Robinson... How Do We Think He's Doing ?

[Big Stall]

11 hours ago, Welldaft Mk1 said:

Me too. 

Listened to the Declan G podcast on what the falk podcast today. Good listen. 

When asked he said he felt that Robbo was the best Manager in the top flight. Of course he would say that wouldn’t he.

But he talks about his meticulous prep and he also mentions how he persuaded him to come to Motherwell rather than St Johnstone by stating clearly he would make him a better player. Sounds simple but big Deccy obvs thought he was quite good as it was so he felt it was refreshing and encouraging to hear him say that. 

So that alone means he has used his skills to persuade a sought after player to join us and go onto to be a full international and may yet yield us a decent transfer fee. 

I would give him a 9 out of 10 and hope he does not jump ship to NI this summer or anyone else for that matter. Inevitable other clubs will come in for him. He would be a bigger loss than any player bar Davy T. 

I remember speaking to McMannus not long after he left us to take up his position at Celtic, he was saying much the same and singing Robbo's praises. At that time it was just after the half season of pish before he discovered playing the boys actually worked. I thought big Mic was off his head but Robbo certainly turned things around. I would give him a 7 out of 10 rating, but i do think and hope we can see even more from him.

[CoF]

15 hours ago, Shaka said:

Im not, and never will be his biggest fan. Even in the season we made 2 Cup Finals he should have been sacked as we were fucking horrific for long periods, that was masked by a couple of big wins in Cup Fixtures. Last season was the same, he lucked out big time chucking in Turnbull and especially Hastie out of pure desperation. But never offered Hastie a contract until it was too late when even Stevie Wonder could see he was worth an extension. And this season has gone along the same track, some decent play punctuated by garbage and the odd cracking signing like Declan supplemented by too much utter horseshit like Bevis, Manzinga and that Invisible dude from Bournemouth. 

Il give him his due, he does deserve credit for finishing 3rd this season.

Overall, Id probably give him a 7/10, just. Over his whole tenure his performance as Manager is definately above average as he has had some very good achievements and results, and he has also presided over some excellent player developments and sales. But there has been too much utter garbage both on the pitch for long periods, and signed by him. 

It's when I read opinions like this that makes me appreciate that we've got a sensible and even-headed board. Sticking with a manager when things aren't going well is a very brave thing to do, particularly when the fans are starting to turn. 

Personally - I don't think there have ever been grounds for considering a sacking. It's a nonsense suggestion to me, however I suppose it depends on what you think is considered an achievement at our club. The signings are hit and miss by even our most successful managers -Robinson is no different there, yet he's working on a fraction of a budget to his predecessors. With that in mind, we'll always hit bad runs - I recalled picking up 1 point out of 21 after the league cup final and we all had the fear in the first half of last season. I actually agree with a lot of what you're saying (just 3 months ago we had Bevis up-front at Almondvale - baffling) but we'll always hit these patches - there is a skill in turning these things around and thankfully we've had the right man in charge to do so. 

The bigger picture is that he consistently hits and exceeds targets set by the board. Our financial security has come in large part due to Robinsons skills as a manager - from keeping us in the league, making cup finals, selling players on and now finishing 3rd. Aside from tactical decisions, a manager sets the tone, he builds players, he generates team character, he cuts people loose when they don't fit in, he decides on what type of person he wants in the dressing room. We've also played some enjoyable football in this time. There's a skill in all of that and his achievements far outweigh any flaws. 

 

[DunnyMFC]

I'll put my hands up and admit I was one of the people who were disappointed in his appointment and I am glad that I am not in the board at MFC as I was wrong (like a couple of things in the past).

Would absolutely love it if  he could win a cup after the work he has done. 

[Yorkyred]

19 hours ago, DunnyMFC said:

I'll put my hands up and admit I was one of the people who were disappointed in his appointment and I am glad that I am not in the board at MFC as I was wrong (like a couple of things in the past).

Would absolutely love it if  he could win a cup after the work he has done. 

Agree, a trophy really would cement his time at the club.

[weeyin]

All this chat about "getting lucky" with Turnbull and Hastie etc. is deluded.

If Robinson had stuck with the approach he used in the first half of that season, he would have been slaughtered for not changing it.

