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Considering he has officially declared his desire to play for us, I thought that Callum Robinson should have a thread (if he doesn't already), especially as he just scored two goals against QPR to keep himself and the rest of the Irish contingent at Preston in with a shout at the playoffs: http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/43677848
Iwelumo picked him out last night on on the C5 Championship show, as a very good and improving player, says he has added 7 assists to his goals total this year.
You know when some fans say sarcastically that the plane to England magically makes LOI players better when they get an international call-up shortly after a transfer to a Championship side? Well it appears that declaring for Ireland has magically made Callum Robinson a better goalscorer - only scored four up to the start of March when he announced his intention to play for us and grabbed his fourth goal since than yesterday: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/43938856. O'Neill has said he is considering him for a call-up: https://www.independent.ie/sport/soc...-36864889.html. O'Neill also seems impressed that Robinson made the choice to represent us himself without having to be recruited:
Quote:
"At least he, without coaxing wants to come and play. So you know, I always think that's a half-decent step if the player wants to come in."
Whats the situation with this lad. Is there a reason he wasnt called up for the recent friendlies?
His paperwork hasn't gone through yet.Quote:
Originally Posted by Razors left peg
Scored tonight against Middlesbrough in the EFL Cup, although Preston went out on penalties: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/45555896. Starting to put a little run together as this was his third goal in four games. Hopefully this will continue
Grabbed his fifth of the season and fourth in seven games for Preston today - I think he got another at the end of the game also - the body of the BBC report credits it to him, but the headline lists Preston's fourth as an own goal. https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/45688424 - starting to look like a potentially very good recruit: if he and Maguire can start scoring for us, our post-Keane/Doyle/Walters striker crisis would definitely be eased significantly and we will hopefully be alright until we see if Connolly, McAuley, Idah, Obafemi, Cassidy, Parrott etc. can deliver on their early promise
Sixth and seventh of the season for Robinson as Preston beat Brentford 4-3: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/45885162#tab-0. He's really motoring now. And Maguire came on as a late sub. I think they should both start against the North and maybe against Denmark, maybe bringing Long on as a second-half impact sub.
Alan Browne scored the opener for Preston. I would be very keen on seeing him getting a shot in one of those games.Quote:
Originally Posted by samhaydenjr
https://cdn.radiocms.net/media/012/a...audio_file.mp3
This was posted in the Keith Treacy thread as Keith was interviewed by Keith Andrews after Callum.
Callum said he has wanted to represent Ireland since he was under 15 (or 16?) But they couldn't prove his eligibility at the time and it was put on the long finger. The issue was that his Monaghan grandmother died young, when his mother was 9, and his grandfather re-married and so they had an issue proving her birth and it wasn't followed up on. Fast forward to now and he said he's spent the last few years wanting to claim and the Irish mafia in Preston and a mate called Fads (Ciaran Fadden I think, set up the interview also) pushed him to get it over the line.
Didn't know that - I thought he had just started to think about it in the last year or so with all the Irish lads around him and made his decision earlier this year, which is absolutely fine, especially as he declared for us and stuck to that decision without any need to be chased or without any guarantees of international football. But knowing he wanted to come on board as a teenager just makes me like him more, especially as he speaks with such enthusiasm about playing for Ireland in a difficult transitional phase. So here's hoping he continues his good form this season and makes a goalscoring breakthrough for us soon - then between him, Maguire, Long (maybe Hogan and O'Brien), our forward options will be decent enough for us to have a reasonable chance when the qualifiers roll around.Quote:
Originally Posted by Olé Olé
David McGoldrick was similar I think. Speaking of whom...
strange alright the silence on mcgoldricks absence as he has had fine start at Sheff Utd. Was very poor that night we won in Austria when he came on dived in with lazy challenge that set up Janko for his late chance which he should have buriedQuote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
Nope. He name-checked Mark O'Toole and all as someone who was involved in the process with him at that age.Quote:
Originally Posted by samhaydenjr
Marks his 150th appearance for Preston today with a goal
Another goal for Robinson today, his ninth of the season - hopefully he can carry this form into the Euro qualifiers: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/46244064
picked up a hamstring injury at the weekend, and will be out for three months: https://www.pnefc.net/news/2018/nove...llum-robinson/
Of course he did... shouldn't have declared for us - we know that being an Irish forward is hazardous to your health.Quote:
Originally Posted by tetsujin1979
Apparently C R is attracting interest, despite his hamstring injury: https://www.lep.co.uk/sport/football...ence-1-9473669
Back in full training.
https://www.lep.co.uk/sport/football...ured-1-9628883
Ooh, that's gonna be tight - three games before the international break. Will he get enough gametime to make it worth Mick's while including him?Quote:
Originally Posted by TrapAPony
Played 30 minutes against Birmingham today - should Mick have held a spot for him? https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/47505158
2 goals after 22 mins for Robinson at home to Ipswich. Hopefully a few PL clubs are taking note.
