out regularly, leaving our last man exposed horribly?

Part of the reason his name's not echoing around the stadium can be squarely laid at the fact his defence aren't as tight a unit as Salty/Daws/King/Lee yet, but plenty of you are apparently happy to see this merry-go-round in front of him, give them a hundred chances but soon as Robbo makes one cock-up, sell the chud.

Well fuck y'all - i still have my England shirt with ROBBO 1 on the back, i still have faith in him and i hope, with all my heart, we don't sell him this summer. I hope we stick with him and get a proper goalkeeping coach in (i've seen no news of a replacement for Segers - correct me if you like) and, in two years, Robbo is second out of that tunnel for Englands first World Cup group game.

chin up, Paul, i still love ya! :up:

 

[General Levy]

He has hardly have a dip in form though. He has been poor for 18 months and he seems to make a major mistake most games. He has gone from England's No1 to England's No4 and it is no coincidence that since he has been in the team, we have started to concede more goals including conceding 4 goals in a game on a number of occasions.

 

[Rocksuperstar]

He has hardly have a dip in form though. He has been poor for 18 months and he seems to make a major mistake most games. He has gone from England's No1 to England's No4 and it is no coincidence that since he has been in the team, we have started to concede more goals including conceding 4 goals in a game on a number of occasions.

and in each of them games he's played, do me a favour and list the back four, would you please?

pick from:

Chimbo/Dawson/Kaboul/Lee
Teemu/Dawson/Woodgate/Chimbo
Hutton/Woodgate/King/Chimbo
Gunter/Dawson/Kaboul/Chimbo
Chimbo/Woodgate/Dawson/O'Hara
etc.

shall i go on?

 

[DoublePivot]

Sorry, but he's been found out. He sucks from distance. He's weak on crosses. And he doesn't command very well.

We couldn't use to upgrade in those areas, WE HAVE TO

He's a great shot stopper, a great distributor and a decent bloke. I'll give you that.

But most keepers are great shot stoppers and I don't care how nice he is as long as he isn't as horrible as Terry.

Sorry, but we gave up on him, because he's, to quote Mike Leigh, POOR.

 

[Reg]

I think the biggest reasons are his inability to catch a ball decisively and the inability to command his area sufficiently: thus instilling no confidence in his team-mates, especially the defence.

Not that he is at all solely to blame for this season, but our extremely poor start and generalised loss of confidence due to this has highlighted Paul as a vital piece of the jigsaw that can be vastly improved. Loyal Spur or not, we can, ultimately, do better!

:violin::beer:

 

[900triumph]

Good post RSS. Repped.

In the real world there are not that many keepers available that are better equipped. There may be plenty that have shown better form this season - are they available? Are they any more likely to maintain form than Robbo is likely to regain form? Could any other keeper have dealt with the lack of protection from his team mates that Robbo has suffered without it affecting their confidence and form in a similar way?

I've never liked the scapegoating of players and I'm afraid keepers generally suffer more than most because they take on an individual responsibility in an ostensibly team game - as do strikers to a lesser extent. Yeah, I know it goes with the territory, but I agree with RSS that Robbo deserves better support and loyalty from us.

 

[Andy]

What about the mistakes he's made not involving the back four?
for example the shots from long distance which fly past him, his constant flapping at crosses,
even his England form has dipped over the past two years (ball over his foot v croatia seemed to start it all)and the cross nearly that went in v Switzerland?he had four experienced internationals in front of him for england and he still looks beatable,

I am gutted for the guy though because he was outstanding when we first signed him but it seems as if that one goal broke him, I hope he can turn it around but it seems extremely certain that he won't be here in september.

 

[Reg]

pick from:

Chimbo/Dawson/Kaboul/Lee
Teemu/Dawson/Woodgate/Chimbo
Hutton/Woodgate/King/Chimbo
Gunter/Dawson/Kaboul/Chimbo
Chimbo/Woodgate/Dawson/O'Hara
etc.

shall i go on?

You have answered your own question - Paul Robinson is the only constant!

 

[900triumph]

The shots from distance would pretty much have beaten most keepers. They often were not blocked or closed down effectively and although I haven't checked the stats I'll bet that shots from distance are scoring more frequently everywhere, not just past Robbo - it's the modern balls.