He did change it - and in an amazingly short period of time to alter the style of play - and it worked. It doesn't matter if it was 100% his decision, a joint decision or 0% his decision - he made it work. (Although I'd be amazed if any manager who is judged on results doesn't want to change things when they aren't working).

As for Hastie, he had half a dozen good games until opponents worked he was a one trick - cut inside and shoot - pony. If he has the ability to improve on that, no doubt he can still be successful. So far, that hasn't happened and he regressed at Rotherham from first team starter, to regular sub, to occasional sub, to out of the team, to being sent back to Rangers. He was offered a contract in plenty of time, but his agent already had him going to Rangers and nothing we were going to offer would change that. We've done a decent job in signing up our youngsters in recent years, but no team manages to keep 100% of them.

As for Robinson, I wasn't a fan of his playing style during his early months at the club, but was a fan of his approach to detail, and it achieved the necessary results. I enjoy the way the team is playing now and give him great credit for that. He is a great fit for our model and bought into it 100%. When the time comes to replace him it is going to be difficult to find another manager that is able to work in our environment which is an interesting mix of complete control over the playing staff while being under pretty tight financial constraints.

[Frazzie]

Robinson is doing fine, edging towards pretty good, but I sometimes think he gets a wee bit more praise than he is due. 
 

Absolutely correct to point out he’s brought in players that have done well and made us a good amount of cash (Moult, Kipre, etc) but I still reckon he’s made more bad signings than good. He tends to identify where we need to bolster and then signs four guys for the position in the hope that one of them turns out good. Guys like Illic, Manzinga, Sloth, etc seem to fly under the radar but there is a plethora of players he’s brought in, have been pish and have been hunted again so I wouldn’t give him too high a score in the “signings” category despite a couple of high-profile successes.

Tactically, it’s spot on to suggest he now tries to play a nice brand of football, using width and pace which, when it works, is what we all want to see. However, I do think if we are trying to give a balanced appraisal of Robinson’s time with us as a whole, it would be remiss to disregard that plan A was to lump the ball up to a couple of monsters in the hope that something worked (sometimes it did, hence 2 cup finals, but very often it didn’t and was turgid to watch). I would argue plan B was Ross McCormack (no further comment required on how that went) and Hastie, Turnbull, etc, and the subsequent change in shape was a last resort, which undoubtedly worked incredibly well.
 

In terms of in-game management, he is certainly bold, and again this has had mixed results. The St Mirren cup tie this season is a good example of this- in Paisley were winning and comfortable, he made a baffling substitution and moved O’Hara out of position with 20 minutes to go- they almost immediately equalised and we were lucky to get a replay out of it in the end. In the replay itself, he basically removed the defence and it somehow worked, albeit with a disappointing outcome

I like him a lot- he speaks very well and I think he’s a fine ambassador for our club, but I do think Motherwell fans tend to see things in all black and white and due to a 3rd place finish Robbo is the messiah- I just think a bit of perspective is required at times.

[Yorkyred]

On 5/20/2020 at 12:04 AM, Shaka said:

Im not, and never will be his biggest fan. Even in the season we made 2 Cup Finals he should have been sacked as we were fucking horrific for long periods, that was masked by a couple of big wins in Cup Fixtures. Last season was the same, he lucked out big time chucking in Turnbull and especially Hastie out of pure desperation. But never offered Hastie a contract until it was too late when even Stevie Wonder could see he was worth an extension. And this season has gone along the same track, some decent play punctuated by garbage and the odd cracking signing like Declan supplemented by too much utter horseshit like Bevis, Manzinga and that Invisible dude from Bournemouth. 

Il give him his due, he does deserve credit for finishing 3rd this season.

Overall, Id probably give him a 7/10, just. Over his whole tenure his performance as Manager is definately above average as he has had some very good achievements and results, and he has also presided over some excellent player developments and sales. But there has been too much utter garbage both on the pitch for long periods, and signed by him. 

Was he really, his last few games for us showed he was a one trick pony and was he not getting subbed off ? What has he actually done since that shows the club made a massive mistake in not rushing in to offer an improved contract after half a dozen games ? I think the club had doubts about his attitude moving forward and certainly did not expect him to make the short term impact that he did. In my view Hastie could well end up playing lower league Scottish football within a couple of years, we will end up being too good a club for him.

[purestate]

Hastie’s move to Rangers is an example of how bad/desperate a manager Gerrard is rather than Robinson.  

