Tuesday 9 February 2010

Bowen speaks on Robinho

Our former assisstant manager becomes, I think, the first member of the Mark Hughes team to speak publicly since their dismissal just before Christmas. (Of course, Hughes made a statement through the LMA but it was very carefully worded and so is quite different from this sort of media engagement.) Bowen was speaking about Robinho - not exactly his favourite player at City:

"He took a lot of stick, but he did massively underperform, especially away from home," said Bowen.

"I just thought that, physically, he wasn't really up to the challenges of the Premier League."

"There is no doubting that if and when he went to another league, or back to Brazil, it would be a different style of football and it would suit him better," said Bowen.

"We always felt he could possibly blossom and get used to the Premier League but he wasn't really up to the week in week out challenges."

The sentiments themselves aren't a surprise - everyone knew this is how Hughes and Bowen felt about Robinho - but seeing them expressed publicly is still interesting. It will be worth keeping a close eye for more public utterances from Hughes, Bowen, Niedzwiecki etc, to shed more light on their time at City and the circumstances of their departure. And with a return to management rumoured for Hughes, we could well hear more quite soon.

4 comments:

Rank Foundation said...

bowen was on the radio, and that tosser was trying to get bowen to slag off city and mancini but he wouldnt. I would suggest they wouldnt reveal much anyway.


+plus many also think bowen wasnt up to it either!

Rios Dos Santos said...

Talking of Mancini's tactics, Robinho told the Daily Mail: "He has a different way of thinking. In Brazil, the coach respects the player's characteristics.

"In Europe, they are used to playing with two lines of four players and they don't want to know what you can do."

"There, if you are a forward, the coach sends you on to the pitch just to run. You have to run and that's it."


What???? Just run and that's it?
What a joker.

He won't even come close to understanding Mancini's advanced tactics with an attitude like that!

Give us our money back and have fun in Brazil. At least it's sunny over there!

(from MEN news)

jackblue said...

Well I for one would never accuse Rob of doing any running (except of course, home to Brasil).

Nicholine said...

Hughes would never have bought Robinho given the choice. I am sure he would have spent the 32 million much more wisely. All Bowen is doing is telling everyone what we already knew -- that Robinho is a lightweight and was not tough enough for the EPL. It's interesting to note that not many Brazilians have been able to adjust to the rigours of the English game. Robinho can slag City and the Premiership off all he wants but we all know it is a smokescreen. It was too hot for him and so he got out of the kitchen.