Robinson - retired from international football

[birdieman]

Paul Robinson at the age of 30 has decided to hang up his international boots to concentrate on club football.

What does this say to you? It says to me this -

"I can't be bothered playing for my country, it's too much hassle with flights, being away from home, playing in summer when I want to be on holiday, I'm in the huff cos I got dropped, I don't like the foreign coach, I don't like media scrutiny that follows the England team and I don't get paid enough to do it."

Very poor show imo. It's like going AWOL in the Army. Do your duty for your country and appreciate how bloody lucky you are in life to be able to do that. Millions of kids would give anything to play international football but Robinson (and others) can't be bothered.

Surely even if you feel old, if your national coach calls on your services then surely you should go, he thinks you're good enough and it's supposed to be an honour too isn't it?

For a goalkeeper in particular, who can play longer than an outfield player and often get better with age, 30 seems a very young age to make that call. Robinson could've played for England for 10 years more!

I sort of understand Paul Scholes at his age doing it but don't agree with it. I feel if your country wants you, you should play.

Any views?

 

[medwayjon]

I agree.

I think his attitude is "Id rather be on the golf course than sat on the bench"

 

[stevek1969]

I think he maybe realised he'd be 3rd choice behind Hart and Foster,never thought much of him any way tended to have a few floggers when it mattered.

At the end of the day these guys get paid by there clubs not there country ,if he gets injured and is out for 6 months the club suffers not England a bit of Catch 22 ,but he's only 30 roughly prime time for a keeper.

 

[DingleBerry]

can u blame him after the way he was treated just because he had 1 howler in the England shirt

 

[birdieman]

Yes but even if he gets injured he still gets paid by his club, it's only a loss to the club, not the player really.

Maybe international football is irrelevant and has had it's day?

 

[birdieman]

Doubt you would see that with the German team squad - no primadonnas, just a great ethic and pride in working hard for the team and country, not yourself.

 

[stevek1969]

The Germans were a breath of fresh air in the World Cup,read an interview with Ballack after the World Cup and he said he expects to walk straight back into the side,i think not they played with pace not like when he plays at snails pace.

Back to England they don't seem to have a whole bunch of youngsters bursting thru tho like the Germans did.

 

[Marko77]

He obviously has his reasons. Why would you want to put yourself in a situation where the most likely media and fan attention is going to be negative? At least at club level the fans have your back (most of the time).

 

[medwayjon]

can u blame him after the way he was treated just because he had 1 howler in the England shirt

Very true.

If an outfield player makes a cock-up he has someone behind him, a keeper is on his own.

Robbo's wasnt even his fault.

 

[pokerjoke]

can u blame him after the way he was treated just because he had 1 howler in the England shirt

Very true.

If an outfield player makes a cock-up he has someone behind him, a keeper is on his own.

Robbo's wasnt even his fault.

Totally agree he was Englands number one and it looked like he would be there for years and he would have but for one mistake,i for one totally agree with his decision he is definately 3rd or fourth choice.

 

[Atticus_Finch]

I can totally understand his decision.
Get built up like a legend every 2 years and then be systematically destroyed by the press when it invariably doesn't work out as expected.
I wouldn't put myself through that either and I think his decision may be the thin end of the wedge if attitudes don't change down south.

 

[Yerman]

I don't understand this "retiring from international football guff", unless your Pele, or someone who has achieved everything you can, you should be proud to be chosen for your country. Suppose the troops had the same attitude- desertion pure and simple.

 

[GB72]

Is there something going on here, Wes Brown has just retired from international football as well.

 

[Kellfire]

Yes, it's players of a certain age wanting to give themselves summers off football to prolong their career rather than spend it sitting on the bench doing nothing for their country, knowing they're neither appreciated or wanted.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I think Robinson has made a good choice. Whilst its great to be called into the squad he was clearly going to be 3rd choice and where is the fun in sitting on the bench watching. I would have thought he'd have spoken to Capello and asked him what his chances of being No1 again were.

Brown is more of a surprise as I think he still had plenty of England caps in him. I wonder if he's worried about this new era (allegedly). It does seem a strange one

 

[Kellfire]

Brown is getting on in years himself.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Only 30 so Brown had a couple more years I'd have thought.

 

[Kellfire]

Not a good age for an injury prone player to be trying to cement a first team place at both United and England.

 

[medwayjon]

Wes Brown is incredibly overrated and flattered by the company keeps.

If he was in a mid-table side without a team full of quality to cover his arse he would struggle.

 

[Kellfire]

Nonsense. Not got the discipline to make it at CB at the top level but as a RB, before the ankle injuries kicked in, he was in fantastic form at RB and arguably the best in the league at the time. He excelled in the Champions League run that ended with the win over Chelsea and, if he found that form again, would walk into every team in the league at right back (thought admittedly there isn't an abundance of great right backs in the Premier League). He'd also be a starting CB at most teams.