Robertson

[stupers]

Last season's gone although if you are going to discredit him then you have to credit him for the goals he scored.

 

Anyway it's the here and now that counts, how did he play on Saturday?

 

You don't have to hate everyone, it's not a prerequisite of being a football fan.

 

He played well Saturday. Let's hope it continues. Pretty sure there's a decent consistent defender in there somewhere

[raywalkersbananakick]

Chatting to Robbo in Tunstall Asda few days b4 Rochdale game asked him if he was leaving said no wants fight for his place... top lad joking as well about scoring goals ... Proper good lad !

[old sage]

Having read through this thread I do wonder what Robbo has done so wrong in talking to the press? Only last Saturday Page was asked about his relationship with Robertson following rumours of a bust up and Rob Page said that he didn't have a problem but to ask Robbo to find out if he does.

 

As I see it the media has spoken to him and he appears to have just given an honest answer.

 

It does worry me greatly that it is the club's owner who carries out these conversations with the players. This surely is the manager's job. What's done is done and it's no good telling players that their contracts are too big until their present one draws closer to expiring.

 

I hope that Norman's quote of next season's budget being based on a fanbase of 3,500 isn't serious. If this is so then the figure projection could be correct because how many will renew their season tickets when they see most or indeed all of our better players being shown the exit door.

 

Port Vale is like any other entertainment they need to attract their customers and releasing our 'star' players is a curious way of achieving this goal.

 

I'm sorry to say that Norman was seriously mislead if he thought the income from the fans alone would provide the budget to help a club progress in a upward manner.

 

The owner needs to get 'his thinking cap on' to come up with ways of bringing more money into the club's coffers. Other wise 2015-2016 is going to be a long, cold and lonely season for the dwindling faithful!

 

Lets all hope that this is just our owner doing some old fashioned 'sabre rattling' but I am very worried about the team which I have followed for many years sliding back to the basement or even beyond.

[davidatpreston]

The fact that he turned down a move to Tranmere (reported in Sentinel) and wants to fight for his place, and is not a troublesome person is good enough for me. We need more players with attitude like this, and we already have a good team spirit.

 

Go for it PNE fans I know still speak highly of you and wish you hadn't left, and I hope that if he reads this he knows many, in fact most, Vale fans do too. We should support our players, as long as they have good attitude and play to their ability. UTV.

[Jinkin John Jeffers]

Having read through this thread I do wonder what Robbo has done so wrong in talking to the press? Only last Saturday Page was asked about his relationship with Robertson following rumours of a bust up and Rob Page said that he didn't have a problem but to ask Robbo to find out if he does.

 

As I see it the media has spoken to him and he appears to have just given an honest answer.

 

It does worry me greatly that it is the club's owner who carries out these conversations with the players. This surely is the manager's job. What's done is done and it's no good telling players that their contracts are too big until their present one draws closer to expiring.

 

I hope that Norman's quote of next season's budget being based on a fanbase of 3,500 isn't serious. If this is so then the figure projection could be correct because how many will renew their season tickets when they see most or indeed all of our better players being shown the exit door.

 

Port Vale is like any other entertainment they need to attract their customers and releasing our 'star' players is a curious way of achieving this goal.

 

I'm sorry to say that Norman was seriously mislead if he thought the income from the fans alone would provide the budget to help a club progress in a upward manner.

 

The owner needs to get 'his thinking cap on' to come up with ways of bringing more money into the club's coffers. Other wise 2015-2016 is going to be a long, cold and lonely season for the dwindling faithful!

 

Lets all hope that this is just our owner doing some old fashioned 'sabre rattling' but I am very worried about the team which I have followed for many years sliding back to the basement or even beyond.

 

Personally. I think the work Smurf is doing to get the club on a good financial footing and bringing in new talent to develop gives us a bright future.

[valiant_593]

I repeat moron.

 

Seriously, if you dont think he was at fault for around 15 of our goals last season you are deluded.

 

He was our best defender last season, he also scored a fair few didn't he? Anyway who cares about last season, by your logic we should have let pope go after his first season! Pretty sure Robertson had a good game Saturday.... I must be deluded, he's not the best defender but he's certainly not rubbish.

[Heatwave]

I like this bit:

 

Robertson's recall to the starting XI last Saturday, his first appearance for Vale for more than two months, ended with a 1-0 win over Rochdale and only their second clean sheet of the season.

"It's not something I've really experienced in my career before," added Robertson

 

:D

[stupers]

Personally. I think the work Smurf is doing to get the club on a good financial footing and bringing in new talent to develop gives us a bright future.

