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I have to say the 35k for Zebs will seem like pretty poor business if we3 end up going down by the skin of our teeth - which would obviously cost the club a damned sight more. In addition I don't think the funds would be avalable to haul us back out again this time around either!

I'm not saying we would go down just because Zebroski has gone but he would have made a difference and at the moment we seem to be ihaemorrhaging players capable of making that difference come the end of the season at an alarming rate! Not trying to be a doom merchant, just saying that even an unhappy Zebs may have been worth more to us than the 35k.

Oh, and I too would like to tell PB to jog on. Talk about taking the p1ss!

Note to self - change my fave player on my profile!

You naughty posters. This is a Robertson thread! :rules:

Imagine if he were to come on here and had to read through the same old nonsense about Zebs, blah blah blah, ad nauseum.

If the player (Robertson) wants to go and Ming is happy for him to go, let him go.

If anyone thinks Robertson is miles ahead of Ellis in the art of defending, they need their head checked. Both are at a similar stage of their careers and both are capable starters who need a more experienced head alongside.

If we get money for Robbo, i'll be more than happy. Else, he's not going anywhere without the manager's approval.

Edit: Oooh, lots of ifs and no buts!

Fair comment Steve it has descended to a Zebs thread. Like i said with regard to robertson, like Zebroski would go with a thanks very much for the contribution good luck for the future from me. He's also a lot easier to replace in that his replacement is here already.

royalgull wrote:Fair comment Steve it has descended to a Zebs thread. Like i said with regard to robertson, like Zebroski would go with a thanks very much for the contribution good luck for the future from me. He's also a lot easier to replace in that his replacement is here already.

Please share?

Robertson's replacement is Ellis.

royalgull wrote:Robertson's replacement is Ellis.

Sorry - I thought you were talking about Zeb.

However - Ellis has more mistakes in his game than Robertson who is far more consistent.

Younger and less experienced. Ellis showed in the first half of last season he has it in his locker, it's just about getting a consistency in his game which will come with age/games. if we lose Robertson we'll need some more cover than Leadbitter or Oastler which would come via a loan i imagine. But it's Ellis' time to step up now and be one of the first names on the sheet every week.

There isn't much if anything between Robertson and Ellis in my opinion. As for Zebroski obviously his replacement isn't here, unless one of the youngsters suddenly does a Carayol and just turns good. That's more hope than any founded expectation though.

royalgull wrote:Younger and less experienced. Ellis showed in the first half of last season he has it in his locker, it's just about getting a consistency in his game which will come with age/games. if we lose Robertson we'll need some more cover than Leadbitter or Oastler which would come via a loan i imagine. But it's Ellis' time to step up now and be one of the first names on the sheet every week.

There isn't much if anything between Robertson and Ellis in my opinion. As for Zebroski obviously his replacement isn't here, unless one of the youngsters suddenly does a Carayol and just turns good. That's more hope than any founded expectation though.

I agree with that but would worry if Ellis was learning his trade in a struggling team. Lets hope thats not the case.

I would put him slightly above the 'learning his trade' part of his career but i see what you're saying. He's played half a season last year, half a season of the one before as well as a bit in BSP, so he does have some experience and knows what he's doing back there. He just needs to improve his consistency in his game which just comes with continued games and a bit like Stevens make it tougher for the manager to drop him, put those really good performances in for 46 games not 26. His concentration goes awry at times and that's something he has to sort out, this is where I think Robertson has been preferred, he's more likely to just give a steady 7/10 performance. he does have his off days as well but just fewer of them.

If Robbo goes i hope Oastler proves a capable CB. According to someone above, i need my 'head checked' but i do think Robbo is a better defender than Ellis - or at least less prone to errors caused by lapses of concentration. Ellis has all the building blocks to become a decent defender, but there are elements of his game that seemingly haven't developed in 3 years. I certainly wouldn't be as comfortable as some if he was a mainstay of the team at this stage.

