Thoughts on Ethan Robson?

ParkerAteMyKebab

Well-known member
Anyone concerned if we let him go? Real let down for me. Thought he would be our key player last season but for whatever reason just didn't gel in the side.

Blackpool will let Ethan Robson leave the club this summer, as per a report by Football Insider. Blackpool will give the ‘green light’ for the midfielder to head out on loan for next season.​

Robson, who is 24-years-old, is believed to be on the radar of Scottish Premiership duo Rangers and Motherwell.

Clubs in the Football League are also said to be keen on luring him away from Bloomfield Road.

Robson helped Blackpool gain promotion to the Championship last season and made 37 appearances in all competitions for Neil Critchley’s side.

He only joined the Tangerines last summer but they could let him leave already.

The left-footed midfielder started his career at Sunderland and went on to play 14 times for the Black Cats.

He had loan spells away from the Stadium of Light at Dundee and Grimsby Town to gain experience before he was released last year.

Blackpool swooped in for him and are now gearing up for life in the second tier. They have signed defender Reece James and goalkeeper Daniel Grimshaw since sealing promotion.
 
He was brought in to play in a midfield 3 ... as soon as we changed formation after a poor start to the season the writing was on the wall for him ... I'm not surprised he's leaving as we will need to free up his place in the squad for better players.
 
Thought he started off very well and then seemed to be out of favour when KD came in followed by KS. Don’t think he’ll get a regular game next season at all so yeh let him go out on loan.
 
He is a decent player, but he has not really grabbed his chance when he has played. As the squad has improved he has just been overtaken by others and is only likely to be an occasional sub at the moment. A loan seems a good option, providing it gives him regular football at a decent level and an opportunity to step up and show what he can do.
 
5th choice centre midfielder as it stands and I’m assuming we’re going to get some depth there - don’t think it’s a bad thing for us to send him on loan and then reaccess next summer
 
I didn't think he was good enough to be playing at the top end of League 1, never mind Championship.

Couldn't really work out what kind of player he was either, whether he was better suited as holding, or a little further up as a 10.
 
Bit of a shame with Robson

He was signed with a bit of a fanfare

The number 6, the deep lying playmaker, the key player at the base of the midfield

Unfortunately the system at the start of the season left him completely over run as the only holding midfield player and he's struggled once we brought in Stewart and Dougall

Still think there is a player in there but not as a holding midfield player in that bizarre 4123 that we started the season playing
 
I like him, he is good both technically and athletically. As above he isn't as good as Stewart and Dougall in a holding role, nor as good as Ward playing slightly in front of them. If a good loan opportunity comes up at a club that will play him, it would probably be for the best.
 
I think he’s a good player, more a holding midfielder, think when we started getting forward quicker he didn’t fit, hence the subs to shore things up later in the games.
don’t think he’ll feature much for us next season though
 
I think he’s a good player, more a holding midfielder, think when we started getting forward quicker he didn’t fit, hence the subs to shore things up later in the games.
don’t think he’ll feature much for us next season though
I think this is probably right. He's a very good footballer but doesn't fit the team. Our formation and tactics evolved and he didn't fit. He's one of our most talented players though I reckon, he looked much better than Ward early season, and has more ability than Virtue, but Virtue does the running. Seems a shame we can't accommodate a player with his ability to me.
 
It’s always a shame when a transfer in doesn’t work. He’s decent but a bit of a square peg. Wish him well in the future.
 
I think this is probably right. He's a very good footballer but doesn't fit the team. Our formation and tactics evolved and he didn't fit. He's one of our most talented players though I reckon, he looked much better than Ward early season, and has more ability than Virtue, but Virtue does the running. Seems a shame we can't accommodate a player with his ability to me.
As people have said above, I think Robson is decent, probably not going to have a major role with us next year though as it stands. I cant agree about Virtue though, I think he's an excellent midfielder; does the work as you say, but links up play well, has end product regularly and is clearly a good team player, rated by Critchley. Fitness is my only concern.
 
I think there's a player in there and wouldn't be in a rush to sell him. If Critch wants rid already he mustn't like what he sees. So I'll trust the gaffer on this one.
 
Yes, there's been plenty of water under the bridge since Virtue last played. I have often wondered what Mr C. will do with him when fit. He may show some loyalty given Virtue's background , however, he seems to ( Critchley) have a ruthless streak for a "tiny little man" so I will watch with great interest.
 
I think there's a player in there and wouldn't be in a rush to sell him. If Critch wants rid already he mustn't like what he sees. So I'll trust the gaffer on this one.
If it's a loan it maybe suggests we don't want rid completely? Why not just sell? We'll only have a years option next summer though I think.
 
If it's a loan it maybe suggests we don't want rid completely? Why not just sell? We'll only have a years option next summer though I think.
We could try and drum up more interest by giving him a chance to play for someone else. There may not be any takers for a fee we'd consider at the moment. Who knows? Lots at play.
 
With Robson sometimes circumstances dictate how they fit in to to a team/setup & perhaps he’s been unlucky, if he goes elsewhere he could prove very useful. I wish him well either with us or away. Virtue looks like he’s got the tools to be a top player IMHO & has been very unlucky with firstly COVID-19 then the serious knee injury. He may come back & get back to his best I don’t know, when these things happen you can get overtaken by other players & not get the opportunity to return. That’s why other teams get players & their fans say why did he get released, look at Ward. We’ll just have wait to see.
 
