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Andrew Robertson


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19 minutes ago, Kevin D said:


The old guys set this up as a paramilitary organisation. 
 

We need a supreme commander at the top, not the fucking Dave Clark Five.

A bit more like Georgie Fame and The Blue Flames? 

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I love this player.  I am so happy we bought him.  He's not only a great player, but he is clearly a big personality around the club.

 

However, I am still angry with him for the Brighton equaliser.  Well not just for the equaliser, but for the fact that as a professional footballer, he is still not able to kick the ball with his weaker foot.

 

The momentary lapse is forgivable - and what we get in the "asset" column far outweighs this moment - but it's an issue that needs discussion.

 

In 2008 we had another left-footed player who refused to kick the ball with his weaker foot.  In my opinion, it is the reason that we ended up getting knocked out of the Champions League in the semi-final, when Riise led with his head, instead of his weaker foot, to clear a ball which was coming onto his right side.  It resulted in a 94th minute own goal against Chelsea, and the rest is history.

 

On Saturday, the ball was coming onto Robertson's right side, yet he instinctively turned his body to face the goal in order to try to clear with his left.  He couldn't adjust in time and looked foolish.

 

This is just symptomatic of his unwillingness to play with two feet.

 

What annoys me is how much it limits not just him, but the WHOLE TEAM's play.

 

When the ball is on Robbo's left, he can play the whole pitch.  When it is on his right side, he has to turn his whole body in field in order to play the ball with his left.

 

It is incredible that it has got this far.

 

I think one of the reasons is that he is LEFT footed.  It is much rarer that a one-footed player is right footed.  When they were kids, right footed players are coached to build up their left.  It seems it may be less so for left-footed players as they are a much rarer commodity?

 

Anyway, such is my deep dissatisfaction with this state of affairs, that I bore anyone I watch a game with pointing it out.  It happens every game.  Robbo will be highly reluctant to play a 10 yard pass with his right foot (he has done it in his career, but it is incredibly rare, and he can go whole matches without touching the ball with his right foot!  Instead he will just turn inside and pass it back, or at best square, with his left).

 

I will hand it to Kostas - he does sometimes use his right.

 

And, further, such is my dissatisfaction with this state of affairs that I have taken the time to illustrate my point through imagery. (Forgive the Arsenal kit - the website I used was as limiting as Robbo's lack of ambidextrousness....)

 

image.png

 

This is what happens to the pitch when the ball is to the right of Robbo, say half a yard to his right.  It may be he received it there, intercepted it there or tackled and it fell there.  But because of his reluctance to use his right foot, he turns his whole body in field, and can only pass into the lighted areas.

 

image.png

 

If Robbo would use his right foot when the ball is to his right side, this is how much of the pitch he could use.

 

I can't help but think how much this limits our whole team.

 

He has energy to burn and a great attitude, and this makes up for many shortfalls.

 

But, I'll be honest, this really isn't good enough.  People who coach kids know about removing a boot so the kid HAS to play a pass with their weaker foot, and soon builds up confidence.

 

Honestly, if I was Jurgen, I would be really honest with Robbo and say this has to improve.  It is costing the whole team.

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Understand completely what you’re saying, it annoys me that professional footballers, on the money they are on, can be labelled one-footed. It’s like cutting your toolbox in two and only using half your toolkit.
The issue with Robbo is that he’s too long in the tooth now to make any significant changes to his game. He won’t be improving his right foot too much I think.

 

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