In terms of player valuations, it's true any club is up against it when a player expresses a desire to leave, but where do you draw the line? If Buckle offerred us a £1000 and some new match-balls for Robbo, would people argue we should accept it because 'the player will be no use to us as he wants to go'...?

Sort of "official" now as Sky Sports are reporting Rovers interest in signing Robertson...

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528, ... 68,00.html

Mind you, like Andy C says, they may just have picked it up from here!

I really hope he will be the last to go, in fact I wish they all had left a month ago when Buckle left, so that we can now move on and Martin Ling can know exactly what is required. As for a fee, if Zebs is only worth £35k (allegedly!) then I can't see us getting more than £10 - £15k max for Robbo.

It looks as though we will have pretty much a "new" team then, quite possibly a young one at that, come the start of the season. Personally, I don't believe we should be looking at any more "kids" now, we need experience and I hope any new signings from now on in bring that to the table - preferably experience of playing at the level we are at (or above, would be nice!) too. ... which is why I'm not sure it's worth taking a punt on Atieno who at 25 has never really proved himself at any level in this country other than a half decent stint for one season at Tamworth at BSP level a few years back - not what is needed in my book.

i'm in agreement that Robbo is more consistent, but i think Ellis is a better footballer. as many have said, Ellis just seems to switch off occasionally, and it usually proves costly. I also feel that Ellis is a greater attacking threat from corners/free kicks. He obviously needs someone along side him, keeping him alert during the game, and maybe Saah is the man to do that. Not sure if it was true or not, but i heard somewhere on the terraces last season that Branno and Ellis didn't get along, so that was part of the reason for Robbo playing more.

yes, we will need more cover at CB if Robbo goes, but i'd be happy enough starting the season with Ellis and Saah in the middle with Olejnik behind them. Olejnik's part in this should not be under estimated either, as i'm sure he won't let any of his back four switch off in the way Bevan may have done.

and finally, having Shaun Taylor coaching them, i think they'll be well prepared.

Branston thought he played like a headless chicken. To be fair to Branno he does give that impression at times but like you mention, he's such an attacking threat, I'm firmly with Fonda and his description of the merits of the two players though. What would Brucie know anyway, does he go to any games now?

Fonda wrote:If Robbo goes i hope Oastler proves a capable CB. According to someone above, i need my 'head checked' but i do think Robbo is a better defender than Ellis - or at least less prone to errors caused by lapses of concentration. Ellis has all the building blocks to become a decent defender, but there are elements of his game that seemingly haven't developed in 3 years. I certainly wouldn't be as comfortable as some if he was a mainstay of the team at this stage.

In terms of player valuations, it's true any club is up against it when a player expresses a desire to leave, but where do you draw the line? If Buckle offerred us a £1000 and some new match-balls for Robbo, would people argue we should accept it because 'the player will be no use to us as he wants to go'...?

Even buckle wouldn't offer that...i think! , like i said I think he knows the ins and outs of our financial situation and has offered something obviously that we think is fair. Fans may not agree but the club has decided on a fee for Zebroski they feel is right for them in terms of moving a player on at an albeit small profit and saving the money from the highest earner at the club. It's all about who replaces him for me. It was obvious as soon as that final whistle went at Old Trafford that a number of players had played their last game for the club, now it's happening i find it a bit bizarre at the almost outrage that it's happening. Absolutely no players life long ambition (if they are half decent) should be to play for Torquay united. It's a stepping stone to bigger and better things, always has been always will be. We had some good players last year, the chance went and now they are after those moves up. Whilst the division is the same there can surely be no arguement that they have a better chance to achieve their professional aims at a club like Bristol Rovers than Torquay United. Harsh facts of life.

You draw the line once the selling club thinks the offer isn't fair simple as that, they thought the Zebroski fee was fair clearly and it'll be the same for Robertson. The value of the player is always what the selling club is willing to sell at and the buying club is willing to buy for. Comparisons to other players at other times in history going to other clubs are completely pointless in all honesty.