[Archived] Paul Robinson

[The Prof.]

He will send us down. How many points has he won us this season?

[Bobby G]

Ive seen enough to state that he isnt the keeper he used to be and has conceded quite a few goals which he should have done much better in.

[blue phil]

Very poor positioning and organisation of the wall for the second goal from Robinson .

For a greasy scumbag of Ronaldo's quality that is a gift I'm afraid .....

[budha]

I just love him playing the ball with his foot. Only if someone would teach him when to come out 5 yards from the line and when not to. He seems to be always too far when it's a straight shot and too deep when it's a cross.

[tony gale's mic]

Totally disagree

The truth is somewhere in the middle. Some other keepers would have been positioned better and made a magnificent save, others would have done exactly what Robbo did. Even the best keeper in the world might not have made a save on that particular occasion, and a fairly poor keeper may have had a moment of inspiration and tipped it over the bar. That's the nature of goalkeeping.

But what differentiates the excellent/good keepers from the average/poor ones is that they produce these inspired moments more often. It wasn't a howler, but he barely has any inspired moments where he pulls saves like that out of the hat. It's yet another example of where he might've done better, and that seems to be the story of his season.

[JAL]

The truth is somewhere in the middle. Some other keepers would have been positioned better and made a magnificent save, others would have done exactly what Robbo did. Even the best keeper in the world might not have made a save on that particular occasion, and a fairly poor keeper may have had a moment of inspiration and tipped it over the bar. That's the nature of goalkeeping.

But what differentiates the excellent/good keepers from the average/poor ones is that they produce these inspired moments more often. It wasn't a howler, but he barely has any inspired moments where he pulls saves like that out of the hat. It's yet another example of where he might've done better, and that seems to be the story of his season.

Only seen the MOTD highlights but did he make a save during the game, I just thought that if United had their shots on target, the ball would definitely end up in the net. Can somebody tell me this wasnt so, and if so, how many and what type of saves they were they.

[BuckyRover]

Only seen the MOTD highlights but did he make a save during the game, I just thought that if United had their shots on target, the ball would definitely end up in the net. Can somebody tell me this wasnt so, and if so, how many and what type of saves they were they.

Man Utd Shots on Target: 8

[USABlue]

The knives will be out again after Ronaldo's goal today...

I don't have an issue with Ronaldo's goal, he saw it late and damned near still got to it but to me the way he set himself for Rooney was pathetic. He looked more like he was trying to protect his belly than "make himself big" In his defence he did not have a lot of time to react but he did actually make himself a smaller target. The man just worries me, particularly coming for the ball, no wait, he actually scares me.

[AggyBlue]

He looked more like he was trying to protect his belly than "make himself big"

That's the only issue I have with Robbo today.

I can imagine what Brads attempt at a save would have been like.

[dingles staying down 4ever]

I said after the opening game of the season that Robinson should not be beaten from that type of angle when Arteta scored from a similar angle. After watching yesterdays goal I still maintain a keeper should be able to deal with a free kick from that angle. Although with the pace of the ball and the fact that Robbo will see the ball late when it clears the wall leaving him little time to react.

I disagree with the comments about the wall being badly positioned though, as the ball goes over the top of the wall. The odd thing about a wall, is that at time likes this you have to question whether they hinder the keeper as it severly hinders the keepers sight of the ball. At times against free kick specialists who can lift the ball with bend could the answer be not having a wall at all. Against someone who blasts the ball I can see an advantage of having one, against someone like Ronaldo, Beckham and even Arteta maybe not having one and putting a couple of players on the posts would be a better option.

[philipl]

If you look at the trajectory of the ball, Robinson would have got it had he been two paces further back.

Problem with that though is a dink and the Mancs would have had a free header into an unguarded centre of the net.

[dingles staying down 4ever]

If you look at the trajectory of the ball, Robinson would have got it had he been two paces further back.

Problem with that though is a dink and the Mancs would have had a free header into an unguarded centre of the net.

agree with trajectory but if a player is on the back post and the fact ball is on the way down, the back post player could clear.

[Majiball]

Well Firstly its one hell of a strike. Video of it has gone into my to be analysed pile, up, over and back under with such pace, great stuff.

His leap forward just means he reaches it a split second too late (he should be stood on his toes). Added in with the man behind the wall meaning he sees the ball a split second too late just doesn't give him enough time to react.

The man behind the wall is a tactical decision so I highly doubt Robbo is the one making those decisions.

His arms should be coming out as he moves forward for Rooney's goal, but apart from that he did alright.

[rover6]

Meanwhile, Mark Bunn saved a penalty for Leicester yesterday.

[Exiled_Rover]

Well let's hope that's a sign of things to come as Robinson clearly isn't very good.

[thenodrog]

he costs us a point today

Totally disagree

You are way wrong Gunner. From the warmth of the Irish bar in Quinto do Lago Ince must have been laughing up his sleeve as he watched his boys screw us over!

