Jake Robinson

[Tooting Gull]

Jakey's got ability, but he never kicked on for some reason. Maybe got into a comfort zone, among lots of mates, went clubbing etc, when he should have been doing everything to get a regular first-team spot. I think he'll do OK there, but won't ever play above League One at best, and at one stage many of us thought he could do better than that.

 

[Easy 10]

Jakes League record at the Albion:
61 starts
62 as sub
13 goals

Just not really good enough. Dined off that hattrick at Huddersfield (which was in October) and then didn't score in the League again for the rest of that season. 13 goals, with three of them coming in that one game, is just piss poor I'm afraid.

 

[Gritt23]

Hmmm...I think he was given ample opportunity to prove himself here, with quite a few extended runs in the side. He is very much a confidence player, as they all are to an extent, but I can't help thinking that if he was ever going to prove himself at our level then he'd have done it by now.

Disappointing, but he just never developed the bottle or the instincts to be a regular goalscorer here.

Still only 22, and wasn't given a League start all season, just 5 sub appearance in fact. At an age where he is still developing, that isn't giving him much of a chance in my book.

 

[murraymints4brighton]

I thought he was given an opportunity with every other manager apart from Adams, although the fact Russel Slade then didn't bother with him does say quite a lot. If two very different managers didn't rate him then really he was no good.

I just have got a terrible inkling that this Simpson will be another Jake Robinson if he signs, and and expensive one at that.

 

[Easy 10]

Still only 22, and wasn't given a League start all season, just 5 sub appearance in fact. At an age where he is still developing, that isn't giving him much of a chance in my book.

I really wanted him to be good, but for most of the time I saw him he was either completely anonymous, or fluffing/bottling decent chances. I think he saw himself as a nippy kind of Michael Owen style goalpoacher, but what this actually meant was that his contribution outside the box was pretty much feck-all. He didn't run the channels, he couldn't hold the ball up or bring others into play as he was invariably outmuscled, and we were never a good enough team to afford to have his kind of one-touch fox-in-the-box who'd just feed off of a single chance created for him. His finishing was generally dire.

Young he may have been, but how long do you wait ? 23 ? 24 ? He came into the side, looked very promising at first, but then just rapidly went backwards. Someone else on here questioned his desire and I think that was a fair point as well. A 50-50 ball in a 1 on 1 with an onrushing keeper and you could literally SEE him shrinking back.

You can't coach that out of a player.

 

[Billy the Fish]

My theory is that he was brought through FAR too early. He shouldn't have been near the first team until a couple of years ago.

As long as he bulks up at some point he'll be a good player, but as he was with us he's just too easily bullied out of games. He's still got time on his side as he's only 22, not everyone is like rooney and built like a brick shithouse at the age of 16

 

[Tom Bombadil]

My theory is that he was brought through FAR too early. He shouldn't have been near the first team until a couple of years ago.

I'd agree with that. He first played at a time when we were so desperate for a striker we signed the likes of Mark McCammon so people were clamouring for the kid from the youth team who was scoring for fun. I always thought that was a problem with Joe Gatting as well, brought into the first team way too quickly .

 

[Easy 10]

I think thats the first time I've ever seen the words "Joe Gatting" and "quickly" in the same sentence.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

I'd agree with that. He first played at a time when we were so desperate for a striker we signed the likes of Mark McCammon so people were clamouring for the kid from the youth team who was scoring for fun. I always thought that was a problem with Joe Gatting as well, brought into the first team way too quickly .

But isn't that part of life as a footballer? Sink or swim?

Michael Owen wasn't built like Rooney either but he did alright at that age. Robinson's no different to most of the other youth team players that have come through (or not, as the case may be) in recent years: does alright in the reserves, gets a few chances, but never quite lives up to the reputation.

How long should we keep paying players in the youth/reserve sides if they're not good enough at 18? Three years? Four? Robinson's certainly no bigger or stronger now than he was then, so nothing's really changed.

 

[Tooting Gull]

Gatting has said recently that he felt he was thrown in at the deep end in a losing team. But the main problem with him, as he has also since admitted, is that he would rather have been playing cricket all along.

 

[Easy 10]

Gatting has said recently that he felt he was thrown in at the deep end in a losing team. But the main problem with him, as he has also since admitted, is that he would rather have been playing cricket all along.

And didn't it show.
I've seen more enthusiasm and effort from a sloth on morphine.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

But isn't that part of life as a footballer? Sink or swim?

Michael Owen wasn't built like Rooney either but he did alright at that age. Robinson's no different to most of the other youth team players that have come through (or not, as the case may be) in recent years: does alright in the reserves, gets a few chances, but never quite lives up to the reputation.

How long should we keep paying players in the youth/reserve sides if they're not good enough at 18? Three years? Four? Robinson's certainly no bigger or stronger now than he was then, so nothing's really changed.

Well Hammond didn't break into the team until he was 21, and different players develop at different rates. IMO there is a lot to be said for letting players develop their game away from the "sink or swim" goldfish bowl of the first team. Yes some players like a Rooney or Owen can cope from an early age , but most need time to develop and don't reach anything like their best from untill their early to mid twenties.

 

[Tooting Gull]

I've seen more enthusiasm and effort from a sloth on morphine.

Did you get kicked out of school for that experiment?

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Jakey will do well at Shrewsbury. Good luck to him.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Surely any man who still gets called "Jakey" at the age of 22 is destined for a lifetime of mediocrity?

 

[Gritt23]

Young he may have been, but how long do you wait ? 23 ? 24 ?

Well, he was 21 when Adams walked in, and decided that he wasn't up to it. That's too young to dismiss a player with ability.

 

[blue and white army]

Well, he was 21 when Adams walked in, and decided that he wasn't up to it. That's too young to dismiss a player with ability.

Agreed I mean when you play Virgo upfront alongside Murray, where's the variation. He scored against Scunthorpe in the 4-1 drumming they inflicted upon us. He needed a good run in the side ahead of Virgo, but that's all what IF's and down to Micky's incompetent management skills.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Potentially very good but lacks bottle for a league forward imo so having a minder alongside him may help. so.

He lacks the bottle to be a pro full stop.
He makes Ginola look hard

 

[throbinson]

A good move for him