--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I'd been able to put the collection…" description: "\"If I'd been able to put the collection together in one go, say over two years, we'd have had a special team, most wouldn't stay. One or two glory seaso..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d46/bryan-robson-24100_able_if-i-d-been-able-to-put-the-collection-t_3223656.png" --- # If I'd been able to put the collection together in one go… ![“If I'd been able to put the collection together in one go, say over two years, we'd have had a special team, most wouldn't stay. One or two glory seasons and they were off. To them, the north-east was too far out. They wanted to be with the big hitters.” quote by Bryan Robson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d46/bryan-robson-24100_able_if-i-d-been-able-to-put-the-collection-t_3223656.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d46/bryan-robson-24100_able_if-i-d-been-able-to-put-the-collection-t_3223656.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d46/bryan-robson-24100_able_if-i-d-been-able-to-put-the-collection-t_3223656.png) > “If I'd been able to put the collection together in one go, say over two years, we'd have had a special team, most wouldn't stay. One or two glory seasons and they were off. To them, the north-east was too far out. They wanted to be with the big hitters.” [Bryan Robson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-robson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Short‑term success can’t replace a stable, long‑term team; loyalty fades without shared vision. **In simple terms:** Quick wins lose team loyalty. Key Takeaway Build lasting culture over immediate glory. Themes teamwork loyalty strategy career management Mood thoughtful pragmatic Type strategic inspirational When to use this quote - sports management - team building - career planning - leadership decisions Key Concepts short‑term vs long‑term team dynamics career planning Questions to Reflect On - What values keep a team together beyond wins? - How can leaders foster lasting commitment? A Different Perspective Immediate success may not sustain long‑term cohesion. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) [Been](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/been/) [Big](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big/) [Big Hitters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-hitters-1305262/) [Collection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/collection/) [Far](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/far/) [Glory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/glory/) [Go](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/go/) [Had](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/had/) [Hitters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hitters/) [Most](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/most/) [Off](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/off/) [Out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/out/) [Over](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/over/) [Put](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/put/) [Say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/say/) [Seasons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seasons/) [Special](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/special/) [Special Team](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/special-team-1142702/) [Stay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stay/) [Team](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/team/) [Team Wouldn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/team-wouldn-1263453/) [Them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/them/) [Together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/together/) [Too](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too/) [Too far](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-far/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Two years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two-years/) [Wanted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted/) [Wanted Big](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted-big-242073/) [Were](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/were/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) [Years Special](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-special-3217456/) ## Related quotes > [You know what they say about big hitters...the woods are full of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-demaret/you-know-what-they-say-about-big-hitters-the-woods-are-full-of-them/) [Jimmy Demaret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-demaret/) > [One of the great pleasures of going to see a Daniel Day-Lewis film: you haven't seen him in five years. Where have you been?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-mcconaughey/one-of-the-great-pleasures-of-going-to-see-a-daniel-day-lewis-film/) [Matthew McConaughey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-mcconaughey/) > [Our love has grown together...When I think of our life together over the years, all the special times and treasured memories, I know I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/our-love-has-grown-together-when-i-think-of-our-life-together-over/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think the thing that makes 'NCIS' so special is the team and the group. And there's our fearless leader, Mark Harmon. We all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-weatherly/i-think-the-thing-that-makes-ncis-so-special-is-the-team-and-the/) [Michael Weatherly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-weatherly/) > [What's so special about this team is that we all have the same mentality, this sort of, 'We've been knocked down, let's get back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candace-parker/what-s-so-special-about-this-team-is-that-we-all-have-the-same/) [Candace Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candace-parker/) > [For me, what makes Liverpool special is that they are a team that works very well on the lines, very compact, in which everyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bojan-krkic/for-me-what-makes-liverpool-special-is-that-they-are-a-team-that/) [Bojan Krkic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bojan-krkic/) > [The Knicks are a special team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kemba-walker/the-knicks-are-a-special-team/) [Kemba Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kemba-walker/) > [I'm not trying to get back on a team, but I have tried to stay in shape just in case a team needs a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hardaway/i-m-not-trying-to-get-back-on-a-team-but-i-have-tried-to-stay-in/) [Tim Hardaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hardaway/) > [I could be 35 years old, move to a new football team and still wouldn't be established.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-mctominay/i-could-be-35-years-old-move-to-a-new-football-team-and-still-wouldn/) [Scott McTominay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-mctominay/) > [If I wasn't aiming to break into the Arsenal first team, that wouldn't be the correct mindset.