Callum Robinson

[HeCanDoMagic]

Conversely, you're saying thank-god we got rid of him because we've got all the goals we need.

Im saying the loan was the right move for him, he moved to WBA and played a position that he can't for us.

Im saying we need to improve on our current crop of strikers.

Bringing Callum Robinson back does not improve us.

 

[nopigfansintown]

Looking at the Championship top scorer list there's a real paucity of good players: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/championship/top-scorers
There's only really Mitrovic (huge wages so unobtainable to other Championship clubs) and Watkins who I rate. Benrahma and Eze are more midfield players and I haven't seen enough of Grant to make a judgement call. All that may seem irrelevant to this thread, but what it does is emphasise, is that we'd be mugs to give Robinson away. We should be looking at the thick end of 10 million for a 25 year old, minimum top end Championship player that can get you 15-20 goals from out wide - that possesses the ability to play all along the forward line. This post is predicated on pre Covid prices which may radically reduce if the bottom falls out of the market..

 

[HeCanDoMagic]

Looking at the Championship top scorer list there's a real paucity of good players: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/championship/top-scorers
There's only really Mitrovic (huge wages so unobtainable to other Championship clubs) and Watkins who I rate. Benrahma and Eze are more midfield players and I haven't seen enough of Grant to make a judgement call. All that may seem irrelevant to this thread, but what it does is emphasise, is that we'd be mugs to give Robinson away. We should be looking at the thick end of 10 million for a 25 year old, minimum top end Championship player that can get you 15-20 goals from out wide - that possesses the ability to play all along the forward line.

Which Championship club, in the financial situation the game finds itself is going to pay 10m for Robinson? A player who was bought for 7/8m, hasn't shone in the PL and quickly found himself on the bench during a loan to a top 2 Championship side?

It will be either another season long loan to a Derby County or Birmingham City, or we'll scrape 6m back from a play-off hopeful team.

 

[nopigfansintown]

Which Championship club, in the financial situation the game finds itself is going to pay 10m for Robinson? A player who was bought for 7/8m, hasn't shone in the PL and quickly found himself on the bench during a loan to a top 2 Championship side?

It will be either another season long loan to a Derby County or Birmingham City, or we'll scrape 6m back from a play-off hopeful team.

I think that was the going rate before Covid, even for a top Championship player. We exploited his contractual situation to get a favourable deal. If the bottom falls out of the market that'd be different - although if financial fair play is suspended teams with sugar daddies might go shit or bust and it could go the other way.

 

[Wards]

I think the only way we can recoup near what we paid is by loaning him out with hefty fees - any team chasing promotion may take him as a shortish term option.

 

[Deadbat]

I think looking at how Billic managed another loan player, like Diangana, is more telling than looking at how Swansea managed Brewster. If I remember rightly, West Brom went into lockdown with about a six point cushion on Fulham in third place. Every chance Billic was seeing how important the loanees were to the team, figuring he might not be able to sign both Robinson and Diangana. Christ knows.

The season before we signed him he was averaging a goal every two games (9 goals in 18) playing off the wing until an injury hit in November and he was out 'til March. He then had a much quieter end to the season. The fact that the next time he was in the Championship, he started scoring goals again in one of the top teams in the league, before he then played a key role in the final game of the season which won them promotion (1 goal, 1 assist), tells me he's a very good Championship player.

We're just splitting hairs here but I still disagree he's a mid-table Championship player.

Proof of the pudding will be where he ends up in the next few years. So far he has played most of his career in the middle of the Champ (save for half an unsuccessful season in the Prem and half a season in and out of a promotion season). We will see. I hope I am wrong and comes back to us all fired up and can make an impact in some way.

 

[Nicolaus_Copernicus]

Proof of the pudding will be where he ends up in the next few years. So far he has played most of his career in the middle of the Champ (save for half an unsuccessful season in the Prem and half a season in and out of a promotion season). We will see. I hope I am wrong and comes back to us all fired up and can make an impact in some way.

The next time I want to see CR at BDTBL, is the first time we play WBA at home next season. We need better up front next season, and hopefully his sale will part fund it.

 

[Charlieblade]

Blades strikers have all had problems, learning how they fit into our unique and.complex tactical system, often requiring formation changes during games.
The defence has the advantage of being longer in the system, and familiarity with each other’s game.
CWAK must have spent many hours on the training ground, coaching the skills and style they expect from forwards. The fact that McBurnie and Didsy are only now starting to find their feet under this system, speaks volumes for how difficult this problem is.

