SportsThoughtsAnother Robinson Howler - Get Him Out For His Own Sake!
None of the English players, despite what they might have been saying before the game, were looking forward to this date with the bitter cold and the plastic grass of Moscow. But with 65 minutes of this tricky tie tie behind them, they were ahead, in control, and in a prime position to secure qualification for next year's European Championship.
And so forth, and so on. You know the rest by now. Rooney's challenge on Konstantin Zyrianov, half a mile outside the box, results in a penalty and Russia's equaliser.
No big deal though: England should have had enough to see the game out and claim the draw they needed.
And then, what every England fan feared: Robinson dropped another clanger.
A shot from Zyrianov, which the England stopper should have dealt with easily. It needed parrying, and Robinson duly batted it away. But instead of knocking it away or behind, he palmed it straignt out into open field in front of the goal; the worst possible place; and sbstitute Roman Nowayimspellingthat knocked it home.
When McLaren was appointed manager I was immensely sceptical. Who is this guy? I thought. Some guy who used to make the tea for Fergie, and who then became just the latest rubbish manager to squander a few of Steve Gibson's millions at 'Boro.
But I've grown to admire him, lately, for his refusal to take the easy option; his willingness to say it like it is. And for the tough decisions he seems to relish taking.
Dropping Lampard is one example of the latter. Another, of course, is his treatment of Paul Robinson, whom he remained loyal to despite a string of shaky displays.
Robinson at his best is an excellent 'keeper. Not as good as Seaman in his later years, or Shilton (obviously), but still very good. In Martin Jol's first season at Tottenham, he was the team's best player, and the single main reason why the team came so close to pipping Arsenal to fourth place.
But, let's be honest. This guy is way out of form, and it's time to drop him.
But not just from the team. I say drop him from the squad. The guy is suffering from a crisis of confidence. Let him forget about international football completely for a while, and concentrate on getting his act together at club level.
'Keepers aren't like ordinary players. You don't rotate them, for starters. You have a 'keeper, and any game of note, you play him. Period. If you keep Robinson floating aroung the England set-up, he will just be watching from the sidelines while some kid like Carson, or old stager David James, plays in his place. This will do absolutely nothing for him.
Meanwhile, if you bring him on as a sub, you will just be setting him up for a fall. Keepers are notoriously rubbish at coming off the bench. The pressure on him will be high, as everyone will be waiting for him to do something stupid.
Get him out of the squad, for his own sake. And for England's. David James and Scott Carson can fight it out for the #1 spot for a while.
And in six months, a year, two years, Paul Robinson will be back.
Mark my words.
