Today Robbie Blake was in attendance at the Bostik Premier Division match at Potters Bar Town, as Assistant Manager of Bognor Regis. I was there and took the opportunity to discuss his change from Premier League player to management at level 7 (or step 3 as it is now known) of the football pyramid.

The interview was conducted at the end of the game after Robbie had just seen his side pull a half time deficit of 2-0 to earn a well deserved 2-2 draw, which leaves Bognor Regis unbeaten and 4th in the table after eight games, with three home wins and five away draws.

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Robbie was the more vociferous on the touchline dressed in a track suit whereas the older besuited Team Manager, Jack Pearce, had to rein Robbie in at times in a fatherly way. Pearce has been at the club for fifty years in various capacities - player, player-manager, manager and chairman. Currently he is 'General/Team Manager/Vice Chairman' and is also on the main board of Football Association. This is a true football man!

Footnote: in a quiet moment in the game my mate asked Blake for his autograph. Robbie declined but a short time later said that it wasn't out of any disrespect but that he should concentrate on his job. At the end of the game he came straight up and signed the programme. That's when I took the opportunity to carry out the lengthy interview, and I am grateful to Robbie for his time.



Here's the full interview - an abridged version will be available later.

Interviewer: are you enjoying life in your new post?

Robbie: yes.

Thanks. Still one of my favourite ever players at Burnley.

Great Interview, learnt a lot, thanks.

Never replaced him.

To be fair though, no one could.

Would love to see Blake in our current starting 11.

As above, no one could replace Robbie Blake and what would we give for a player of his ilk now?
The Jack Pearce's of this world are the rock on which football is built.

My favourite ever footballer, I grew up watching Blake now i'm watching toothless hoofball with runners on the wing.

Absolute legend, hoe I wish he was in our squad now.

In today’s money, £30m +

Juan Tanamera wrote:As above, no one could replace Robbie Blake and what would we give for a player of his ilk now?
The Jack Pearce's of this world are the rock on which football is built.

Vydra has Blake's guile and skill but much more pace. Give him a couple of months.

Burnleyareback2 wrote:Absolute legend, hoe I wish he was in our squad now.

In today’s money, £30m +

Not with Blake's lack of pace.

Quicknick wrote:Not with Blake's lack of pace.

£40m +?

Bognor Regis? Dave Thomas was down there wasn’t he?

Pace isn't the be all and end all.
Most of Blake's pace was in his head

Quicknick wrote:Vydra has Blake's guile and skill but much more pace. Give him a couple of months.

He doesn't have Blake's skill. Not a criticism, as we've hardly had any players since he left who do, but Vydra doesn't.

I like the look of Vydra so far and hope he turns out a success for us.

mickleoverclaret wrote:He doesn't have Blake's skill. Not a criticism, as we've hardly had any players since he left who do, but Vydra doesn't.

Give over for f**ks sake.

I'm as big of a fan of Blake as the next man, but you are remembering him at a lower level.

Bin Ont Turf wrote:Give over for f**ks sake.

I'm as big of a fan of Blake as the next man, but you are remembering him at a lower level.

Doesn't sound like you are remembering him. Better feet than Vydra for sure. Vydra's got lots of attributes he hadn't got but he's definitely not as skilful.

The goal against Man Utd clouds the judgement.

Bin Ont Turf wrote:The goal against Man Utd clouds the judgement.

I used to go on before we were in the Premier League, fella. It doesn't sound like you saw much of him, which is a shame.

I saw him a lot at a lower level than the Premier League.

There's no shame in that.

Guddy has his skill, but doing it at a higher level.

For me Gudmundsson is not as skilful as Blake was, but is a lot more athletic, quicker, stronger, pacier etc. No doubt makes him more effective at the top level.

Bin Ont Turf wrote:The goal against Man Utd clouds the judgement.

Jesus, I've read some shite on here, but thats in line for
some kind of special award.

ElectroClaret wrote:Jesus, I've read some shite on here, but thats in line for
some kind of special award.

When you've stopped massaging yourself silly, you are going to have to give a little more information for us to work with.

That interview gets to the heart of the matter. Incisive - you could be an investigative journalist.

Most folk would have asked about his connection with spongebob square pants. Fortunately, it was a proper interviewer, in the right place, at the right time.

This message board is blessed with talent.
Up the Clarets.

Also my favourite ever player, but I think he'd struggle to get into any of the current Premier League sides.

Rileybobs wrote:Also my favourite ever player, but I think he'd struggle to get into any of the current Premier League sides.

Indeed. It's worth noting that he scored the grand total of TWO goals during that ill fated PL season.

Blake had a superb brain, but in today's game he would be a very decent Championship player. £40 million? Nothing like £40 million.

As mentioned above. Blake flattered to deceive at Premier League level. Barring a scintillating performance v Spurs in the cup (yes I know we were Championship at the time) and THAT goal. He was pretty average at the level we're currently at. Championship level he was unplayable at times though. Always thought of him in the similar bracket as that Scouser who was at Swansea (his name escapes me) who looked excellent on his day but was found out at higher levels. Not dissing Blake though. He was one to get you out of your seat when on his game.