Why give up all the time spent getting Robinson up to speed, if there really is a quality forward in there somewhere, especially when player values and costs are so flaky now?
Maybe we just have to trust Wilder to know when the time is right to sell an asset.
I don’t think that blaming poor service will make our current forwards any better at scoring goals. If Berge continues to improve, the midfield will make the look much better. Don’t like to see all that training ground work wasted, just to recoup some of the money laid out on strikers.

 

[nopigfansintown]

Blades strikers have all had problems, learning how they fit into our unique and.complex tactical system, often requiring formation changes during games.
The defence has the advantage of being longer in the system, and familiarity with each other’s game.
CWAK must have spent many hours on the training ground, coaching the skills and style they expect from forwards. The fact that McBurnie and Didsy are only now starting to find their feet under this system, speaks volumes for how difficult this problem is.

Why give up all the time spent getting Robinson up to speed, if there really is a quality forward in there somewhere, especially when player values and costs are so flaky now?
Maybe we just have to trust Wilder to know when the time is right to sell an asset.
I don’t think that blaming poor service will make our current forwards any better at scoring goals. If Berge continues to improve, the midfield will make the look much better. Don’t like to see all that training ground work wasted, just to recoup some of the money laid out on strikers.

There's also the fact CR had a terrible hamstring injury before he joined United. His "comeback" game was our victory at Deepdale at the back end of the promotion campaign. He was never likely to hit the ground running.

 

[Cerberus Blade]

Yes I dont get this fawning over him and saying be good to have him back. He was mostly well out of his depth at this level. He was really poor maybe other than the first half opening day and then 2nd half at Chelsea. He did not seem to know where to run and did not 'get' it in terms of work ethic, link play or what was needed to be effective for us.

That may seem harsh but people also need to remember Bilic barely started him - if he was such a stand out why was he not even playing regularly for WBA?

A lot saying WBA will sign him - but they will look for far better. A bit like us with Retsos, Zivkovic - they got a bit of a look and will not with more riches look for much better.

He is a mid table Championship player for me and Preston was about his level.

I think he will end up back on loan in the Champ next season.

May seem a bit critical above but what did people see in the 17 games he was involved in that makes you think for a club like us - now looking to establish ourselves at the top flight for seasons that he is good enough.The striker force was our weakest area of the team and he was the worst of the 5 that was involved the most. It is a cut throat world as Wilder has shown before. He seems a nice lad but was not just quite up to it at this level. If we get close to our money back (we won't) you move him on. No room for sympathy sadly.

I think Zivkovic will come back on loan again. I mean, we've hardly seen anything of him but I thought the few glimpses we had he looked promising. Retsos has gone back anyway. We didn't see much of him either, but he was a very thin boy who looked like he hadn't yet reached puberty. That was his problem.

 

[Cerberus Blade]

On the subject of Robinson, I don't want him to come back. Nothing personal. But I don't think he's Prem quality and we need to be looking to improve on what we already have. He also looked like a pint of Guinness with that strange hair style, but as I said, nothing personal.

 

[Birley Blade]

He’s not good enough, especially when we play to none of his strengths. WBA can utilise him so let them have him for £10M, bargain price for a PL forward and we can reinvest in someone that fits our bill.

 

[Nicolaus_Copernicus]

Blades strikers have all had problems, learning how they fit into our unique and.complex tactical system, often requiring formation changes during games.
The defence has the advantage of being longer in the system, and familiarity with each other’s game.
CWAK must have spent many hours on the training ground, coaching the skills and style they expect from forwards. The fact that McBurnie and Didsy are only now starting to find their feet under this system, speaks volumes for how difficult this problem is.

Why give up all the time spent getting Robinson up to speed, if there really is a quality forward in there somewhere, especially when player values and costs are so flaky now?
Maybe we just have to trust Wilder to know when the time is right to sell an asset.
I don’t think that blaming poor service will make our current forwards any better at scoring goals. If Berge continues to improve, the midfield will make the look much better. Don’t like to see all that training ground work wasted, just to recoup some of the money laid out on strikers.

Because we have neither time to get him up to speed (if he is actually capable), nor do we have the luxury of yet another non scoring forward. We need goals next season, more than we've scored this season, and also with the possibility of losing a 26% of this seasons goals via Lunny & Moose. We need a forward who can push towards double figures, somebody like Ahearne-Grant at £15m or Ante Budimir at £13.5m.

