Robinho sets goal target

Chris Bailey

October 27, 2008

HAT-TRICK HERO: Robinho

ROBINHO wants to cap his first season in the Premier League by scoring 30 goals!

The Brazilian superstar took his tally to six for the campaign with a stunning hat-trick to demolish Stoke and promised there was much more to come.

"I am very happy but not completely happy because I feel I have a lot to give and a lot to learn," said the darling of Eastlands and at, £32.5m, Britain's most expensive footballer.

"I will be happy at the end of the league when we have achieved a good season.

"The main objective is for the team to do well but I want to score more than 30 goals."

If Robinho does achieve his objective, City are almost certain to be in the hunt for Europe and there will no complaints from boss Mark Hughes.

"Robinho will get the headlines and rightly so as the finishing was top class but I was as pleased with the defensive performance because that is key to what we are trying to achieve," said Hughes.

Questions

"When you go up against a side set up like Stoke they ask questions of you physically and mentally and we answered that challenge and once we had won the ball back we used it to devastating effect.

"Our attacking threat is there for all to see and I think that people will enjoy watching us but we have to instil in the team is a bloody mindedness to get the job done.

" I thought we saw that yesterday. We made sure we were difficult to beat.

"What is great about Robinho is not only his technical ability but his willingness to work hard for the team and make himself available to teammates.

"His gives his team-mates the confidence to give him the ball in tight areas and is creative with it.

"Opposition teams find it very difficult to combat him. He is in love with the game and plays with a smile on his face - some would say in a typical Brazilian style. He loves to interact with the crowd and our fans have taken him to their hearts and rightly so.

"He gets people off their seats and there are few players in the world that can do that."

How many goals do you think Robinho will score this season? Have your say.

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dave clare, perth australia (27/10/2008 at 09:23)

Trust the man he can do it.

The Pope, Rome (27/10/2008 at 09:25)

We love him!

Bluereed (27/10/2008 at 09:27)

He's potentially the beast player we've ever had,end of story.

Eric, Dutch, 33 years and still here (27/10/2008 at 09:27)

As for all the negatives I have read about this player in the British press and by a few fans on this site, I just simply relish the fact that he is a City-player. ROBINHO A CITY PLAYER ...!!

oil is our god, manchester (27/10/2008 at 09:28)

I hope these idiots who know absolutely nothing about football lay off him now. the man is world class scoring 6 goals in 8 starts for us, we also need Elano consistently in the same side as him to get the best out of him, we can pull sides to pieces with our passing spreading it from left to right,Elano made one pass out wide yesterday that had me drooling as much as the goals the man is class, I am starting to suspect more and more that some of his poor performances last season were down to the personnel around him not being on the same wave length so good is his link up play with Robinho,I think he is now as integral to our team as the great man himself .

Watching City is a very strange experience at the moment, you see flashes of a truly great side developing with some of our game play let down only by some poor defending yesterday we did not concede more down to luck than design and some exceptional keeping from Joe.

I can’t wait until we become consistent, watching MOD2 last night Alan Hansen summed it up saying we play some good stuff already, and we have billions to spend, need I say any more.

I just hope we go to the Riverside now and get something from the game.

The Blue Tool, URMSTON (27/10/2008 at 09:41)

He will score enough.

dr.spock, skara (27/10/2008 at 09:42)

Hope there will be further signings like rob. in jan. Maybe his bemoaners will think again!!. Dr spock, sweden.

Bluereed (27/10/2008 at 10:00)

It should be a privilege to every city supporter,to have someone like Robinho playing for Manchester City.

the brown hatter, worsley (27/10/2008 at 10:01)

already a legend simple as that

Phil Neal's Laxative (27/10/2008 at 10:03)

With the kind of clinical finishing he showed yesterday, anything is possible.

However, do remember that this "target" was stated tongue-in-cheek during a very light-hearted interview (broadcast yesterday evening on GMR). Don't start nagging if he only bags 29!

jackblue, Prescot (27/10/2008 at 10:06)

I forecast that he will score at the very least 6 goals

The Blue Tool, URMSTON (27/10/2008 at 10:08)

Thouroughly enjoyed the game, from start to finish, reminded of a cup game at times. I wouldnt say we have wasted the money we spent on Jo (give him time ) but in Daniel Sturridge i think we have always known that the potential was there, but now he has the quality players around him , to prove himself, he is not just a target man but an exceptionally talented footballer, good for you Daniel. One more thing , a lot of new faces around me ( i have no problem with this) but there are certain people ( you know who you are) who get on there high horse, calling out "where were you last year" etc, leave them be, they are entitled to be there when they want as much as the next person....

A Manc and blue (27/10/2008 at 10:17)

Why are City fans never happy? Leaving the match yeaterday and putting on GMR on in the car there were still people phoning in not to HP. I for one and also many others were over the moon on what we saw. Yes we should be beating Stoke and rightly so, But i witnessed performances not perfect at times as we took the foot of the gas in the first half. But a performance that gives me nothing but hope. ROBBIE IS CLASS END OFF. Who was the last city player to get three in the Prem?

