is one of the best players in the World". Big statement indeed, as his
3 years at Real Madrid has shown that Robinho did not live up to
the demanding expectations. Lots of bycicle moves, average number
of goals & lots of time relatively speaking on the bench.
Its true, Real Madrid Coach Bernd Schuster wanted the player to
stay, that is logical, given that he has not been given the forwards
that he really wanted: C Ronaldo, David Villa or Cazorla. Robinho
was OK to animate & revolutionize certain moments when a game
needed a new idea or angle. Frankly speaking, the characteristics
of Robinho are good for this as he can surprise & add new elements
to a stalemate match...but thats been it up till now.
The players decision to go to Manchester City however illustrates
& gives some weight to thoughts that Robinho´s personality is
"unstable"& that the people that advices him have dubious
alternative agendas.
The unilateral Press Conference called on Sunday by Robinho was
the big "eye opener", it was egoistic & was only justified as a last
weapon to go to Chelsea FC, but to Manchester City?
Sure, the player has felt that Real Madrid has´nt giving him the
tender loving care that Brazilians traditional all need & was financially
less than compensated relative to others. Sure, he was an element in
the possible Cristiano Ronaldo "Operation", but this is the big Football
World for men & he is a professional.
Robinho did the some when at Santos & Real Madrid called. He
literally cried (with tears), made a huge fuss & got his way. Robinho
has repeated that some strategy with Real Madrid: he has cried
( tears in front of President Calderon), resorted to a rebellious
attitude & Press Conference that back stabbed his team, teammates
& Coach. The means justifies the ends for Mr.Robinho.
The baffling part of all this operation is why Manchester City? Robinho
commented that he wished to become the Best Player in the World & that
Chelsea FC under the guiding hand of its Brazilian coach Scolari would
clear the path to greatness. Chelsea is one of the Worlds Best teams, with
true & yearly options of winning the Premier League & constantly in
Champions Leagues semi s or the final. Chelsea is certainly a logical
substitute to Real Madrid if you wish to gain titles & World exposure,
but Manchester City?
SFS respects Manchester City for its history & its glorious fans, but the
titles are´nt there & Robinho will not get them there either. Robinho
& his advisor have made a bad decision, only time will tell if SFS is right
or wrong, the Manchester City signning highlights little long term future
thought & shows an individual instinctive reaction without reflextion.
Local sources, including President Calderon, comment that Robinho is
not a stable youngman & that he needed to change desparately from Madrid
& Spain due to lifestyle problems - SFS has no evidence, it just informs on
the general rumours. His manager Ribeiro is also commented to be a
money hungry character & rumour has it that he will pocket 3M€ from
the Manchester City operation alone. While most players dream of ending,
or at least be able to play in History´s Graetest Club, Robinho goes to
Manchester City. Perhaps the 6M€/ season salary compensates everything
that has been said, if so, more weight to SFS arguements.
Lets hope that Robinho helps Manchester City get back on the top level
of English & World Football. Lets wish that Robinho settles in well to
the team ( does not cause dressing room jealousy), the English life ,
its culture & the weather, & more importantly the English style of Football.
Lets desire, that Manchester City can pull in the results to keep Robinho
enthusiastic, in the spotlight & in the news headlines. Because if it does´nt
happen Manchester City will see more problems than solutions
& Robinho will resort to his familiar tactic: comment his unhappiness,
cry to officials & teammates, place his wishes above Club & team, &
leave. That´s the Robinho way!
Goodbye, good luck, & thanks for the 42M€ - SFS is supposing Real
Madrid would say this. Tweet
10 comments:
Superb article Striker! I feel much the same about Robinho in terms of the reality/hype gap surrounding him and what it shows about him (or how easily swayed he is by his advisors) that he called his own press conference to demand a move. Undignified behaviour is a polite way of putting it.
Yes, last laugh over Chelsea and Robinio is with Madrid. They must still be laughing now.
Thanks T!
Outstanding analysis; pretty astute to point out that many of Brazil's stars don't pan out on the club level.
http://startingeleven.blogspot.com/2008/09/starting-eleven-football-blog-roundup.html
Another great piece, Striker - keep it up!
oye soy el creador de wrestlemania94.blogspot.com y nos podemos linkear
if you speak english, repy to my e-mail:
crp1994@gmail.com
carlos_rp_1994@hotmail.com (messenger)
No thanks Crp94, very kind...wrestling a bit out of my area :)
Good article.
I have some slightly different opinions, however.