 

[coolasanidiot]

I don't think WBA will buy him, he wasn't a regular- and they have seen he is a lightweight. Robinson pretends to close down but never ever lays a glove. He had the perfect partner in Goldy showing him how its done to perfection, press then last few yards intensify the press. What Robinson does is feign to be doing the right thing but doesn't. He'll be back in training with us because no one will shell anywhere near the money we paid.
Same goes with Moose- he'll be back also because although the You Tube highlights will look amazing- but when spending millions the due diligence will be more than that- they will see every match - and they will see that he blows out of his arse after 2 runs. And they will see a bad attitude. The Dore Chippy has done him no favours.

 

[Melton Blade]

Sadly it's a fact of life that the Blades don't have the finances to shop in the proven Premiership quality market. CW knows we have to search for value by identifying players with the "potential" to step up a level. In my view - it's a bit too early to bin off Callum. Let's not forget that Enda had a distinctly ordinary first season in the Championship as he stepped up a level. I'm glad we didn't jettison him after 17 games ...

 

[Tezza1889]

Can't remember exactly what I've written previously, but it's not been a gamble or a mistake, lads gonna turn out a very good player and those touted to replace him aren't any better or cheaper...

Exception being Eze at QPR, but if he doesn't end up staying down south I'll be really surprised.. (I know Eze is a midfielder) but just for comparison as for improving on quality..

 

[BanderSerge]

I think Zivkovic will come back on loan again. I mean, we've hardly seen anything of him but I thought the few glimpses we had he looked promising. Retsos has gone back anyway. We didn't see much of him either, but he was a very thin boy who looked like he hadn't yet reached puberty. That was his problem.

Due to his ridiculous wages in China, I'm told, no chance whatsoever of that happening.

 

[Cerberus Blade]

Due to his ridiculous wages in China, I'm told, no chance whatsoever of that happening.

Several million corona a week I understand?

 

[Brian Deane]

This day last year was the first glimpse of Robinson and Bryan in the pre season friendly at Chesterfield who would of thought at the time that he'd be loaned out to a Championship club

 

[Addison]

This day last year was the first glimpse of Robinson and Bryan in the pre season friendly at Chesterfield who would of thought at the time that he'd be loaned out to a Championship club

It was only Chesterfield but I thought we'd found the new Duffy with his movement in between the lines. Bryan also was decent that night.

 

[Brian Deane]

It was only Chesterfield but I thought we'd found the new Duffy with his movement in between the lines. Bryan also was decent that night.

Yep. It just shows how things move on so quickly.

 

[true99blade]

Bilic isn’t a fool, he’ll know that CR wasn’t up to it with us and given that he’s started him once since lockdown it would be incredibly surprising if they stumped up the same amount of money we bought him for. Like people have said it’s nothing personal but he was like a fish out of water for us.

 

[RecordBreakers]

Which Championship club, in the financial situation the game finds itself is going to pay 10m for Robinson? A player who was bought for 7/8m, hasn't shone in the PL and quickly found himself on the bench during a loan to a top 2 Championship side?

It will be either another season long loan to a Derby County or Birmingham City, or we'll scrape 6m back from a play-off hopeful team.

Good shout

 

[Niceguyeddie]

On the subject of Robinson, I don't want him to come back. Nothing personal. But I don't think he's Prem quality and we need to be looking to improve on what we already have. He also looked like a pint of Guinness with that strange hair style, but as I said, nothing personal.

 

[Nagima]

I don't mind either way tbh. On the positive side he seems like a good lad to have around personality wise. He could fill out the squad again and be used as a sub here and there.
On the negative side even on his good night in the final game of the season with WBA. His closing down and harrying of defenders was poor. He covers the ground but doesn't like to tackle. Heading ability is questionable.
If he comes back I won't be expecting too much from him. If he goes I wish him well.

 

[bladesmanluke]

I think it is a "no brainer" that Callum is in the mix to remain in the squad next season. He gained important game time at WBA when he would have largely been a bench sitter in the second half of the season with us. At the time of his loan we had high hopes that Mousse would give us the pacy option up top to go alongside McB (target), Didzy (link) & Billy (fox in box).

I think the Covid impact on club funds & CW frustration with the Mousse means Callum will not be sold. I agree he could do with more strength conditioning but I do like his movement in/around the box. Watching Berge having the ball as part of the right side triangle with Bash & George you can sense he would like an angled run from one of the strikers in the box as opposed to simply only ever working the overload.