With Robson sometimes circumstances dictate how they fit in to to a team/setup & perhaps he’s been unlucky, if he goes elsewhere he could prove very useful. I wish him well either with us or away. Virtue looks like he’s got the tools to be a top player IMHO & has been very unlucky with firstly COVID-19 then the serious knee injury. He may come back & get back to his best I don’t know, when these things happen you can get overtaken by other players & not get the opportunity to return. That’s why other teams get players & their fans say why did he get released, look at Ward. We’ll just have wait to see.
Yes, same happened to Dougall at Barnsley. If Virtue doesn't really recover we'll be short of midfielders though. And Robson offers different things, a greater passing range for example. He's different from KD and KS.
 
Thought he had bags of talent but positional sense of a school boy which is presumably why he was dropped. In Critch I trust if he keeps him or let’s him go.
 
Thought he had bags of talent but positional sense of a school boy which is presumably why he was dropped. In Critch I trust if he keeps him or let’s him go.
That's really harsh .........

It was manager who set up the team at the start of the season with Robson as the only recognised defensive midfield player in a system that just didnt work

Making a scapegoat out of Robson is pretty poor form
 
Thought he looked decent at the beginning of the season, as we saw later though he will struggle to get in the squad over Dougall and Stewart so if he wants a move away or we're looking to move him on because of that then it is fair enough.

Good luck to him, he seemed a good professional to me coming in towards the end after not playing for so long and doing a job.
 
Personally l don't think he is a defensive midfielder, I can only go off the games that Holloway gave him at Grimsby.
With the forward running and the quality of the goals he scored, I thought we had signed the new Charlie.
We have never played him in that role.
 
Personally l don't think he is a defensive midfielder, I can only go off the games that Holloway gave him at Grimsby.
With the forward running and the quality of the goals he scored, I thought we had signed the new Charlie.
We have never played him in that role.
Yeah from what I saw he was more of a ball player than a ball winner. He might be good alongside a "ratter" like Dougall or Virtue. If he gets sold at this point it's safe to assume Critch hasn't seen what he expected to and that's fine by me. We have plenty in midfield and can always add more depth if needed.
 
Honestly think Virtue should be going out on loan before Robson.
Isn't Virtue recovering from an operation on knee ligament damage and wasn't he on crutches at Wembley? If so, he will be many months before he is even back in training and no one will want him on loan
 
He’s actually sixth choice when you consider Reece James played CM for Donny and was one of their standout performers.
 
As people have said above, I think Robson is decent, probably not going to have a major role with us next year though as it stands. I cant agree about Virtue though, I think he's an excellent midfielder; does the work as you say, but links up play well, has end product regularly and is clearly a good team player, rated by Critchley. Fitness is my only concern.
I honestly think Virtue could be our best centre midfielder, can do everything - just has to shake his injuries...
 
That's a matter of opinion. 🤓
Yes it is, I think it’s Critchleys opinion too though and don’t expect him to play a game this season. will benefit from a loan as the lad has played a handful of league games in his career
 
This is a big stretch IMO when you consider the talents of Ward, Dougall and Stewart but I do like Virtue.
Has Virtue ever managed consistent games? That’s what I’m trying to get at - say he kept injury free all season and played the majority of minutes he’d be class, not intending to downgrade what those 3 are/do cause I think they’re great, but I think Virtue is very underrated by most on here
 
That's really harsh .........

It was manager who set up the team at the start of the season with Robson as the only recognised defensive midfield player in a system that just didnt work

Making a scapegoat out of Robson is pretty poor form
I’m not making a scapegoat out of anyone, I actually think he has got bags of talent and would be happy if he stayed. But Critch has seen something he doesn’t like otherwise he would of played him far more and not brought Stewart in. My suggestion of Positional sense is something I spotted early season that can be taught.
 
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A talented lad just not really worked out her for some reason it happens quite often in football the fit for the team isnt quite there but good luck if he does move on.
 
Robson's a good player. I can see him going on loan but not yet. Give him a chance to play himself in during pre-season and take it from there. Acting now suggests Critchley has lost patience with him which would be unusual given he was one of the manager's first signings.
 
Honestly think Virtue should be going out on loan before Robson.
Sadly agree - two season ago when Larry came in, I saw Virtue as one of our main players - had ability, guile, strength and character but the injuries and actually improvement in squad have pushed him down the running order. I think Critch will allow him to stay if he wants but he's a young lad and will want to prove himself again and a loan will offer him that.
 
In the past have moved on players as they are crap, but increasingly we will be moving on players as they do not fit with our lofty aspirations even though they can do a job and have ability. Who would have thought it eh? .
 
If it's a loan it maybe suggests we don't want rid completely? Why not just sell? We'll only have a years option next summer though I think.
Loan with an option to make it permanent in the next window to make it easier to get an agreement to move him. Like they did with Hardie and Plymouth? Or take on full wages for the year like Northampton & Nuttall in lieu of a transfer fee?

Not really done anything right or wrong. Just seems to have been a victim of jumping from one midfielder to another whenever players have been offered to the club. I thought he was going to Motherwell in January but it looked like Bolton came in with an offer on TDD to take on the rest of MJ Williams' contract and that freed up a squad place instead.
 
He looked to me like a good traditional 442 midfield player and got overrun early I. The season. The grit and ability of Dougall and the experience and quality of Stewart relegated him to a bit part and he hasn’t shone when he has had the off run out. A loan to a good league one club or sale I think, but he isn’t a bad player.
 
Virtue fits Critchleys play style perfectly. High energy, confident, goal scoring midfielder. He’ll put the leg work in, always be bursting into the box on a counter attack and is a responsible player hence being captain of Liverpool academy team.

I can see him being behind Yates as that 8/10 role in more difficult games away where he can drop into 3 central midfielders but bust a gut to get up to support our front 3

Think many under rate him on here?

As for Robson, I’m not too bothered either way. I can’t see him ahead of the other 4 midfielders and even Antwi might develop into back up to KnK in the engine room
 
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