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reiss-nelson/if-i-wasn-t-aiming-to-break-into-the-arsenal-first-team-that-wouldn-t/) [Reiss Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reiss-nelson/) > [I wouldn't accept losing as a team, wouldn't accept losing as my team. It's like a war every practice. I think it helped us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-forsberg/i-wouldn-t-accept-losing-as-a-team-wouldn-t-accept-losing-as-my-team/) [Peter Forsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-forsberg/) > [If I believed in it, and it wasn't productive for the team, I wouldn't do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pep-guardiola/if-i-believed-in-it-and-it-wasn-t-productive-for-the-team-i-wouldn-t/) [Pep Guardiola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pep-guardiola/) > [I never wanted to be 'the big I-Am.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kay/i-never-wanted-to-be-the-big-i-am/) [Peter Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kay/) > [I always thought that if I wanted to do a family, I wanted to do it big. I wanted there to be chaos in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-pitt/i-always-thought-that-if-i-wanted-to-do-a-family-i-wanted-to-do-it/) [Brad Pitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-pitt/) > [I wanted to be in the big leagues, not stuck in the minor leagues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aroldis-chapman/i-wanted-to-be-in-the-big-leagues-not-stuck-in-the-minor-leagues/) [Aroldis Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aroldis-chapman/) ## More by Bryan Robson > [When you beat Arsenal, they are a good three points.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-robson/when-you-beat-arsenal-they-are-a-good-three-points/) [Bryan Robson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-robson/) > [The first time I saw Giggsy, he was playing for Salford Boys against United's apprentices. He was thin and wiry but he just glided…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-robson/the-first-time-i-saw-giggsy-he-was-playing-for-salford-boys-against/) [Bryan Robson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-robson/) > [We're going to start the game at nil-nil and go out and try to get some goals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-robson/we-re-going-to-start-the-game-at-nil-nil-and-go-out-and-try-to-get/) [Bryan Robson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-robson/) > [In a way, certain sections of the media always wanted to knock me because I had captained my country and been skipper at Old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-robson/in-a-way-certain-sections-of-the-media-always-wanted-to-knock-me/) [Bryan Robson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-robson/) > [All the stuff about being a drinking club, or having players who were not good enough, I treat as rubbish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-robson/all-the-stuff-about-being-a-drinking-club-or-having-players-who-were/) [Bryan Robson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-robson/) > [I had to make a change. It was no slight on my staff either. We'd all been at Boro for seven years. But certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-robson/i-had-to-make-a-change-it-was-no-slight-on-my-staff-either-we-d-all/) [Bryan Robson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-robson/) > [If we played like that every week, we wouldn't be so inconsistent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-robson/if-we-played-like-that-every-week-we-wouldn-t-be-so-inconsistent/) [Bryan Robson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-robson/) > [And at the end of the season you can only do as well as what you have done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-robson/and-at-the-end-of-the-season-you-can-only-do-as-well-as-what-you-have/) [Bryan Robson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-robson/) > [You can't let players do what they wish and be professional. That's a fact. As for the team, Boro had two internationals when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-robson/you-can-t-let-players-do-what-they-wish-and-be-professional-that-s-a/) [Bryan Robson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-robson/) > [I've left Boro in the Premiership, which was always what I wanted to do. Actually that's not quite true. I took them to three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-robson/i-ve-left-boro-in-the-premiership-which-was-always-what-i-wanted-to/) [Bryan Robson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-robson/) > [It wasn't going to be our day on the night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-robson/it-wasn-t-going-to-be-our-day-on-the-night/) [Bryan Robson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-robson/) > [Could I have walked out then? If I had, Terry wouldn't have accepted the job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-robson/could-i-have-walked-out-then-if-i-had-terry-wouldn-t-have-accepted/) [Bryan Robson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-robson/) > [Winning the Championship is like taking a 26-year ball and chain from around our legs. Now we can go forward, and hopefully dominate English…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-robson/winning-the-championship-is-like-taking-a-26-year-ball-and-chain-from/) [Bryan Robson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-robson/) > [This is the one-off occasion and you can't get any bigger occasion than that](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-robson/this-is-the-one-off-occasion-and-you-can-t-get-any-bigger-occasion/) [Bryan Robson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-robson/) > [Paolo di Canio is capable of scoring the goal he scored.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-robson/paolo-di-canio-is-capable-of-scoring-the-goal-he-scored/) [Bryan Robson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-robson/) [Explore all 25 Bryan Robson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-robson/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/) [Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) [Greg Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-perry/) > [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) [Browse all 17,257 Able quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If I'd been able to put the collection together in one go, say over two years, we'd have had a special team, most wouldn't stay. One or two glory seasons and they were off. To them, the north-east was too far out. They wanted to be with the big hitters.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bryan Robson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-robson/if-i-d-been-able-to-put-the-collection-together-in-one-go-say-over/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Able" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-robson/if-i-d-been-able-to-put-the-collection-together-in-one-go-say-over/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d46/bryan-robson-24100_able_if-i-d-been-able-to-put-the-collection-t_3223656.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d46/bryan-robson-24100_able_if-i-d-been-able-to-put-the-collection-t_3223656.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d46/bryan-robson-24100_able_if-i-d-been-able-to-put-the-collection-t_3223656.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If I'd been able to put the collection together in one go, say over two years, we'd have had a special team…” — Bryan Robson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Bryan Robson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-robson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If I'd been able to put...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-robson/if-i-d-been-able-to-put-the-collection-together-in-one-go-say-over/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-robson/if-i-d-been-able-to-put-the-collection-together-in-one-go-say-over/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```