[GazzyB]

The "everyone could see Hastie was due an extension" chat grinds my gears. He had done fuck all on loan and people only say the above because he turned us down when we offered him a deal at the right time.

 

We managed to keep Scott, Turnbull, Semple, Maguire etc coz they all accepted deals. Hastie didn't, and it's madness to say we should've offered him an extension when he had 1 goal in 20 in League One. 

[joewarkfanclub]

Anyone who thinks Hastie should have been offered an extension whilst on loan at Alloa is totally revising history. He came back after the winter break, had a real purple patch, was offered a new contract and turned it down. Shit happens.

Robbo has made a number of mistakes as manager you could hold against him, but thats not one of them.

[Spiderpig]

SR is apparently on Huddersfields radar for their new manager, according to the Sun / BBC gossip page

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/53483930

[MelvinBragg]

1 hour ago, Spiderpig said:

SR is apparently on Huddersfields radar for their new manager, according to the Sun / BBC gossip page

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/53483930

Had heard this rumour but also heard from someone else that they had lined up Leeds U23 coach for the job...

[C&A not the shop]

56 minutes ago, MelvinBragg said:

Had heard this rumour but also heard from someone else that they had lined up Leeds U23 coach for the job...

Yeah the BBC report an approach here https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/53472605 but then run a rumor in the rumors section that contradicts it.

[Ped_MFC]

Leeds boy did get the job, reported on the bbc.

[that hat]

Will Robinson be heading back to Bournemouth to be their next manager?

[GazzyB]

Think it's maybe just a step too far for him right now, they'll be looking for a Neil Warnock/Neil Pulis type who knows that league inside out.

[underboyleheating]

13 hours ago, that hat said:

Will Robinson

One for the oldies...
 

[steelboy]

11 hours ago, GazzyB said:

Think it's maybe just a step too far for him right now, they'll be looking for a Neil Warnock/Neil Pulis type who knows that league inside out.

The teams that were promoted this season have Biesla and Billic as manager. You would imagine Bournemouth would be looking for a similar high profile manager to bounce right back. 

[C&A not the shop]

Aye, I'm one of Robinson's biggest fans but even with that if I was Bournemouth I'd be looking for someone higher profile, better track record etc.

[Ross]

Bournemouth are a Micky mouse club.They will be lucky to ever be in the bpl again


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Spit_It_Out]

Hardest league to get out in world football will want a proven track record boss,will have a few pennies to play with so they will go and get none other than.....Harry Redknapp!Watch this space worth a couple of quid on it.

 

•  

[grizzlyg]

14 hours ago, GazzyB said:

Think it's maybe just a step too far for him right now, they'll be looking for a Neil Warnock/Neil Pulis type who knows that league inside out.

Maybe Ryan Fraser player-manager? Lol.   If I was a manager I wouldn't go near him, attitude and commitment shocking, same with Scotland.  

[Andy_P]

17 hours ago, that hat said:

Will Robinson be heading back to Bournemouth to be their next manager?

I don't know if he'll get it but I'm sure he will closer to the top of list than many will give him credit for. 

A big question would be as how to much if any AFCB want to deviate from the way that Eddie Howe managed the club but if they are looking for someone broadly in the same mould then I would think Robinson would tick a few of the boxes.  He has the former player connection, he is considered to be of the same intensity and forensic eye for detail mould as Howe, and perhaps significantly he would be seen as an ambitious manager viewing the job as a progression and one which, even if the Bournemouth board drastically downsized, would still present him with resources and opportunities he's never had before, as opposed to some of the candidates mentioned who would be going there thinking they are operating on a comparitive shoestring.

I must admit I am a little concerned at this one.

 

[steelboy]

Their fans will crack up if they appoint a failed Oldham manager. There's absolutely no chance.

[StuAfcb]

24 minutes ago, steelboy said:

Their fans will crack up if they appoint a failed Oldham manager. There's absolutely no chance.

Cherries fan here. On the contrary, there's quite a lot of us wanting SR to be the next boss. It makes sense on a number of levels with numerous people he played with on the backroom staff, a similar playing philosophy to EH, similar traits like the meticulous preparation etc.. The question is whether our board would have him on their radar.. I don't have a lot of faith in that regard. It might just be a romantic pipedream, but I would love him back, he's the only name that's been mentioned that has excited me at all...