Robinho's loan spell with his beloved Santos has now come to an end and unless either he or the club can find anything more suited to him, he will now face the task of performing under the terms of his contract for Manchester City.
Under ordinary circumstances, I would be against keeping a player at a club against his will - afterall, a player with no desire for the shirt is usually a hindrance on the pitch. However, the City management will be wary of Robinho setting a precedent for 'superstar' players at City - and at the moment, Robinho represents the ugly side of player power.
I am a huge fan of him on the football field and I will never tire of his flair and ability - and a Robinho at full tilt is right up there with the world's most exciting footballers. However, a fan will always baulk at a player who doesn't seem to show the same commitment to the club as they do. Of course, a player with the same commitment is rare, but a couple of examples in particular tarnish all the magic Robinho has performed at Eastlands.
The first instance, and the moment that some people began to turn against him, was the abject performance he gave at Fratton Park, fresh off a scintillating, energetic display for Brazil against Italy at the Emirates. It was the juxtaposition of these entirely different displays that made people question just how much Robinho wanted to be on the South coast of England that day.
Secondly, and perhaps the most irksome, was the Santos management's surprise at the condition they received Robinho - unfit, overweight, and in need of some basic fitness training before he was ready to start in their regional championships. This from a player who was in the midst of a season in allegedly one of the most physically demanding leagues in the world.
You would expect a little more professionalism from someone who is being paid astronomical amounts of money to do his job.
Robinho has vowed to respect his City contract if we want to retain him:
"I have to talk to Manchester City about what will happen with me in the future. I have a contract with them and that has to be respected. My heart is with Santos, but if Manchester City don't want me to stay here, I have to respect that."
I really would love him to return the player we had during his first months here, but he really has to respect the contract in all its meanings - not just taking the money in, but working hard to get into shape and get into the team. Yet, as much as I would like it to happen, I would be very surprised to see it so. It is strange to think that a player who was one of Brazil's stand-out players in the World Cup this summer will most likely be completely ineffective for City, but this is what it has come to.
Unlike some people, I don't take huge offence to his constant pandering to Santos. All the comments about how much he loves Santos are a little reminiscent of his 'I want to stay here for ten years' interview he did for Football Focus just before he left for his homeland. They are probably more firmly based in truth but, as a return may not happen, he loses nothing setting up this amicable farewell to them.
The coming weeks then determine if his performances at the World Cup have convinced any suitors - I heard a satisfying rumour of Dynamo Kiev - or whether he will be 'forced' under duress of something near £160,000 per week to train at City until he agitates for another holiday on the beaches of Brazil...
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