Wisswosswass wrote:Always thought of him in the similar bracket as that Scouser who was at Swansea (his name escapes me) who looked excellent on his day but was found out at higher levels. Not dissing Blake though. He was one to get you out of your seat when on his game.

Lee Trundle?

Cheshireclaret wrote:Lee Trundle?

That's the fella. Not comparing them per-se. Blake was obviously better but found the level they were best at. Trundle was a tricky bugger at lower level though and I am sure we were linked with him on more than one occasion back in the day.

How did he end up at Bognor, just out of intetest?

I think he was playing/ coaching in the north east after he retired.

Charlie Adam and Robbie Blake always struck me as similar, though Adam had a bit more application and willingness to work hard.

Robbie was superb and a game changer, scored some memorable goals but wasn't overly fond of sweating blood to help out his full back.

A joy to watch at times but only if you forgive his sins.

Has the interview been removed?

The link takes you to an article

Read the bottom of the op's post

Just use perspective you don’t need to compare Blake to anybody.

On his day Blake was an absolutele joy too watch he was mercuricL and exciting and could change a game with moments of sheer brilliance. If you have a player like that in your team it doesn’t matter what division you are in it can make watching your side very enjoyable.

If he hadn’t pulled his hammy at Wembley I still don’t think Kyle Walker would have got that ball off him down by the corner flag if they were still playing now.

RocketLawnChair wrote:Just use perspective you don’t need to compare Blake to anybody.

On his day Blake was an absolutele joy too watch he was mercuricL and exciting and could change a game with moments of sheer brilliance. If you have a player like that in your team it doesn’t matter what division you are in it can make watching your side very enjoyable.

If he hadn’t pulled his hammy at Wembley I still don’t think Kyle Walker would have got that ball off him down by the corner flag if they were still playing now.

I guess that's the point, although we're all going off on a tangent. On his day, Blake was unplayable. As Spurs will attest. He just, for me at least; wasn't a complete player and it was just when he felt like it. However. When he did decide to turn up, he was certainly capable of bamboozling the very best.

Blake, if he was in his prime now, would bring in at least 30m if he was on a 2-yr contract. He was absolutely superb!!! There is improved athleticism however I believe the modern day game and formations would suit Robbie perfectly.

KRBFC wrote:My favourite ever footballer, I grew up watching Blake now i'm watching toothless hoofball with runners on the wing.

Was you at Bournemouth last season?
We outplayed/passed Eddie Howes team off the park , just saying

joey13 wrote:Was you at Bournemouth last season?
We outplayed/passed Eddie Howes team off the park , just saying

one example doesn’t make for a good argument

I'm not sure Blake was ever suited to the demands of the Premier League when we got there.

My impression was that Coyle wanted to play him because he offered that extra something few players have, but was also concerned about his lack of use when we didn't have the ball, which would be most of the time. Coyle, the coaches and Blake looked to have worked hard to try to get Blake to do more defensive work and he did track back and try to do his bit, but it wasn't enough. As I recall, he only scored that goal against United, and the one that gave us the early lead at Blackburn, and that was it. I don't know how many assists he got, or whether using a more defensive midfielder instead of Blake would have improved things at the other end, but generally I suspect it would.

In the end though we were relegated because we were a good Championship team out of our league.

Outstanding player. Had we been promoted a couple of years earlier, when Stan first signed him I think with the right team around him he would have starred for us. As would Glen Little.

Fair play to him for getting involved even at that level. Always thought he would make a good forward coach for us.

A 26-30 year old Blake would be in our team for me, in that number 10 role, not an issue with his lack of pace he offered so much regardless of it.

Joint favourite ever player with Glen Little. It’s strange we have been in the Premier League so much over the last decade and yet I still put them two on ability above any other player we have seen bar Defour.

Does Gylffi Sigurdsson (sp???) have pace?

Great player for us. Had his limits though, otherwise he would have played a lot more seasons in the top flight.

jedi_master wrote:A 26-30 year old Blake would be in our team for me, in that number 10 role, not an issue with his lack of pace he offered so much regardless of it.

Joint favourite ever player with Glen Little. It’s strange we have been in the Premier League so much over the last decade and yet I still put them two on ability above any other player we have seen bar Defour.

Bob on.

jedi_master wrote:A 26-30 year old Blake would be in our team for me, in that number 10 role, not an issue with his lack of pace he offered so much regardless of it.

Joint favourite ever player with Glen Little. It’s strange we have been in the Premier League so much over the last decade and yet I still put them two on ability above any other player we have seen bar Defour.

I loved Robbie Blake & Glen Little too and they are also up there with my favourite ever players.
But that does not mean that either of them would get in our team now - neither of them never really succeeded in the top league and neither were good enough even at their peak. Both probably had the skill and ability but not the fitness, consistency and probably attitude /commitment to be 100% focused just on their football to make it.
It’s hard to tell whether they were ever good enough when most of the time we saw them at their best was in the championship or division one and playing against defenders every week who were also not good enough for the Premier League.

...the fact is neither of them were good enough but as burnley fans we would probably not have got to see them play for us so much if they would have been.