Joel Robles

Charlie Sweet · December 16, 2015

Moomin said:
Bit it's not though, the Semi final Al Habsi was in goal. After that game he does his shoulder in, Robles starts a league game for the first time because of it.

Robles was Roberto's cup keeper. Then and now. Maybe Robles was carrying a knock for the semi but it's just conjecture unless you have a quote from Martinez

Moomin · December 16, 2015

Charlie Sweet said:
Robles was Roberto's cup keeper. Then and now. Maybe Robles was carrying a knock for the semi but it's just conjecture unless you have a quote from Martinez

Al Habsi was carrying a knock for the final, that's why he was on the bench. He played the last league game and done his shoulder so it had to be operated on.

I can see Martinez starting Howard in the semi final, he has done it before to Robles and he will do it again.

Me personally, I'd like a new keeper for the semi final games.

Dithering Dougie · December 16, 2015

Moomin said:
Al Habsi was carrying a knock for the final, that's why he was on the bench. He played the last league game and done his shoulder so it had to be operated on.

I can see Martinez starting Howard in the semi final, he has done it before to Robles and he will do it again.

Me personally, I'd like a new keeper for the semi final games.

Biggest team selection of his career, no way he goes with any understudies if all the squads fit.

He's desperate to kickstart something here and winning this would be the catalyst, it's also another way of proving to the likes of Lukaku and Stones it's worth sticking around for the good times. He's not going to jeopardise this by selecting Robles.

Mikey_Fitzgerald · December 16, 2015

Fearthainn said:
Imagine if Robles performed superbly in the semi final to get us through, only for Howard to be back in goal for the final and gift the RS the winning goal.

Wouldn't happen at any other club, but wouldn't put it past us.

I'm sure some would find a way to absolve Howard of blame

Moomin · December 16, 2015

Dithering Dougie said:
Biggest team selection of his career, no way he goes with any understudies if all the squads fit.

He's desperate to kickstart something here and winning this would be the catalyst, it's also another way of proving to the likes of Lukaku and Stones it's worth sticking around for the good times. He's not going to jeopardise this by selecting Robles.

He will go for experience and start Howard. I know people like to believe in the fairytale that Robles replaced De Gea and he was the keeper highly thought of in Spain before De Gea but it's not true.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Robles will never ever be our first choice keeper. It will be a new keeper next season.

Dithering Dougie · December 16, 2015

Moomin said:
He will go for experience and start Howard. I know people like to believe in the fairytale that Robles replaced De Gea and he was the keeper highly thought of in Spain before De Gea but it's not true.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Robles will never ever be our first choice keeper. It will be a new keeper next season.

Yeah he's a professional benchwarmer like Stuart Taylor or Steve Harper. Happy to get paid and keep quiet.

Mikey_Fitzgerald · December 16, 2015

We'll see, but Martinez is positively gutless if he drops Robles now and will deserve any back lash if it blows up in his face

Robles was the Hero against Norwich and kept a clean sheet against Boro

He's done nothing to deserve being dropped

Meanwhile, the game against Spurs aside, Howard has been below average this season and downright terrible at other times

Robles shouldn't be our first choice next season, as we'll hopefully have a new keeper, but he certainly should be the first choice right now. It's either a kick in the balls or a bullet in the balls, and I'd rather take the former

Dithering Dougie · December 16, 2015

Mikey_Fitzgerald said:
We'll see, but Martinez is positively gutless if he drops Robles now and will deserve any back lash if it blows up in his face

Robles was the Hero against Norwich and kept a clean sheet against Boro

He's done nothing to deserve being dropped

Meanwhile, the game against Spurs aside, Howard has been below average this season and downright terrible at other times

Robles shouldn't be our first choice next season, as we'll hopefully have a new keeper, but he certainly should be the first choice right now. It's either a kick in the balls or a bullet in the balls, and I'd rather take the former

Stop talking balls Mikey.

bluestevon · December 16, 2015

Mikey_Fitzgerald said:
We'll see, but Martinez is positively gutless if he drops Robles now and will deserve any back lash if it blows up in his face

Robles was the Hero against Norwich and kept a clean sheet against Boro

He's done nothing to deserve being dropped

Meanwhile, the game against Spurs aside, Howard has been below average this season and downright terrible at other times

Robles shouldn't be our first choice next season, as we'll hopefully have a new keeper, but he certainly should be the first choice right now. It's either a kick in the balls or a bullet in the balls, and I'd rather take the former

Mikey as you know I'm far far away from being a Howard supporter, but your logic there is ridiculous, most of the major teams rest players in the earlier rounds of especially the league cup, and if a young lad/obvious back up player plays really well in those earlier games then trust me there is no chance on earth that the guaranteed starter wouldn't be coming right back in regardless for a semi or final - Wenger, Ferguson especially can be looked at for doing exactly what your suggesting Martinez should be castigated for doing - should he swap back in Howard.

|Like it or not Howard is regarded by Martinez as the clear number one choice at keeper and much like Barry (who we have rested) is a nailed on starter for the semi's then so will Howard be - hopefully i am wrong and we do start Robles, but i won't start slating Martinez if we don't as he is just going with what he believes is his strongest team - much like i won't criticize him when he plays Howard in the league - even though i personally think it's wrong

toffeejack · December 16, 2015

Dithering Dougie said:
Biggest team selection of his career, no way he goes with any understudies if all the squads fit.

He's desperate to kickstart something here and winning this would be the catalyst, it's also another way of proving to the likes of Lukaku and Stones it's worth sticking around for the good times. He's not going to jeopardise this by selecting Robles.

we would have been knocked out by norwich if howard was in goal. robles is our best keeper so i hope he does keep to his faith in him as cup keeper. it's basically our main focus now that we've virtually thrown away any chance of doing anything of note in the league in the last few games.

Dithering Dougie · December 16, 2015

toffeejack said:
we would have been knocked out by norwich if howard was in goal. robles is our best keeper so i hope he does keep to his faith in him as cup keeper. it's basically our main focus now that we've virtually thrown away any chance of doing anything of note in the league in the last few games.

You're far better than this Jack.

D410 · December 16, 2015

If our CB,s trust Roubles then I would drop Howard but without that trust then we might as well stick with Howard and the weakness to his game.

Mikey_Fitzgerald · December 16, 2015

bluestevon said:
Mikey as you know I'm far far away from being a Howard supporter, but your logic there is ridiculous, most of the major teams rest players in the earlier rounds of especially the league cup, and if a young lad/obvious back up player plays really well in those earlier games then trust me there is no chance on earth that the guaranteed starter wouldn't be coming right back in regardless for a semi or final - Wenger, Ferguson especially can be looked at for doing exactly what your suggesting Martinez should be castigated for doing - should he swap back in Howard.

|Like it or not Howard is regarded by Martinez as the clear number one choice at keeper and much like Barry (who we have rested) is a nailed on starter for the semi's then so will Howard be - hopefully i am wrong and we do start Robles, but i won't start slating Martinez if we don't as he is just going with what he believes is his strongest team - much like i won't criticize him when he plays Howard in the league - even though i personally think it's wrong

If he's prepared to pick Howard in the face of the glut of evidence that he shouldn't, he deserves to be criticised for doing so if it all goes pear shaped

bluestevon · December 16, 2015

Mikey_Fitzgerald said:
If he's prepared to pick Howard in the face of the glut of evidence that he shouldn't, he deserves to be criticised for doing so if it all goes pear shaped

That's a hard rule to use though mate, effectively going to blame him every single game this season that Howard will make a mistake in with that thinking