Jack Robinson - Deserves better acknowledgment of what he’s done for us this season.

[Norwood's 6 iron]

I can accept some of his mistakes because (like Brewster) he has a great attitude and desire to win.

I’ve made this point before…..we’re now approaching the business end where every match has huge pressure and plenty of nerves.
In high pressure conditions it’s so difficult for talented players to perform…..probably why Leeds are struggling
In these end of season matches it’s all about character/ team spirit/ leadership/ bottle…..again probably the reason why Leeds are falling short.

It’s at these times you want players like Robinson, Peck, Brewster and Campbell in and around the training pitch and on the field.

Exactly, and it is this togetherness that has got us in to trouble several times this season. One in, all in. But we wouldn't have it any other way.
We laugh and joke about how Leeds tend to bottle it, but it is quite simple, we have battlers and fighters that they don't.
In our current squad there are only three players that have real leadership qualities. One is out injured (Vini), which leaves JLT and Sydie Peck.
JLT is the one that has been through this before and knows what it takes to get us over the line. Peck doesn't need the extra responsibility of being captain at this stage of his career.
Regarding Souttar, I will be amazed if we try to sign him for next season. First I don't think he will be fit to start next season and secondly I don't think he is good enough for the Premiership. Signing two quality cb's, with pace, will be a priority if we go up.

 

[Tarqs]

Copying from the free transfers thread...

Here’s one, if JLT was out of contract for another club, would he make the list? (of players to sign).

Not a chance.

I'd take him over many of the free transfers we've signed over the last 5/6 years. Remember Ravel Morrison, Jack Rodwell etc

 

[Cheesebored]

Competent defender most of the time but prone to the odd mistake and nowhere near good enough on the ball.

Yes, that pass to Hamer at Millwall for Brewsters goal clearly shows he's not good enough on the ball. Underrated IMO.

 

[JohnDenver]

Regarding Souttar, I will be amazed if we try to sign him for next season. First I don't think he will be fit to start next season and secondly I don't think he is good enough for the Premiership.

It’s a terrifying prospect that Souttar - a defender who’s looked as commanding as any I remember at this level - might get rinsed in the prem.

 

[GlosBlade]

We’ve definitely had value from a fairly cheap transfer fee, and no doubt he’s 100% for effort and commitment. I was annoyed with him the other week for the stupid tussle late in the Bristol City game and still think that was an idiotic thing to do given how many other fines we’ve had for failure to control our players. But given our shortage of cover in that position we’ve been lucky he’s always available as we’d be very short on alternative options. As others have said I do believe we need a couple of new regular starters for next season if we go up as he can’t be a regular premier league starter if we have any serious intent to try to stay up.

 

[Norwood's 6 iron]

It’s a terrifying prospect that Souttar - a defender who’s looked as commanding as any I remember at this level - might get rinsed in the prem.

Unfortunately defenders tend to be the ones that get found out when they move up. Leicester obviously didn't fancy using him, which is why they let him go out on loan to us.
Wilder pulled a rabbit out of the hat bringing Souttar to the Lane, at this level he was imperious. We just have to hope that the hat is a big one and that there is another rabbit or two in there.

 

[Yewsman]

As I understand it Jack was an LB at Forest who could play LCB and was brought in as cover for JOC when we played 3 CHs. In practice in EPL season 2 JOC never played and Jack had to play LCB all the time with maybe Kean Bryan occasionally. Jack was pretty poor, made mistakes and our defence gave away silly goals but was never overwhelmed. We lost games by odd goals because we couldn’t score. During that season Jack grew into the position and largely eliminated the mistakes. Following season he again started poorly but got better and better. Last season we started with Egan as CH Anel as RCB and Jack as LCB. Egan got injured relatively early on and was never replaced and we were overwhelmed in many games. Our defence conceded a record number of goals. Anel was really poor as was Trusty and others. However Jack himself was head and shoulders our best and most influential player. Never gave up.
This season CW changed to a back 4. Brought in Souttar to play LCH with Anel at RCH. Souttar gave us aerial dominance, seemed to organise the defence(helped by great new gk) and seemed to bring out the best in Anel which had vanished in the previous season. Seemed like the best defence we have had for years and Jack wouldn’t get a game until Soutts got injured and Jack came in to play LCH a position he had never really played for us. I don’t have the stats but I think we have conceded more goals since Soutts left but not that many more. Yes we all feel that Jack still “has a mistake in him” but really the results speak for themselves and frankly Jack and the defence has been magnificent. Though I do think we are susceptible to high balls into box. Jack is leader, he’s a winner and 100% blade. Probably not yet a legend but not far off

 

[dexter101]

We are top of the league, he has done us proud so far and I can't take that away from him. There are so many moving parts within a squad and for example, if Souttar hadn't got injured, Robinson might not have played so much but would the squad as a whole be worse off if he wasn't there.

