Jake on the move?

[ridda]

Jake might have to move on
11:40pm Wednesday 21st January 2009

By Andy Naylor »

Jake Robinson has admitted it could be time to end his love affair with Albion to revive his career.

The 22-year-old striker made his first start of the season in Tuesday’s 0-0 draw against Luton in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy southern final first leg at Withdean.

He is out of contract in the summer and is not optimistic about being offered a new deal.

Robinson said: “It might be time to move on and look at other options but I think everyone knows my heart is at Brighton..

"I would love to stay here as long as possible but if things dictate that doesn’t happen then I will have to look elsewhere.

"I don’t want to be despondent about the future but it’s not looking good at the moment. I’m coming into the last five months of my contract and I haven’t heard anything, and I haven’t been in the team.

"I feel I am a better player now than I was a year or two years ago. I just haven’t had the opportunities."

Robinson has struggled to command a regular place in the team under three different managers since making his debut before his 17th birthday.

Half of his 148 appearances for the club have been as a substitute and the Luton game was only his second start since February.

Robinson, who has scored 22 goals, said: "I’ve been really frustrated. I feel as if I have been training really well and playing well for the reserves.

"I just haven’t had that chance. I was disappointed on Tuesday, because I got a knock on the calf early on and that restricted me a bit, but I am not making excuses.”

 

[Taybha]

1-0 up if he had moved a tad faster

 

[HseagullsH]

He will end up being released and I think it's a great shame. I accept he has his limitations and he's not ever done it consistently, but I still believe he's nearer our best player than our worst, and there should be 10 out the door before him.

Agreed. He had talent that is for sure, and still think with a run in the team he is a good enough player to come off the bench and cause problems...

 

[Spider]

He will end up being released and I think it's a great shame. I accept he has his limitations and he's not ever done it consistently, but I still believe he's nearer our best player than our worst, and there should be 10 out the door before him.

I'd love to hear which these 10 players are that are worse than Robinson - but I fear it might make you end up sounding a bit of a fool (unless you're just including the youth scholars).

Robinson had one decent spell, but he doesn't look like he could score in a month of Sundays anymore. He doesn't contribute much else to the game either, he's certainly not the sort of forward who another forward would love playing with. A shame, but I think everyone has accepted his time has passed.

I'm not at all convinced he'd get into a League 2 side regularly (and which League club would want to sign him now? He hasn't had a chance to show anything to them), I think he could have a stab at the Conference though.

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

No need to make the "fool" comments just because you disagree. Makes you sound like a total prick to be honest.

Ten players to be released before Robinson?

Mayo
Hart
Loft
El Abd
Fraser
Dixon
Hawkins
McLeod

That's 8 off the top of my head, and if I could be bothered to find a full squad list I'm sure there would be 2 more (presuming we have enough players left).

I think a number on your list will still be under contract in June so "releasing" them will involve paying up their contracts - is this what you'd advocate? The following players are out of contract in the summer:

Andrew Whing
Kerry Mayo
Adam Hinshelwood
John Sullivan
Gary Hart
Doug Loft
Jake Robinson
Tom Fraser
Kane Wills
Kane Louis
Dan Royce
Andy Pearson
Sam Gargan

 

[Spider]

No need to make the "fool" comments just because you disagree. Makes you sound like a total prick to be honest.

Ten players to be released before Robinson?

Mayo
Hart
Loft
El Abd
Fraser
Dixon
Hawkins
McLeod

That's 8 off the top of my head, and if I could be bothered to find a full squad list I'm sure there would be 2 more (presuming we have enough players left).

I think if you take a light-hearted comment like that so seriously, the bigger prick is debatable. It's true that I am seriously questioning whether you've ever watched Brighton if you think Robinson is better than at least 3 of those players, but football's a game of opinions as wel all know. I think you'd be struggling to find 10 though unless you do just use the youth team players.

 

[Spider]

And posts like your last do make you look a fool. Where would we find the money to sign an entire squad once we've let everyone go on free transfers? Where would we find an entire squad of players who are good enough to get us out of this division? Christ

 

[Spider]

Well a patronising tone, just as there was last night, IS the actions of a prick in an argument which is all about opinions. If we were debating FACTS then judge all you like, but we're not.

I've missed one match this season so question no longer. With that in mind, maybe I'll question if you have?

Also, bearing in mind we currently have about 18 players, naming 8 that deserve releasing before Robinson shows how f***ing terrible we are in my book. I'm not saying I'm desperate to keep Robinson, I'm just saying that if we want to get rid of him then why aren't we moving more on?

We probably, in fact almost certainly, will. Robinson is expressing a desire to go, due to the fact he deservedly can't hold a place down in the team. I know you've been to a lot of matches, I just don't believe you really think that Jake, promising as he was, is actually a better player than some of those - much as a vendetta against no-frills players like Fraser and El-Abd seems to be the latest fashion.

I have no idea what you're talking about with reference to a patronising tone last night either?

 

[Spider]

Er, how about using all the money we won't be paying out to the wasters currently under employment?

If the wage budget is £x a week it won't change just because we release everyone out of contract.

You said put everyone on a free transfer ie. try and offload those who aren't out of contract as well as releasing all those who are. I don't see what the wage bill has to do with the cost of signing all these new players, unless you plan to find a first 11 (or a first 8 with the 3 you mentioned keeping) that are all also available for free and all good enough to be in a team competing at the top of the division.

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

it's a shame....he has a large amount of raw talent, and if it had been harnessed earlier in his career we'd see a much better robinson

in my view he was put into the first team far too early

i think finding a new club would do his career a lot of good

 

[Spider]

Well, simply, I would ask the question does Jake Robinson possess more footballing talent than Adam El Abd or Tommy Fraser? The answer for me is a resounding yes. It's not even close. If you put all three players in the conference Robinson would stand out (as he proved on loan). I am almost certain that Fraser and El Abd would not. Now I'm not saying any of them are good enough for our level, but I know which of them MIGHT just produce something worth paying £24 to see.

You could argue that about almost any attacking player when compared to a defensive central midfielder. I would argue that El-Abd and Fraser are both far more competent in their positions than Robinson is either up front or on the right. He's lost all composure for professional league football - he may have the kind of flash in the pan talent that keeps supporters happy (which might explain this 'impact sub' image of him - I don't think he's even capable of that anymore) but a League footballer he is not.

 

[algie]

Not taking sides but when someone makes a light hearted remark to you Badger you tend to hit back with bigger insults.I'm just curious why you get so defensive.