Paul Robinson is an outstanding goalkeeper, making 393 appearances for 3 different teams (Leeds United, Tottenham Hotspur and Blackburn Rovers) in both the Championship and the Premier League, between the years of 1998 and 2013. He has managed 2 goals in his career – surprising for a goalkeeper. This is mainly due to the enormous kick that he possesses, but this kick isn’t just long but accurate.
If we were to sign Paul Robinson this would allow us to move our play 10-15 yards further forward at goal kicks, pilling pressure onto our opponents particularly as (when all our injured players return) we will have Andy Carroll and Mohamed Diame making a nuisance of themselves around the opponents centre-backs. Robinson though has not just been a club player, he has represented his country on 41 occasions and has been to two finals (Euro 2004 and 2006 World cup).
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Jussi Jaaskelainen is 4 years older than Robinson and has a significant height deficit to him (5 inches), this has been a hindrance to the former Finish international this season, who has collected 55 caps from 2005-2009. This has not stopped Jussi being in fine form this season keeping 6 clean sheets which has been vital in getting us to where we are now.
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Jaaskelainen, however is a much more experienced goalkeeper making 610 appearances for 5 teams (MP Mikkeli, VPS Vaasa, Bolton Wanderers and West Ham United). When Jussi signed for West Ham I believe it was with the intention of battling for the No.1 jersey with Stephen Henderson, but it was quickly decided that Henderson was not up to it after a few poor performances in the Capital One Cup and he was sent out on loan. Since then there has been no competition for Jaaskelainen other than Speigal who is in no way ready for the Premier League.
The main point that excites me the most at the prospect of Paul Robinson becoming a West Ham player, is definitely his kicking game (something that Jussi is really lacking as we have come to see over the past few months), and the thought (although up until this season would have filled every hammers mind with dread) of him launching long balls from goal kicks and pass backs towards the likes of Carroll, Diame, Kevin Nolan, and Ricardo Vaz Te. The thing that worries me the most about us acquiring Paul Robinson is also his kicking, as I do not want us to become reliant on his kicking ability, if we do we will quickly be found out by teams.
I don’t want to see my beloved West Ham turned into a route 1 team as we would slowly become and for those that say we already have, I say no. There are still times when the famous chant of last year “We’re West Ham Utd we play on the floor” can be sung from the stands and we can applaud one-touch football around the midfield, but if Paul Robinson is acquired I fear that could all change.
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At the age of 37 I feel that Jaaskelainen could easily spend the rest of his contract at West Ham playing at 80%, and not live up to his past accomplishments. But bring in someone like Paul Robinson who is an experienced former England international, who would be brilliant to have around the training ground helping the younger members of the squad, and you create some competition for Jussi and you then get him playing at 100%. The only question you have to ask is whether these two experienced ex-international goalkeepers will want to compete with each other well into their thirties? I think they will relish the challenge.
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He must have put a stone on over summer and has been truely terrible this season.
He has been deservedly dropped and our young replacement keeper has been twice as good as Robinson
You may need a new keeper but I doubt very much is PR will be better than JJ.
Jussi is 6’3″; Robinson is 6’4″…. now unless Jussi shrunk tremendously or Paul had a growth spurt over the holidays… not sure where the 5 inch deficit came from.
In any case, Robinson would be a nice addition and in fact an upgrade I think. But truth be told Jussi has been a solid surprise this season.
Thought jussi would be disaster this season and did look a bit ropey in first half dozen games. But since then although not in the same class as rob green, he has been largely solid ever since. Although it would be true to say his best years are now behind him. Having said that you can poke Robinson where the sun don’t shine! Truly terrible keeper!