 

[ever]

i still love him, i think that he had a dip in confidence and he didnt get any help from the managers and coaches, jol should have dropped him earlier. think that the defence being all over the place hasnt helped him, only now do we seem to have a somewhat settled back four, and the midfield inviting shots from distance didnt help either, im not saying hes the best keeper around but we have played worse and the guy who replaces him better not make a mistake or the idiots on this board will be on his back before the final whistle blows

he has earned us more points than he has cost us

 

[900triumph]

You have answered your own question - Paul Robinson is the only constant!

Sorry Reg, that is cobblers. You are the weakest link. Goodbye!

 

[Snuzzy]

More goals conceded at home than Derby

Clear loss of form
Clear loss of confidence by the defence

Club & supporters have ambition

=

we need a new first-choice keeper

 

[snake1]

Have to agree with GL, here. Its hardly a dip in form, is it? I love Robbo and want him to stay, but, as already stated, he's been playing shit for going on 18 month's now. I don't think he should be sold, but I reckon some good competition would be good for him... And us. A decent goalkeeping coach wouldn't go amiss, either, it must be difficult for Robbo, not having one.

As I say, I don't want him sold, because I believe there's a good goalkeeper in there, but I wouldn't call it unreasonable that some of us have been questioning his inclusion in the team, at times.

 

[chrissivad]

More goals conceded at home than Derby

Clear loss of form
Clear loss of confidence by the defence

Club & supporters have ambition

=

we need a new first-choice keeper

It could be the other way around as well.

I have had no confidence in the defence for most of the season* anyway...and the midfeild.

Have we even got a Goalkepping coach yet?

*before we signed Woodgate

 

[nidge]

I do believe that as a club are recent history is that of destroying goalkeepers. Most of the Keepers that have joined the club over the last 15 years have looked good in there first season and then dip dramatically from there.

Also how about the club get a fucking goalkeeping coach in of the same standard of Ramos??????

 

[Rocksuperstar]

Have to agree with GL, here. Its hardly a dip in form, is it? I love Robbo and want him to stay, but, as already stated, he's been playing shit for going on 18 month's now. I don't think he should be sold, but I reckon some good competition would be good for him... And us. A decent goalkeeping coach wouldn't go amiss, either, it must be difficult for Robbo, not having one.

As I say, I don't want him sold, because I believe there's a good goalkeeper in there, but I wouldn't call it unreasonable that some of us have been questioning his inclusion in the team, at times.

i agree we need someone who can actually challenge him for that starting spot, which is one of the reasons i'd like to see us try for someone like Gomes in the close season. If we're to lose any of the keepers i'd let Cerny's loan run out really - he's been a great servant to the club, moreso as a loanee than some of our permanent signings.

I do think the complete lack of a goalkeeping coach can't be helping, something which i wonder if a lot of those knocking Robbo have considered or were even aware of, but it's the out and out lack of faith - it really does sound like a bunch of Chelsea fans in some of the threads :shrug:

 

[Michey]

He has hardly have a dip in form though. He has been poor for 18 months and he seems to make a major mistake most games. He has gone from England's No1 to England's No4 and it is no coincidence that since he has been in the team, we have started to concede more goals including conceding 4 goals in a game on a number of occasions.

Tried to rep you for this but i had to spread my green little thingys first....but here's to you :clap:

Some people actually thinks that if they close their eyes long enough and keep convince themselves that all is good then everything will be fine

 

[SpurSince57]

He has hardly have a dip in form though. He has been poor for 18 months and he seems to make a major mistake most games. He has gone from England's No1 to England's No4 and it is no coincidence that since he has been in the team, we have started to concede more goals including conceding 4 goals in a game on a number of occasions.

None of which he or any other keeper could have done much about, and in all those games he pulled off saves and challenges that prevented further embarrassment. He also kept us in the UEFA Cup and prevented the CC Final going into extra time, but let's ignore that, shall we? Because clearly you do.

No keeper will compensate for the shite defending we've seen for much of this season, and last. Is it impossible for some people on here to figure that out? Apparently it is.

This is not to exonerate Robinson for some major blunders, but the notion that he alone should bear the blame for our lousy defending is totally infantile.

 

[Thesoccershrink]

It's all Robbo's fault. He hasn't even scored this season!

 

[Yid-ol]

No keeper makes no mistakes, and put infrount of our defence at the start of the season, and our midfield (well still kinda now) then most keepers would strugle at times :lol: not just robinson!

i say get a keeper coach in as we dont have one so it seems, and then see what happens! he isnt a bad keeper, but he has lost the spark that made him englands #1! but we should keep him and see what happens