27 Jan 2013

'I like him' - Hamann expects first-team promotion for LFC starlet. Good enough...?

Reds legend Alan Hansen famously once said 'you'll never win anything with kids'. FSG and Liverpool coach Brendan Rodgers clearly don't subscribe to that philosophy, and with 20-year old Philippe Coutinho set to join the club this week, it's clear that youth well and truly is the future at Anfield. Young players have featured heavily in the first team this year, and LFC hero Dietmar Hamann believes that another Reds youngster is on the verge of making the breakthrough.

Discussing the club's player policy this week, Hamann argued that Liverpool's penchant for buying young players comes mostly from FSG and not Rodgers, and pinpointed one particular youngster he believes is good enough for a permanent promotion to the first team. He tweeted:

"I really like Jack Robinson, and I think he'll be a regular in the first team before too long"

Robinson - one of the youngest-ever players to feature for Liverpool's first team - is in his fourth season at Anfield now, and in that time, he's made just ten appearances overall, and only three of those came in the Premier League.

The 19-year old is on five appearances for this season so far, which matches his combined total for the previous three years, which is clearly a good sign of progress.

Last year, Robinson received a call-up to the England Under-21 squad for the Euro 2013 play-off against Serbia, something that delighted Brendan Rodgers, who enthused:

“Young Jack has been doing very well. He’s had a lot of exposure to the first team as a young player already, but he’s done very well recently and it’s good news for him"

Robinson is desperate for more chances in the first team, and in a recent interview, he vowed to seize his chance to impress:

"I think this is a big chance for me to impress this season. This year has been the best year for me. I've been injury free and managed to get a few games for the first team, so it has been really good so far. As long as I can keep improving in my game and show the manager what I can do then hopefully he'll give me a few more chances."

To be honest, with Jose Enrique, Glen Johnson (and even Stewart Downing) ahead of him at left back, it's difficult to see how Robinson is going to make the breakthrough over the next couple of years.

If Enrique leaves in the summer then he may get the chance to step up, and he's talented enough to have a similar impact on the team as Andre Wisdom, who's come in and taken over the right-back slot. However, if Enrique leaves, it's probable the club will buy another left-back to replace him, which could curtail the youngster's chances even more.

Robinson is, however, a confident guy, and he's certain that if he gets the chance, he can make the position his own:

"I've got to keep improving and showing people what I'm about, and if I get the chance then I'm sure I can make that position mine one day."

After scouting him several times, Nigel Clough is reportedly interested in signing Robinson for Derby County, and perhaps a move (or a loan) would be the best thing for his development...?

Jaimie Kanwar

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22 comments:

  1.  i cant see jose leaving ...........if robinson is to play he needs to step up full stop...hs gone backwards in my view

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  2. why should Jose leave us?

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  3. For me we have the perfect situation. Joe Enrique as the experienced first choice and Robinson as backup to play when needed and in the cups. 

    We should be playing round pegs in round holes. For me whilst Johnson does a good job at left back we need him doing a brilliant job at right back. 

    If either of Kelly or Wisdom move into what appears to be their natural position of centre back we will need Johnson at right back more. 

    I wouldn't be rushing to buy a new centre back with those two available. Coates can go and Carra is cover but we really should only be buying a centre back if we can find someone genuinely better than Sktrel. 

    Less squad player purchases - more straight into the first team purchases. 

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  4. Not often I agree with you Jaimie but you are spot on here. Robinson is badly in need of a loan move. 4 months of 1st team football in the championship would help everyone guage exactly where he is at the momnent and hopefully return a player better able to push for our 1st team...

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  5. I agree this is another good option. I particularly think Flannigan needs to go out on Loan as well. We have a good crop of youngster who at around 19-20 would benefit from short term loans. 

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  6. P.S - if he doesn't get a game today then the loan argument has even more legs. 

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  7. Why always speculating on Enrique leaving? Anyone one would think you have a personal vendetta against him..?

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  8. Exactly. Well said DerBaumMann

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  9. Enrique will be going nowhere, he's been one of our best attacking players so far.
     we need his strength and power in the team, we have no better at the moment and even if we do get better in the summer this is just what top sides need, good competition for places all over the pitch will keep everyone on their toes...#need Enrique!!!

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  10. I think ALL young players that have two players ahead of them in a position. Flanagan, Robinson, Coady, Yesil etc, send them out on loan to preferably a Prem team or championship. It'll improve them and we can see whether they really do have what it takes.

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  11. He's in the lineup today, lets observe. Sahin loved him when they played together

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  12. is that commentators curse or what Robinson was extremely poor against Oldham, damn

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  13. Robinson was poor today. He needs games, he needs to go on loan.

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  14. I'm not sure about Robinson, and today's performance has just underlined that. He is still only 19, though, and a loan spell in the Championship may be a good idea for his development. Right now he clearly isn't good enough for our first team.

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  15. Flanagan is injured most of the time, at least that's the impression I get.

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  16. Seeing as you hope he'll return to the club one day, Jaimie, let's just hope he won't be in charge of scouting or youth development. His eye for talent seems to let him down more than anything else..

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  17. Robinson Enrique no contest jose great footballer

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  18. If we keep loaning out young good players, then the squad will forever be thin. And this is what Brendan was complaining about - a thin squad - earlier this season. This is a job for Brendan to figure it out on how to blend them and rotate them into the squad over the season. And the players we are buying these days are young players in their early 20's. So we might as well blend the existing young crop of players into the team over time.

    Robinson is good enough for the 1st team and he will do good.

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  19. This prick is everything that's wrong with the club now.a very poor player with a bad attitude who thinks he is much better then he is 18years old and telling a snr player to F off on worldwide tv .

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  20. he is crap there is better players in the irish league he was fault 4 oldhams third goal crap

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  21. What was more worrying was his attitude. I didnt like him mouthing Suarez off one bit.  Maybe its an indicator why he hasn't been getting too many games under Rodgers though off all the youngsters, he probably had the least number of seniors above him.

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  22. Robinson should be sold NOW - better youngsters than him already at the club - USELESS YESTERDAY

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