1. Andrews foul was stupid and unecessary!

2. As Ronaldo stood over the ball I said to my mates that we needed 4 in the wall not 3. Warnock stood just a few paces back marking no one and if Robinson had instructed him he should have stood in the wall next to MGP and the ball would have hit him smack on the forehead.

3. BUT WORSE STILL after wrongly going with 3 in the wall Robinson should have lined the wall up to cover the back post! Despite the position of the kick and ignoring the fact that Ronaldo is right footed the daft sod had the wall covering the near post that even Ronaldo could not have hit!!

4. Oh and as for the shot I believe Brad would have saved it with relative ease whereas Robinson appeared to be waving to his relatives in the crowd.

btw I dont blame him or Nelsen for the first. He needed to stay back cos it was a backpass, and Nelsen could not have kicked it harder. Just that Rooney's predatory instincts were razor sharp.

[Majiball]

1. Andrews foul was stupid and unecessary!

Good point.

[Amo]

He seems a bit of a pudding in goal.

[modes98]

For the first he should come out and take everything.

The second he shouldn't be that far forward, everyone knows if ronaldo hits one you need all the time you can, so take a step or 2 back and make a reaction save.

Was trying to catch Bunns performance on the championship this morning but failed. I would be against bringing him in purely for the lack of premiership experience, but Robbo didn't have the best of games last night.

[philipl]

I made the point about Andrews foul yesterday.

Other than that, the analysis of defending the free kick by 'drog is totally flawed.

A wall 10 yards away can defend the near post. It cannot defend the far post because can go over and down which is what happened. A fourth defender in the wall would have had us outnumbered picking up players going for a dinked cross and completely obliterated Robo's vision of the ball.

Putting three in the wall prevents the striker from that angle from bending it around the outside of the wall and in.

Putting a guy on the back post is useless if you look at how far into the net the ball goes in- it would already be over the line before the back post man got to it (even if he could react in time given the speed it was travelling at).

Also a back post defender would enable the Mancs to put their own man onto Robinson and get inside the six yard box in the centre of goal for a header in.

I suspect Warnock was positioned where he was to challenge for the ball going forwards if Ronaldo had dinked it up for an on-rushing header.

[dingles staying down 4ever]

I made the point about Andrews foul yesterday.

Other than that, the analysis of defending the free kick by 'drog is totally flawed.

A wall 10 yards away can defend the near post. It cannot defend the far post because can go over and down which is what happened. A fourth defender in the wall would have had us outnumbered picking up players going for a dinked cross and completely obliterated Robo's vision of the ball.

Putting three in the wall prevents the striker from that angle from bending it around the outside of the wall and in.

Putting a guy on the back post is useless if you look at how far into the net the ball goes in- it would already be over the line before the back post man got to it (even if he could react in time given the speed it was travelling at).

Also a back post defender would enable the Mancs to put their own man onto Robinson and get inside the six yard box in the centre of goal for a header in.

I suspect Warnock was positioned where he was to challenge for the ball going forwards if Ronaldo had dinked it up for an on-rushing header.

A back post defender only has to move on or two yards along the line. Chances are if Mancs put someone on Robbo is the ref would blow for foul on the keep.....hold on scartch that its Old Trafford we are on about so you're probably right.

[bellamy11]

Completely agree with Phil on this one. At first look I was disappointed at Robinson because the ball did NOT go in right at the far post. However, having seen it quite a few times I wonder whether we're being harsh. As it didn't go right in at the far post, a defender on the line would not have been able to get to it in time. The points about the trajectory of the ball and seeing it very late are both the crucial ones. The ball got up unexpectedly high before dipping. Ronaldo got a hell of a lot of movement on the ball and Robbo only got a split second look at it once it was past the wall.

If people can remember Robbo's save in the 2-3 game at White Hart Lane in March a few years back - Dave Bentley hit a free kick from about 30 yards out that was destined for the top corner before he made a great save. He may have his weaknesses, but free kicks aimed high at goal is not necessarily one of them.

Brad, for all his strengths, conceded from a lot of free kicks. It's becoming all too easy this season to say "but Brad would have saved that". Possibly true in some cases (though we'll never know), but I don't think yesterday was one of them. He will hardly be the first goalkeeper to be deceived by the way Ronaldo cuts across a football.

[Amo]

I think the problem fans have with Robbo is that he does make a few gaffs, but he doesn't balance them with any top-drawer saves. When the last time you heard about his acrobatics to keep us in the game? You'd be clutching at straws to name them.

[philipl]

The other thing to remember.

There is perhaps only kaka who could have struck a freekick like Ronaldo did yesterday and not with as much power as Ronaldo gets. The guy is truly world class but Ronaldo also hits row Z with those at least 75% of the time.

[dingles staying down 4ever]

I still maintain the wall was more of a hinderence than help in free kicks around the box