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John Robertson


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Nottingham Forest paying tribute to the former Scotland winger on their website today. They show a clip of him laying on the winner for Trevor Francis in the European Cup Final against Malmö. It struck me immediately how similar the goal is to Aberdeen's when McGhee set up Hewitt for the winner against Real.

Anyway, cracking player Robbo was and one of my favourites from back in the day when we were any good! ?

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2 hours ago, Robbo `81 said:

My All-Time favourite footballer.....

Even named myself on here in honour of his finest moment !  :-)

 

He was brilliant.

I remember being devastated when Willie Johnston's Scotland career came to an abrupt end, but was quickly forgotten when he was replaced by a player the calibre of Robbo.

 

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I mind Cloughie in his book saying Robertson always used to walk onto the training pitch holding a fag, but he'd hold it inwards to hide it, lit part in the palm "like a prisoner". Cloughie turned a blind eye to it as when it came to match day all he needed was that half yard he created on the wing before consistently firing it pinpoint crosses ??

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1 hour ago, McTeeko said:

I mind Cloughie in his book saying Robertson always used to walk onto the training pitch holding a fag, but he'd hold it inwards to hide it, lit part in the palm "like a prisoner". Cloughie turned a blind eye to it as when it came to match day all he needed was that half yard he created on the wing before consistently firing it pinpoint crosses ??

He also had deceptive push and run speed over 5 yards or so. 

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15 hours ago, daviebee said:

I remember he was absolutely rank fkin awful in his debut v N Ireland in 78.  What a player he became though.

Set up the winner for Forest in 79 with his left peg and scored the winner in 80 with his right.  He'd be worth gazillions at today's prices.

I don't disagree with your valuation as I thought he was an all time great but would he actually make it as a player these days with all the statistical and analytical gubbings that goes around being a player. It always surprises me how in England and Scotland you can do 10 pints on a Saturday night and nobody bats an eyelid but if you smoke you appear to have killed your career for some reason. 

I think, from all accounts, Clough saved him but would Clough make it as a manager these days? Both genuinely incredible one offs

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1 hour ago, joecraigfanclub said:

I don't disagree with your valuation as I thought he was an all time great but would he actually make it as a player these days with all the statistical and analytical gubbings that goes around being a player. It always surprises me how in England and Scotland you can do 10 pints on a Saturday night and nobody bats an eyelid but if you smoke you appear to have killed your career for some reason. 

I think, from all accounts, Clough saved him but would Clough make it as a manager these days? Both genuinely incredible one offs

I think a great player OF any era would most likely be a great player IN any era.  For example the cash swilling around nowadays would likely be enough of a motivator to get anyone off the fags and get their fitness levels up.  Billy Bremner smoked as well and not many would say he wouldn't make it as a player in today's game.  Even if Robbo was lacking pace to play on the wing in the modern game he could've fitted in anywhere else.

Clough would likely be a different case.  I doubt if any of the spoilt pansies nowadays would put up with the way he treated some players.  I'm sure he decked Roy Keane at the end of one game.  He'd likely spend most of his time in front of employment tribunals!

Showing my age a bit but I remember John Robertson was actually picked for an England squad before he was called up by us!  Nobody bothered to check, they just assumed.

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3 hours ago, daviebee said:

I think a great player OF any era would most likely be a great player IN any era.  For example the cash swilling around nowadays would likely be enough of a motivator to get anyone off the fags and get their fitness levels up.  Billy Bremner smoked as well and not many would say he wouldn't make it as a player in today's game.  Even if Robbo was lacking pace to play on the wing in the modern game he could've fitted in anywhere else.

Clough would likely be a different case.  I doubt if any of the spoilt pansies nowadays would put up with the way he treated some players.  I'm sure he decked Roy Keane at the end of one game.  He'd likely spend most of his time in front of employment tribunals!

Showing my age a bit but I remember John Robertson was actually picked for an England squad before he was called up by us!  Nobody bothered to check, they just assumed.

I think you make an interesting point. Again, showing my age, Gerd Muller was a one off goal machine but I had a conversation with a guy recently about would he have made it today? Didn't track back, small, lacked pace but the ball would go in the net off any part of anatomy. I like to think Bremner would have been smart enough to adapt his game to the new rules but am not 100% convinced. 

Regarding management I struggle with Liverpool fans and the Shankly way nonsense. Players in those days were slaves and now you have to deal with agents, non English speaking players, freedom of movement, social media, etc. Its a completely different world.

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