Paul Robinson in Croatia

[Stuttgart88]

I keep on reading about his "howler" in Croatia but as I see it it was a freak. The ball clearly bobbled and he was unlucky. Sh1t happens.

But how on earth is the English press letting him away with the first goal?

A simple-to-catch corner came in and he watched it right into the middle of his hands, under no pressure. Then, panic. He didn't even punch it. He pushed it out with both palms and two phases of possession later he was beaten by a slow looping header into the middle of his goal when ordinarily you'd expect a keeper to just take a step back and pluck from the air.

Selective myopia in the press I think.

Some of you will know I've never been a Robinson fan. Excellent reflex shot stopper but not a confident all-round keeper. As my boss correctly identified last week - he's great when he doesn't have time to think.

Just tought I'd put this out there as he's been let off the hook in the English papers in my opinion.

[Kingdom]

Good spot. The goal Neville scored was a freak, thats all. But yeah thought he was abismal for the first. I can never understand why a goalkeeper doesn't cleaf everybody in the box for corners. Goalkeepers should be winning corners time and time again. The majority are 6'3' plus in height.

[endabob1]

You don't think any of the 3 England defenders should have cleared it? I watched and thought Robbo was comng for it decided to leave it to the defence to clear but was then in no mans land, the key is when he decides to come he should just come. Having said that 99 times out of a 100 you get away with that sort of thing unnoticed because the Centre Half heads it away.
Robinson's not that hot on crosses but aprt from Given & Cech I wouldn't say there are any better shot stoppers in the EPL.

I've just rewatched this on you tube there are 6 defenders against 2 strikers and the header comes from between the 6yard box & the 18 yard box, there's no way Robbinson could have got the cross and he is no more than 2/3 yards off his line, from the trajectory unless he was smack on his line I don't thin there is any way he would have got to it, his positioning was off but I would blame Terry & Cole for not dealing wih the cross.

[Schumi]

I saw it mentioned somewhere that Neville should have aimed the back pass wide of the goal just in case something happened, seemed a good call to me.

[Stuttgart88]

What about the initial corner that he watched carefully into the palms of his hands at an ideal height to catch and then, panic! - girlie style palm away to a Croatian midfielder? 5 or 6 passes later came the goal. I wouldn't blame him for not taking the cross that led to the goal.

Agree about his shot stopping. Top class. No question there. But at the highest level there's so much more to goalkeeping than that. His organisation & command of his penalty box was badly shown up in the WC I thought, something I had long been suspicious of.

A very un-English characteristic in a goalkeeper to be fair.

[NY Hoop]

Talk about a freak goal all you want for the backpass. Entirely Robinson's fault IMO. Any keeper knows that if the pitch has divots lying around you stamp them down.

Even saw the Athlone keeper do it at tolka on monday. This then rules out the chance that you will be made a fool of.

Having said all that it's always entertaining to watch ingerland or any of her teams lose in Europe. The press goes berserk when anyone with a knowledge of the game knows that they are simply not good enough in international football.


KOH

[Neish]

Why are the tabloid press hounding him? Answer is simple England didn't play well so instead of admitting that they were outplayed they need to find a scapegoat to blame and Robinson was unlucky enough to be it. They always need someone to balme and here are just a few examples.

86 World Cup:Maradona(Hand of god)
98:World Cup: Beckham(Sending off Vs Argentina)
02 World Cup: Seaman(Letting Ronaldinho free kick in)
06 World Cup: Erikisson(Well he was cr*p)

[NeilMcD]

If anyone is to blame for the goal it is Gary Neville as, due to the fact that every good coach tells his defenders if you pass the ball back to the keeper make sure it is not on target. To blame Robinson for the 2nd goals is foolish and typical of the English press.

[endabob1]

)
06 World Cup: Erikisson(Well he was cr*p)

Actually it was Ronaldo who took most of the flak for his "waving of an imaginary card" which of course never actually happened. but never let that get in the way of making him a scapegoat.

As for Eriksson his record as England manager can only be challenged by Ramsey & Robson, the English press have a lot to answer for but the sheep who buy it and believe it are just as bad.

[sadloserkid]

Talk about a freak goal all you want for the backpass. Entirely Robinson's fault IMO. Any keeper knows that if the pitch has divots lying around you stamp them down.

Even saw the Athlone keeper do it at tolka on monday. This then rules out the chance that you will be made a fool of.

Nail on head right there. Lifford's keeper did the same thing in a U-21 match against us last Friday. If you can do it at that level Robinson has no excuses. It was a fluke for sure and pretty unfortunate from his point of view but he's not blameless.

[Macy]

If you can do it at that level Robinson has no excuses.
Except they're all probably doing it now because of the Robinson incident, not because they always did.

[Stuttgart88]

I think the point about a keeper smoothing out his box is correct, as is the point about directing back passes wide of the goal.

However, I always used to make a rugby style place kicking divot on each corner of my 6 yard box as my dead-ball kicks were shocking!

Anyway, I think the real point here is how the press let him off the hook completely for the first goal!

[endabob1]

England were crap and they wanted a scapegoat, so they blamed the 'keeper for both goals. The fault for the first goal lies more with the 6 defenders in the penalty area who were incapable of stopping one of the 2 Croatians geting a free header than it does with Robinson.

[Stuttgart88]

Can't agree. Flapping at the initial corner was where I put the blame. A simple catch under no pressure that he refused to take on.