Danny - Salford 'Impeccable' (27/10/2008 at 10:18)

We should all be sitting back and enjoying this at the moment, Robinho has everything to his game, I didn't get to see the likes of Bell, Lee and Summerbee as i wasn't born but this lad is the best player i have ever seen in a City shirt, every time i see him wearing the famous Blue I have to pinch myself, he is truly a great player.

Just a quick word on Elano, he hit one pass on the volley yesterday about thirty yards straight to sturridge's feet, half of the people around me in the south stand just gasped, it was a touch of pure brilliance.

appreciate what we have fellow blues - and that is some genuine world class footballers.

That team should fill that stadium for training sessions, let alone match days!!!!

Dibble (27/10/2008 at 10:24)

scoreing 30 goels in your first Pl season would be an out of this world acheivement. He has the ability
I would be happy if he gets 25, which would still be fantastic.

Who was the last city player to score 20+ goals in season let alone 30 (I think it was the goat).

I think with a better target man upfront someone like Carew at villa he would score more but hopefully in time jo will become that player

mark of the jjbluee fame (27/10/2008 at 10:29)

Lads, oh Lads, oh Lads, oh Lads,

Arnt those Brazilians greedy???

Elano to Robinho, Robinho to Elano, Elano to Robinho GOAL!!!!!!!! wots that all about???

Boring football or wot????

Everytime, come on you Samba boys, give the other lads the ball, dont make them fight you for it!!!

Can you believe, weve got ROBINHO, TACKLING BACK, RUNNING OFF MAKING SPACE FOR OTHER PLAYERS, SCORING GOALS & TO TOP IT OFF...TAKING CORNERS FOR US!!!!

Do you remember under Stuart Pearce we couldnt even buy a goal, Barton even blazed a penalty over the top for gods sake. Look at us now!

Defensive reinforcements & some battlers in midfield in January, Schweisteiger perhaps?

GOD IS A BLUE.

Mark of the jjbluee fame

RJKS, St Retford (27/10/2008 at 10:32)

Simply one of the best foriegn footballers to play in the Englis Premiership !. He joins the likes of; Zola, Henry, Berkamp etc !.

STONEY Mancunia (27/10/2008 at 10:35)

I think Elano has been superb since sweep and Robinho arrived..

MCFC ON TOUR.!

falconi (27/10/2008 at 10:43)

I thought robinho was brilliant today but elano was even better. 5 more £30 million players next summer and then i think we will then be in a position to win the league.

malywilson, Offerton (27/10/2008 at 10:59)

Blue Tool Urmston......Unfortunately for us, there are always going to be a few cretins in a crowd of over 44k. I had 2 ugly munters trying to tell me I was in the wrong seat & I hadn't been all season. Fact of the matter is that I am a season ticket holder & have been to every game this season bar the UEFA games as I can't make Thursday evenings.

Not sure who some people think they are treating fellow fans in this way, but I intend to take the p@#$ out of them for the rest of the season.

Shame really as it put a bit of a dampner on an otherwise quality game.

CTID

artist formerly known as keegan, Obscurity (27/10/2008 at 11:04)

Elano was great too yesterday.

Now that the international matches are out of the way, things should settle down and we can make progress.

When the brazilians went away for the 2 games, they were definately very tired having played in Rio and Caracas.

The result was both jo and robinho were ineffective when we went to newcastle.

Perhaps hughesy should consider resting the brazilians after international trips and use the squad players.

Nick,The No Nonsense,Straight Talkin,Pundit,Caterham ,Surrrey,(Blackley,Born And Bred), caterham (27/10/2008 at 11:37)

Fell Robinho would play even better with Messi on other flank...do you hear that Sheik Mansour !!

st helens blue(exiled) (27/10/2008 at 11:47)

To all the idiots! stop slating Jo! I have posted this before but many were slating Robinho last week on this very site,but now he is the best thing since sliced bread-perhaps those fans should start to attend the games and not hide behind there pc watching the game because not only does Robinho score goals,his work rate yesterday was outstanding. Roll on Wednesday!

Bert is my hero, Cheshire! (27/10/2008 at 11:49)

Robinho is a very classy player and looks to be worth every penny of £32.5m! We've had class players , lots of them, in the past - Kinkladze was a genius, but the tragedy was that he had to play in a side of players who simply weren't on his wave length. With Robinho it's different - he inspires those around him and vice versa, with the result that Elano is showing what a wonderful player he is because of the options available to him this season that weren't there last. We aren't a top four team yet, but we will be one before long -trust MH. And Danny Sturridge does look a fantastic talent - two truly wonderful passes to Robinho yesterday, AND a great one from Ched.

Sheikmywalletforloosechange, Stretford Manchester (27/10/2008 at 11:56)

Fantastic performance by both Robinho and Elano but would like to give high praise to Daniel Sturridge. Sturridge was different class playing in his natural role up front and not on the left and in my eyes he could save City the trouble of signing that quality Centre forward we need. I rate Jo and know he will come good but surely Sturridge should be playing along side him up front.

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