Final yr was an enormous yr for Antonee Robinson serving to to steer Fulham to promotion and the USA via qualifying. However the yr forward will construct on that together with his return to the Premier League and a possible spot on the U.S. workforce’s World Cup roster. ASN’s Brian Sciaretta spoke with “Jedi” in regards to the previous yr whereas looking forward to the massive alternatives which await.
BY
Brian Sciaretta
Posted
August 04, 2022
5:50 PM
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THE PREMIER LEAGUE SEASON will get underway this weekend and for Fulham, the purpose is easy – to outlive the season and chart a brand new course for the membership as one that may survive as an everyday competitor in England’s top-flight. Antonee Robinson joined the membership two years in the past and was a part of each the relegation in 2021 and the spectacular promotion final season.
This week, Robinson will flip 25 years previous, and will probably be a defining yr. The hopes are that Fulham will discover a approach to survive within the Premier League, not like its earlier two campaigns within the high tier. Then there’s the World Cup which can be performed mid-season and it affords Robinson a possibility to not solely play within the greatest match, but in addition to presumably tackle the nation the place he was each born and raised.
This Saturday, Fulham has one of the crucial difficult opening video games doable when it should host Liverpool at Craven Cottage. However the workforce is upbeat for the season and there’s a lot of motivation for the group to set a brand new tone for the London-based membership.
“Especially for the lads who stayed from the season when we’ve been relegated, it was a chance to redeem ourselves and fight back and earn our way back into the Premier League,” Robinson instructed ASN. “I think just sheerly through that it means a little bit more – the fact that we’ve brought the team to the Premier League this time. For me, personally, being part of the promotion fight, it makes me want to keep us in the Premier League where I feel like we belong.”
Robinson was a key a part of Fulham’s effort in getting promoted final season and it was definitely essentially the most demanding season he has ever performed. He made 33 begins over 36 appearances for Fulham final season whereas enjoying 3028 minutes. Mixed with making 13 World Cup qualifying appearances for a complete of 1060 minutes, Robinson performed 4088 minutes for each membership and nation within the 2021/22 season.
However final season was additionally the primary time Robinson has been capable of style successful. His profession up to now has centered round Bolton, Wigan, and Fulham and each season till 2021/22 has been a relegation battle. Final yr Robinson was capable of partake in profitable promotion and World Cup qualification campaigns – scoring twice for the U.S. workforce.
“Last season, even being on a winning team, it was still just a really physically intense season,” Robinson defined. “The Championship always has been the same every year I’ve played in it. Especially ith World Cup qualifying, it made it very difficult but I came out of it on the other side with 50 or so games and playing good football at times, did pretty well with the national team and then being successful Fulham. Overall it was a really good season to boost confidence for myself as well.”
All that does is elevate stakes for the approaching season when Robinson is within the Premier League and the World Cup versus the Championship and qualifying.
When trying on the classes he realized from Fulham’s relegation in 2020/21, he is ready to recall particular video games in nice element. In that season, Fulham misplaced its first six video games, fought again into competition for survival, however squandered late targets for losses or attracts in direction of the top.
“The mood around the team, it feels pretty similar to be honest,” Robinson stated. “We have the same goal going into it. It’s just a couple different faces and it’s lads who have been in this position before who have the outlook of the experience of how it went last time to try and avoid the mistakes we fell into the last time round.”
“A strong start would definitely help,” He continued. “Even if you take out the weak start the last time we were in the Premier League, towards the last third of the season, we had it in our control. A couple results our way would have got us to safety – and we never capitalized. We went through a streak of just like draws and losses. We just could not win a game to save our lives. Like when we go up against Villa and throw the game away. We should have beaten teams like Leeds and Burnley who were around us. We got punished. So going forward we know the importance of having the mentality to see a game out. Things like that will be massive this year.”
Throughout Robinson’s time at Fulham, one of many consistencies has been Tim Ream who, at age 34, was instrumental within the current promotional effort. Robinson will get together with Ream nicely and the 2 Individuals made up the left facet of Fulham’s backline final yr. Ream was named to the league’s Group of the Season by the Skilled Footballer’s Affiliation.
It stays to be seen if Ream can be a constant starter for Fulham within the Premier League however Ream will possible see minutes this season and Robinson factors out that the St. Louis native has an essential function throughout the workforce that extends off the sector as nicely.
“Since Tom Cairney was injured a lot last season, Tim was pretty much the captain most of the season,” Robinson stated of Ream. “He started every game which – for someone his age to start every game in the Championship and perform as well as he did – it’s nothing short of incredible, to be honest. He has a real calmness on the ball and a warrior spirit. He was fighting, throwing his head into tackles, getting cut every week. To have that as one of your baseline players, it really does lift the team.”
“Off the pitch, he was basically taking on the duties of being co-captain almost with Tom,” he added. “When it came to speaking to the management, staff and things like that, trying to organize stuff off the field and making sure that all the lads were happy and all the coaching staff were happy, and that we were working in unison – he was huge for us.”
In November, the Premier League will take a break for the World Cup in a novel timeframe. For Robinson and the U.S. workforce, the World Cup can be a wholly new expertise as DeAndre Yedlin is the one participant to be capped just lately by the U.S. workforce who has performed in a World Cup.
Robinson senses the thrill from gamers on the workforce however realizes that battle for roster spots stays aggressive. Even together with his heavy involvement in qualifying over the previous yr, he doesn’t put himself within the class of being a lock for Qatar – however that may be a supply of motivation for him.
“There’re some guys on the team like Weston and Christian who everyone’s expecting to go if they are fit,” Robinson stated. “Then there’s guys fighting for places – from the lads who are in MLS and the others in the European sides like myself, going into the season thinking I’ve got to be performing at the highest level I’ve ever performed to make sure I’m on my plane to Qatar.”
However the workforce stays very shut off the sector, regardless of the competitors. The workforce’s gamers are in common contact with one another and are bonded by issues generally past soccer. For example, Robinson is one among 4 pianists within the participant pool together with Weston McKennie, Erik Palmer-Brown, and Konrad de la Fuente. It’s a ability that Robinson proudly factors out that he taught himself in his teenage years by watching YouTube movies.
— Soccer AM (@SoccerAM) February 23, 2021
“The group in the last camp showed that we’re all still on the same page of our plan,” he added. “I think everyone can see how much of a brotherhood the group is.”
After qualifying for the World Cup, the USA realized its destiny that it will be in a bunch with England, Iran, and later it was decided Wales could be the ultimate workforce added.
Now because the Premier League season is ready to get underway, it solely makes the prospect of going through the nation the place he grew up much more thrilling.
“That’s definitely a surreal feeling,” Robinson stated. “My dream was to be playing in the World Cup one day in general, but I definitely didn’t dream I was going to be playing for the US against England. It’s just something that I couldn’t have written when I was a kid, so hopefully I get to make that dream come true when we go and put on the show we can. Playing against England? Obviously, I’ve grew up here, lived here for my whole life and all the family and friends that are going to be watching my game for me obviously, but just the excitement of having the ties to both sides, it’s amazing, really.”
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