Yes, there is a huge question on whether he is what we need if we get promoted but this squad to date is proving to be great and I hope they finish the season strongly.

 

[Houston_Blade]

Yes, that pass to Hamer at Millwall for Brewsters goal clearly shows he's not good enough on the ball. Underrated IMO.

Footballer passes to other footballer shock!

 

[Th!stledo]

There are already several thread about JLT, but whilst I agree with you about a lot of what you've said, fans always want to have a scapegoat. A person who will get a clap, but if they do something wrong, they'll get smashed.

You mention Ndiaye, so think about whilst he was playing for us... Wes, McBurnie, Norwood. Three really good contributors, but as soon as they did something wrong or had a below average game, they got slated by many.

It happens

Edit: O'Hare is another one for us at the moment, as is Moore. Many fans have decided they aren't that keen, so as soon as they mess up, they'll get battered

It seems that some fans have a binary logic that if a player is not brilliant then they are crap
Every player (even those costing £50 million plus) makes mistakes.
Unfortunately defenders, like goalkeeper's mistakes can cost goals and so gets highlighted more often.
A player is assessed by not only his performances but also how he affects the performances of the other players on the pitch.
Dave Bassett got United promoted to the First Division. We struggled at first and he brought in Vinny Jones.
By no means the most gifted player but certainly helped turn us around because of how he influenced the team.
We were bottom with 4 points from 16 games and finished 13th with 46 points from 38 games.
Wilder, like Bassett, is an astute man-manager and he has made JLT the captain for a reason.
UTB !!!

 

[Need4speed]

Strange but I can’t remember him being sent off for us. I know him and Souza had more than words and they were lucky neither was red carded

 

[Rufus Smalls]

Both are needed. Neither is any good without the other.

True …….

“Hard work beats talent if talent doesn’t work hard”

 

[Willie Carlin]

Robbo is a good defender as long as he doesn’t do Cryuff turns when he’s the last man.

 

[Lane Ender]

He has been a decent stand in for Souter but if we go up he’s got to go just not good enough

 

[robbiez666]

He's largely been just about solid this season. I'd say he's one of the poorest starting players though. Quite clearly.

 

[Houston_Blade]

He has been a decent stand in for Souter but if we go up he’s got to go just not good enough

Ironically he’s a better option for us if we go up if we use a similar approach to last season because all we need him to do is head it, kick it and tackle people.

When we have the ball in the Championship or if we go up and decide we actually want to try and stay up we’ll need someone who can control and pass a ball better than JLT can.

 

[Charlieblade]

Most have had their say, and a lot of it complimentary. Others have highlighted his flaws. I love the guy, majnily for his no nonsense contribution this season.

It’s worth remembering that hie has enough starts this season to earn a new contract, and much of that is down to Wilder and Jack’s input as a skipper.

If he is happy to accept a move down the pecking order, it saves us having to buy a backup CH next season. His contract is the reward.

He is 100% blade.

 

[jono_t2000]

Put it this way, Robbo would walk into any defence outside the top 4.

The fact he's starting LCB for team top of the division says it all.

Will need to improve LCB and RB minimum for next season tho.

 

[mattbianco1]

Some Blades are just suckers for a slide tackle and some chest thumping.

Competent defender most of the time but prone to the odd mistake and nowhere near good enough on the ball.

That's it for me. He's competent at Championship level. Nothing more.

He's in the same bracket as Jake Cooper, Dael Fry, Steve Cook, Luke O'Nien, Shane Duffy and Kyle Bartley.

He's nowhere near the bracket of Joe Rodon, Pascal Struijk, Maxine Esteve, Jordan Beyer, CJ Egan-Riley or Anel Ahmedhodzic

 

[mattbianco1]

It’s a terrifying prospect that Souttar - a defender who’s looked as commanding as any I remember at this level - might get rinsed in the prem.

