Callum Robinson failed to fire West Bromwich Albion Robinson must be one of the players to rise to the occasion over the course of the season. The Republic of Ireland international has not been particularly notable during his career to date. His record of one goal in 18 appearances for Ireland attests to his issues in front of the net. The forward enjoyed the best years of his career at Preston North End in the 2016/17 campaign when he scored ten goals in 42 games, and then again in the 2018/19 term when he fired home 12 goals in 27 matches. The second effort earned him his Premier League move to Sheffield United, but his return since then has been underwhelming, to say the least.
With the support of the Baggies and the tutelage of Ismael, Robinson has his second opportunity and he must be willing to take it. Robinson was once one of the most promising forwards in the Championship, but unlike Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney, he wasn’t able to take the next step. Becoming the driving force behind a surge for promotion for West Brom will allow him to get back on the right trajectory and into the top flight once more, where he can go out to prove a point
lear of relegation last season as the Baggies plummeted back down to the Championship after only one term in the Premier League. In 28 appearances, Robinson scored only five times, although two of those efforts came in a famous 5-2 win for Sam Allardyce’s men against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Robinson flashed talent on occasions following his move from Sheffield United, which saw Oliver Burke make the switch in the opposite direction. However, he lacked the consistency that the Baggies required in the final third. Allardyce’s departure paved the way for Valerian Ismael to take charge at the Hawthorns after an impressive stint as the manager for Barnsley, who narrowly missed out on a place in the Premier League after losing out in the playoffs.
With a small squad, Robinson will be a key part of Ismael’s plan to drive the Baggies back to the top flight, and they are one of the leading contenders in the English Football League Championship betting odds at 6/4 to return to the Premier League. It shouldn’t be forgotten that the 26-year-old has already proved his worth for Ismael by notching a vital strike to earn West Brom a point on the road in their season opener against Bournemouth.
The Baggies battled back twice from behind to earn a share of the spoils against a club that will have similar ambitions of their own of reaching the Premier League. It was a promising sign for Ismael in that his team responded to adversity and for Robinson as an individual as he answered the call for his manager.
The Baggies weren’t prolific in their run to promotion in the 2019/20 campaign under Slaven Bilic. Hal Robson-Kanu and Charlie Austin finished the term as joint top-scorers with ten strikes apiece to their name. Matt Phillips, Matheus Pereira and Grady Diangana were also influential in the final third, allowing goals to flow from the midfield. The departures of Robson-Kanu, Austin and Pereira have left a huge void for the Baggies to fill in their return to the second tier.
Robinson must be one of the players to rise to the occasion over the course of the season. The Republic of Ireland international has not been particularly notable during his career to date. His record of one goal in 18 appearances for Ireland attests to his issues in front of the net. The forward enjoyed the best years of his career at Preston North End in the 2016/17 campaign when he scored ten goals in 42 games, and then again in the 2018/19 term when he fired home 12 goals in 27 matches. The second effort earned him his Premier League move to Sheffield United, but his return since then has been underwhelming, to say the least.
With the support of the Baggies and the tutelage of Ismael, Robinson has his second opportunity and he must be willing to take it. Robinson was once one of the most promising forwards in the Championship, but unlike Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney, he wasn’t able to take the next step. Becoming the driving force behind a surge for promotion for West Brom will allow him to get back on the right trajectory and into the top flight once more, where he can go out to prove a point