 

Totally agree. We've gone from talking about whether a player is worth being a top earner at the club to suggesting we're getting relegated in 2015-16 and heading back down the leagues in 35 posts. Well played to the usual doom and gloom merchants.

[Rampant Zebra]

It is a difficult call, I think most fans want to see good football played by star players now, not watch a squad of young players develop. All very well thinking ahead but a player seen as a premier league or championship cast off will never have the same draw as a big name like Michael Brown even if they are as good or better a player when fully developed. Home grown youth players who have grown with the club are a different matter but we haven't got enough of them coming through now which is when we need the crowds to improve.

[Heatwave]

Interesting that the move toward recruiting good youngsters has come since Sir John Rudge has been doing some scouting for Vale.

 

Future Director of Football?

[Fosse69]

It is a difficult call, I think most fans want to see good football played by star players now, not watch a squad of young players develop. All very well thinking ahead but a player seen as a premier league or championship cast off will never have the same draw as a big name like Michael Brown even if they are as good or better a player when fully developed. Home grown youth players who have grown with the club are a different matter but we haven't got enough of them coming through now which is when we need the crowds to improve.

I will be quite happy with a few castoffs like Walker, Beckford, Taylor etc

[Guppy 4 England]

He was our best defender last season, he also scored a fair few didn't he? Anyway who cares about last season, by your logic we should have let pope go after his first season! Pretty sure Robertson had a good game Saturday.... I must be deluded, he's not the best defender but he's certainly not rubbish.

 

No , you are deluded. He wasnt that good saturday, he just won a few headers, on the deck he was as woeful as ever. He was our worst defender by a mile last season too.

 

Why would i have got rid of pope? I was one of those advocating that he supplied more goals for the rest of the side than any other? I actually watch football and form an opinion rather than rely on stats.

[valiant_593]

I also watch football and form an opinion....the point about pope is that after his first year many didn't want him to sign but the difference in goals was outstanding the next year. What I'm saying is why can't Robertson improve upon last season? It's extremely harsh to sound out a player who did score goals last year IMO was our best defender and had a very good game in the one match he played on Saturday. You say he only won a few headers, that's true and he was woeful on the floor your correct, but that's what we've been missing, a defender that wins headers and dominates forwards. Once again I'm not deluded for thinking Robertson had a good game Saturday and that he's certainly not as bad as some make out.

[davidatpreston]

It is a difficult call, I think most fans want to see good football played by star players now, not watch a squad of young players develop. All very well thinking ahead but a player seen as a premier league or championship cast off will never have the same draw as a big name like Michael Brown even if they are as good or better a player when fully developed. Home grown youth players who have grown with the club are a different matter but we haven't got enough of them coming through now which is when we need the crowds to improve.

 

You may not like this. We are Port Vale and have to develop strategies to find our own star players as Smurf is doing, because we are not in the Prem and cannot buy them or afford to pay stupid wages to prima donnas.

 

So many times in the past clubs have bought 'star players' and found that they are lumbered with huge wages and then crash down the divisions. I remember this happened to Bradford City in the Prem and there are two dozen other clubs where the same has happened.

 

Was Andy Jones a crowd-puller in his first 10 games - of course not, but nor was he being paid a wage that put the future of the club at risk.

 

It's great to watch your own talent develop, often with a few hiccups - players like Robbie Earle, Andy Jones, Mark Chamberlain meant much more to me than some we bought for relatively large fees like say, Peter Swan or even someone like Brammer.

 

I can remember being almost in tears at a snowy freezing cup replay at Shrewsbury in January 1980 when Mark Chamberlain demolished their defence on an amazing run then missed the chance he made, part of his inexperience and part of what you have to endure as we develop our own talent. Shrewsbury won with an injury time goal and it was heartbreaking.

 

However, what Mark did after that was worth it a thousand times over, and seeing him tear down the wing like a demented greyhound and knowing we had our own future England star made up for it.

 

So whilst we may have to be patient and will curse some mistakes youngsters make as they develop, Smurf has gone down the right path here to ensure the future of the club. It will be worth it.

[Hagrid]

No , you are deluded. He wasnt that good saturday, he just won a few headers, on the deck he was as woeful as ever. He was our worst defender by a mile last season too.

 

Why would i have got rid of pope? I was one of those advocating that he supplied more goals for the rest of the side than any other? I actually watch football and form an opinion rather than rely on stats.

 

We've got more than enough defenders who are decent on the deck. We need a defender who is good in the air, and Robertson is that.

 

It'd be nice to get a defender who's good on the ground and in the air but they don't exist in League 1.