True though.

I saw a comedy vid the other day taking piss out of modern day wingers and how they don't cross the ball in anymore like Beckham used to.
The game has changed. There are a lot more crosses into the box and high balls over the top in the Championship than in the Premier League.

I fear Souttar would be more of a statue than a player in the PL.

Leicester paid £15m for him from Stoke and he played just 12 PL apps for them

 

[JohnDenver]

True though.

I saw a comedy vid the other day taking piss out of modern day wingers and how they don't cross the ball in anymore like Beckham used to.
The game has changed. There are a lot more crosses into the box and high balls over the top in the Championship than in the Premier League.

I fear Souttar would be more of a statue than a player in the PL.

Leicester paid £15m for him from Stoke and he played just 12 PL apps for them

As a counter argument, I remember how many goals we conceded from set pieces last time we were in the prem. It was a turkey shoot.

The fact he’s injured makes it pretty irrelevant now, but I’m not sure who better we could go for if we did go up. Unless the Yankee dollar flows wildly.

 

[mattbianco1]

Put it this way, Robbo would walk into any defence outside the top 4.

You really think he would?

Coventry:
Kitching/Thomas

WBA:
Bartley/Holgate/Ajayi

Boro:
Howson/Fry

Bristol City:
Vyner/Dickie

Watford:
God knows who any of those are

Norwich:
Doyle/Duffy

Blackburn:
Baath/Hyam/Carter

Pigs:
Yeah they're all toss

 

[jono_t2000]

You really think he would?

Coventry:
Kitching/Thomas

WBA:
Bartley/Holgate/Ajayi

Boro:
Howson/Fry

Bristol City:
Vyner/Dickie

Watford:
God knows who any of those are

Norwich:
Doyle/Duffy

Blackburn:
Baath/Hyam/Carter

Pigs:
Yeah they're all toss

Yep easy.

The fact that Bobby Thomas is 2nd name on that list is proof enough.

 

[mattbianco1]

Yep easy.

The fact that Bobby Thomas is 2nd name on that list is proof enough.

No, the fact that Thomas is 2nd on the list is that he plays for Coventry, the highest placed team in your proposal

 

[AWetFlannel]

He's largely been just about solid this season. I'd say he's one of the poorest starting players though. Quite clearly.

Agree, but he has a higher average rating than JRS, Brooks, BBD, Brewster, Choudhury, Moore, McCallum, Cannon.

And he's captain. Our mentality is widely seen as our stand out quality (compared to Leeds and Burnley), to what extent is he responsible for that?

 

[BigBed]

Just booked in for a full back tattoo of JLT after reading the OP!

 

[thehet]

Agree, but he has a higher average rating than JRS, Brooks, BBD, Brewster, Choudhury, Moore, McCallum, Cannon.

And he's captain. Our mentality is widely seen as our stand out quality (compared to Leeds and Burnley), to what extent is he responsible for that?

Of those only BBD can be considered a starter in our best XI, which kinda proves the point. We should thank him and say goodbye.

 

[AWetFlannel]

You really think he would?

Coventry:
Kitching/Thomas

WBA:
Bartley/Holgate/Ajayi

Boro:
Howson/Fry

Bristol City:
Vyner/Dickie

Watford:
God knows who any of those are

Norwich:
Doyle/Duffy

Blackburn:
Baath/Hyam/Carter

Pigs:
Yeah they're all toss

I agree with the general point, he wouldn't walk into all of those teams as a starting CB.

A player can be more valuable in one team than in another. When Basham was our POTY in the PL, he'd probably have been on the bench for half the Championship.

I'd argue Robinson is valuable to us; as a captain, a leader on and off the pitch, our most experienced head. Most players in the squad haven't won promotion to the PL, most haven't played in it. He's been important this season and would be important next season imo whichever division we're in.

 

[AWetFlannel]

Of those only BBD can be considered a starter in our best XI, which kinda proves the point. We should thank him and say goodbye.

So we shouldn't renew (or sell) the others then?

We'll sign four new CB's next season then who are all better than Robinson, which would probably cost £20mill in the Championship and £100mill in the PL.

 

[thehet]

Suppose we extend him but bring in a new starter like we did this season, but then they get injured like Souttar did. Call it bad luck or call it part and parcel, I categorically do not want JLT to be our go to man in the PL. Been there done that.