I feel more sympathy for Robinho than others. It's hard to justify in the face of 6m Euros a season, but I think when people are earning that much money for something that is not hard labour, it becomes abstracted. And it inhibits the maturity of people who are among the richest in the world. Their money is not earned by any traditional equation of quality and quantity of work = pay.
But - although he is an immature, overpaid athlete, he is still just a young lad.
He was used as a bartering chip and that is not flattering. Real showed a distinct lack of compassion for their player and he had a very good reason to demand to be sold.
But that is only half the issue, of course.
Was Man City the right choice?
It's hard to make predictions. But I can say this: it is by no means definitely the wrong decision.
The situation was handled by Robinho in a way that only reflected the way he was treated. Calling his own press conferences, is no different from Real making it public that he was used as a part exchange in their attempted trade-up. It was clear he was trying to force Real to sell him to Chelsea - a switch that I agree is an equivalent. He has won La Liga so has no ambitious cause to stay in Spain.
Chelsea offered a team where he would be welcomed, well paid, and be able to compete.
However, Chelsea believed they could hold out with their lower bids in the knowledge that Real would give in when push came to shove.
But Man City stepped in, meeting Real's demands.
So Robinho has three choices. Stay in Spain and try to patch things up, cope with the embarrassment in front of his team mates, club staff and fans; refuse to move to Man City and continue to try and force a switch to Chelsea - which might have meant waiting until January; or he accepts the hype around his own possible move to City.
I think the reason he chose the latter option are as follows.
He's an immature little boy who lacks the humility to admit he handled his transfer request unprofessionally and try and make up with Real. I don't believe he could bare to face anyone at Real - like a little kid who won't look their angry parent in the eyes when they are being told off.
Man City came in with - if reports are to be believed - 4 huge bids, for Robinho, Berbatov, Villa and Mario Gomez. This was a PR stunt, but Robinho bought it, hook line and sinker. Man City told him, look at the offers we are making all over Europe - we mean business, if we didn't would we really be offering to make you the highest paid player in competitive football (I think Beckham still gets more). Look at Chelsea, they are one of world football's elite teams, something they achieved after a season of Abramovich's spending - We are going to emulate that, and signing you is just one step in that plan.
If you are from outside England, it's easier to believe the hype, within England it's obviously an over-statement from City. They won't achieve what Chelsea did in anything like the same time-frame, but they do have a good squad before Robinho and could finish top 4.
Given 2 or 3 years of consistently high purchases and Man City could emulate Chelsea, and Robinho's move could have him featuring in the Champions league as soon as next season.
Whether he'll be a success in England is up for debate - a long one which I won't go into right now (maybe later) - but I think he will, and he could easily end up being one of the stars of this season if not subsequent ones.
Hi Alex,
Excellent comments , have learnt something more today which is exactly the philosophy of the blog...exchange thoughts. Thanks!
Pls keep popping in with your wide view comments, makes SFS richer.
Hi Atriker,
Popped in to read on Robinho. Made comments myself about how he is not the sole player to bring new horizons to Man City and especially the wild fire-burning rumour talk that Man City will break into the top 4 at the expense of Liverpool (groan! how often has that been said??!), win the EPL title and go on to be European champions!
Impossible? No. Practical in the next 24 months? Very questionable. But it was somewhat audacious to have chosen to step in and hijack Man utd's plans for Berbatov, then end the night with the purchase of Robinho, but to go further and publicly announce the intent to tempt the likes of Ronaldo from Utd, Fabregas from Arsenal and Torres from Liverpool under the noses of their respective managers, as if the flutter of several pound notes would secure any interest without fail.
Aren't the EPL clubs no longer in the realm of bringing in and nurturing players into excellent performers, who earn their way up the league into champion status without vasts sums of money being splashed about?
I don't think they are Redsman.
I think in today's game you have to buy players. And you have to buy most players. It's unrealistic to think you can nurture homegrown players all the way up the ranks to be first team players on a majority of the team basis.
City have homegrown Richards, Johnson, Sturridge. (I'm not sure about Wright-Phillips, Hart and Schmeichel) And I don't think that's bad going.
Football is now at such an elite level that to compete for top top honours, you need to have the cream of the world's crop, not your homegrowns.
Even the much praised Arsenal philosophy is not that different. They just buy more of them, younger and cheaper.
It would be nice if the Liverpool team was full of proud scousers, we're all so very proud of the couple we have, but that's just unrealistic nowadays. That kind of patriotism is reduced to the national team and I think we have to accept the transfer system and multiculturalism of football for what it is. Entertaining.
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