We do lack pace in around the box to slide someone into a gap. Callum does have better movement than some of the others. There are of course areas he has to work on but thinking back to the Chelsea fightback he was a key figure in that second half performance (goal plus assist).

Callum Robinson is the slowest forward at the club. Our triplet of forwards in their 30's are all quicker than him from what I've seen

 

[Charlieblade]

Because we have neither time to get him up to speed (if he is actually capable), nor do we have the luxury of yet another non scoring forward. We need goals next season, more than we've scored this season, and also with the possibility of losing a 26% of this seasons goals via Lunny & Moose. We need a forward who can push towards double figures, somebody like Ahearne-Grant at £15m or Ante Budimir at £13.5m.

Never heard of either of them. I really don’t think Robinson is the answer either, but keeping him, after all the time spent getting him to fit in, costs the club less.
Are both your suggestions young, pacy and athletic, or will they need time to be coached on how they fit into the system? Maybe you are suggesting that Robinson, at 8m, has proved a poor buy for us, so we need to spend twice that amount, when money is tight, and then try and get them to fit our system?
Wilder may, or may not be bluffing about the budget, but one sure thing is, unless the Prince has found seriously wealthy investors, we have to do more, with less next season.
I’m not saying that CR is the answer, just that he might be worth persevering with. I’m being a frugal pessimist on this one, that’s all.

 

[Nicolaus_Copernicus]

Never heard of either of them. I really don’t think Robinson is the answer either, but keeping him, after all the time spent getting him to fit in, costs the club less.
Are both your suggestions young, pacy and athletic, or will they need time to be coached on how they fit into the system? Maybe you are suggesting that Robinson, at 8m, has proved a poor buy for us, so we need to spend twice that amount, when money is tight, and then try and get them to fit our system?
Wilder may, or may not be bluffing about the budget, but one sure thing is, unless the Prince has found seriously wealthy investors, we have to do more, with less next season.
I’m not saying that CR is the answer, just that he might be worth persevering with. I’m being a frugal pessimist on this one, that’s all.

Ante Budimir currently plays for Mallorca in la liga. He’s been their shining light this season as they unsuccessfully battled relegation. He is mobile, strong and although left footed, can score off either foot & his head. He likes the physical aspect of the game, has a good work ethic and possesses a good footballing brain. He’s lively outside & inside the penalty area. He’s scored 13 in 35, and has a €15m release clause.



Grant is a natural goalscorer. He’s young & talented. He has the ability to create chances for himself. He played 13 games last season in the Prem for a shocking Huddersfield side and scored 4 times. He’s played 43 times this year for a poor Huddersfield side in the championship and scored 19 times. He is available for £15m and is the type, age & value of player we need to be going for. If we don’t, one of our competitors will and get themselves a bargain. He has the ability.

https://eflanalysis.com/analysis/karlan-grant-2019-20-scout-report-tactical-analysis-tactics/amp



As a club, we should be stretching every financial sinew to remain in the PL. Pursuing the cheapest option; keeping CR, playing him next season and looking for him to score will only increase our chances of failure.

 

[blade too long]

Ante Budimir currently plays for Mallorca in la liga. He’s been their shining light this season as they unsuccessfully battled relegation. He is mobile, strong and although left footed, can score off either foot & his head. He likes the physical aspect of the game, has a good work ethic and possesses a good footballing brain. He’s lively outside & inside the penalty area. He’s scored 13 in 35, and has a €15m release clause.



Grant is a natural goalscorer. He’s young & talented. He has the ability to create chances for himself. He played 13 games last season in the Prem for a shocking Huddersfield side and scored 4 times. He’s played 43 times this year for a poor Huddersfield side in the championship and scored 19 times. He is available for £15m and is the type, age & value of player we need to be going for. If we don’t, one of our competitors will and get themselves a bargain. He has the ability.

https://eflanalysis.com/analysis/karlan-grant-2019-20-scout-report-tactical-analysis-tactics/amp



As a club, we should be stretching every financial sinew to remain in the PL. Pursuing the cheapest option; keeping CR, playing him next season and looking for him to score will only increase our chances of failure.

Ante Budimir stats for the last 5 / 6 years are awful.
And he's 29 soon
no better than Robinsons
Only got in double figures in serie b
Bit of a Jonah been in 4 relegated teams
Are you his agent

 

[Whiston Blade]

It will be either another season long loan to a Derby County or Birmingham City, or we'll scrape 6m back from a play-off hopeful team.

I guess if he went to Birmingham and had a good spell there, there's a chance they'll retire his number.