I see Rafferty gets first start for Preston today at full back
Two lovely goals two, both from left of centre where Kilbane reckons he does his best work, cutting in on his right. Just what we need on one side of McGoldrick. I'd have Long on the other side but even ignoring McClean and Brady (both of whose places are at risk imho) there's O'Dowda, McGeady (brilliant yesterday I hear) and Horgan. All of these would do well ahead of the midfield 3 Mick seems to have (rightly) settled on for now, and either side of McGoldrick.Quote:
Originally Posted by Olé Olé
I concur. I think Long and Robinson aren't natural wingers. Brady and McClean are and their first instinct was to stay wide against Georgia. Long and Robinson are a 9 and 10 probably by trade with the ability to play wide and drift in.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
I think O'Dowda could get one of the midfield roles in the long-term i.e. the Hendrick and Hourihane spot.
I wouldn't rule Brady out of that role either. He played it in Euro16 and was very good.Quote:
Originally Posted by Olé Olé
If he gets back in form - I'd much prefer to see him playing in a midfield three than out wide.
Norwich making a move according to Sky "sources".
https://www.skysports.com/football/n...allum-robinson
There were recent reports of interest from a PL team that wasn't Bournemouth. Norwich would make sense.
Robinson is so versatile I think he could do something at most clubs where they have a really clever manager. Howe has shown his ability to get the best of Fraser and Brooks so that is also an exciting prospect.
Bit of a change from last season, when the EPL season started with one misfiring Irish international striker in a first-team squad (Walters was sent to Ipswich by the end of August without playing). If Robinson's deal goes through, there could be five this season (Long, Obafemi, McGoldrick, Robinson and Hogan, assuming he holds his spot), with a couple of youngsters on the fringes.
Preston accept bid from Premier League club for Ireland forward Robinson https://the42.ie/4720709
I wonder who. Any of the promoted clubs and maybe Bournemouth.
Rumour is it's Sheffield United.
That would mean potentially eight Irish forwards in Premier League squads next year (mostly squad players rather than starters though.)
Lancashire Evening Post says it's Sheffield Utd.
Youd imagine that if it's Sheffield United the news of the acceptance has been leaked to drum up a more attractive bid. Sheffield United could do well under Wilder but they're operating on a budget.
A good piece of business by Sheffield United is the rumoured fee of £8m is correct. He's easily worth that.
Some value. I've seen reports of 6m too. Regardless, that's good in this market. He had a great ratio for goals to games last season. If Sheffield United play to his strengths they will definitely make a gain.
Thought I'd bring Robinson's thread to the forefront given his performance today - after a few games working hard alongside McGoldrick without anything tangible to show for it, Robinson got his reward today, scoring Sheffield United's first and setting up the second with a cross that led to the equaliser (there may even be a case for crediting Robinson with that one also, as the defender's touch was minimal and the ball was curling towards the back post, but it has been awarded as an OG)
His goal was a very tidy striker's goal, as he moved towards the penalty spot, in the opposite direction of the Chelsea defenders, who were moving to close down Enda Stevens' run into the box - this gave Robinson space and Stevens a clear line to pass it to him and he opened his body and side-footed in neatly into the corner.
He had missed an opportunity in the first half that a more established PL striker might have taken, but really indicated in the second half that he is going to be comfortable with the step-up in class, which is great for us, and Mick, as we still need a forward on the up immediately - even the most optimistic view of the youngsters is probably that they will establish themselves just too late to have a serious impact on the upcoming qualifiers.
Incidentally Stevens impressed again and linked up well with Robinson; Egan had a difficult time, as a mix-up between him and Jack O'Connell led to Chelsea's second. McGoldrick came on in the second-half but didn't have much of an impact.
Robinson did very well against Chelsea yesterday and Stevens was equally good. Thought McGoldrick held the ball up well when he came on. Sheffield improving quite a bit in the top flight.Quote:
Originally Posted by samhaydenjr