Robbie Keane

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Robbie Keane doesn't only score against the small teams. If you actually listen to what I am saying instead of going for the condescending soundbites you would realise that!

I already provided a list of the teams Robbie has scored against in competitive matches. Probably 85-90% of his goals come against bottom 3 seeded teams. I'm not going to do the calculations. He has scored a quite paltry amount of goals against top 3 seeded teams. Granted, his record against the bottom 3 seeded teams is superb. They all count. I never said otherwise!

It's not his goalscoring record that is the only issue anyways. His performances have been declining; or have I been watching different matches? He will be 34 years old by the time the next qualifying campaign starts. To accommodate him, we will have to eschew playing a 4-5-1/4-3-3 formation. He has implied in the press that he would walk away if the manager pursued other options. Fair enough, we have different ways of interpreting this. Some think it's because manager i.e. Martin would want to pursue other options in the starting 11 or a different formation. Others seem to think it's because Martin may not want to select him for squads. The latter I find doubtful.

I don't even know why I have to keep saying this anyways. I repeatedly said I would play him against teams like Moldova and Faroe Islands because of his experience and goalscoring record and he would make a great option off the bench. But I suppose it's more convenient to manipulate what someone is saying and twist it into a narky soundbite.

Long is playing Premier League football and has a respectable goalscoring record at that level; approximately 1 in 3 starts at club and slightly better at International. Keane is not playing at the same level and in my opinion it reflects in his performances when he plays against good defenders.

After Long, the options are uninspiring but it's a moot point. You have to start transitioning into the future sometime. The ideal scenario would be Martin does this, we qualify for the European Championships and we don't make a mockery of ourselves when we get there. This would be a decent platform for the harder World Cup campaign and potentially a new manager, if Martin wants to work at club level again.

I believe we have a decent spread of younger players that can share/alleviate the goalscoring burden with/on Keane in this campagn; Brady, McClean, McGeady, Pilkington, Long, Stokes, Gibson, McCarthy, Hendrick, Ireland, Reid and Hoolahan. I believe Martin can figure out how to get the best out of these players because the system was placed over their individual talents in the previous regime.

[geysir]

Robbie Keane doesn't only score against the small teams. If you actually listen to what I am saying instead of going for the condescending soundbites you would realise that!

I already provided a list of the teams Robbie has scored against in competitive matches. Probably 85-90% of his goals come against bottom 3 seeded teams. I'm not going to do the calculations. He has scored a quite paltry amount of goals against top 3 seeded teams. Granted, his record against the bottom 3 seeded teams is superb. They all count. I never said otherwise!

Robbie has scored about 14/37 competitive goals at World cup, play offs and against top 3 seeded teams in qualifiers. In friendly games, about 50% of his goals were against top 3 seeded teams. Nations Cup, I'd regard as friendly.

[Stuttgart88]

I think TOWKer should just have said that it's quite likely we need to play some version of 451 against the really good teams or else we'll have very little of the ball. Long may be better suited to playing up front if we do, so therefore we shouldn't always play Keane. It's not as if Keane has been indispensable against the big teams. After all he thrives on chances and we don't create many chances against the big teams.

I'd have agreed with a lot of that or certainly respected the opinion. Instead we got some silly comparisons to Klose and Shevchenko and an argument that Keane is over the hill and not well served playing in the MLS. That's a matter of opinion and mine is that I still think he looks sharp and I haven't noticed a decline in standard. I quite like international forwards being used to scoring goals rather than having to scrap at club level, and if anything he's less frustrating than he was in his prime! It's much the same with O'Driscoll in the rugby. He's also looking in great nick and still has something to offer at the top level at, what, 35?

TOWK is new and either a culchie or a Liverpool fan. We should cut him a bit of slack :)

[harry crumb]

Robbie's game has always been about quickness upstairs, not at his feet. That and his instincts and movement.

I don't feel any of this has diminished in recent years, despite his move to MLS, and feel if he returned to England with a top 10 team would continue to score goals at a rate he did in his so-called "prime."

Additionally, I think MLS has benefitted him in that he has had to take more responsibility on than ever before -- while he's generally been looked at as a central player wherever he has played, the focus on him as an individual has never been greater. With only three designated players (at most) on each MLS team, all of the energy from opponents is on shutting him down, in a way that would never happen in a top league like England's.

In my view, dropping him would not improve us as there aren't two strikers of superior quality -- in fact, there isn't one individual striker better than Keane we have available IMO.

His strike rate in our last campaign shows he's still got it -- I expect him to start and contribute for this next campaign, and he can likely at least come off the bench if he still wants to for our WC 2018 campaign.

I feel like I've been making posts along these lines for the better part of half a decade, and at some point Father Time will force me to change my tune, but Robbie's still got it and is still our best option up top.

You are deluded.

His performance level has dropped way off in last 2 years. I'd say he averages about 5/10 level for Ireland now.

[Stuttgart88]

I think Ireland have been pretty rubbish for two years, so Keane's performances have to be seen in that context.

And quit the personal comments.

[Charlie Darwin]

Yeah, if Keane's been a 5/10 player then so has more or less everybody in the team.

[harry crumb]

I think Ireland have been pretty rubbish for two years, so Keane's performances have to be seen in that context.

And quit the personal comments.

yeah, real personal.

Can we take into context that he was captain in this time also.

[Stuttgart88]

Why ?

[Charlie Darwin]

yeah, real personal.

Can we take into context that he was captain in this time also.
Right, he was captain so he should have been running the channels and winning more headers? He is obviously a leader and an organiser, which is why he's captain, and he is capable of doing things nobody else in the team can. I think there have been games where it would have been more appropriate strategically to play a big lump like Long or Doyle up on his own, but that doesn't diminish the fact Keane is the best goalscorer we've ever produced and remains our most potent striker. It's a shame he can't run around doing donkey work all day and not scoring goals - which seems to be the only way an Irish striker can get any credit from certain quarters - but unfortunately we'll just have to settle for one of the most prolific strikers in the history of international football. Would only we had a Bobby Zamora.

[harry crumb]

Hey, still a great finisher.

However the way irishfan86 was talking its as if his age hasn't affected his game at all.

This is clearly not the case.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Right, he was captain so he should have been running the channels and winning more headers? He is obviously a leader and an organiser, which is why he's captain, and he is capable of doing things nobody else in the team can. I think there have been games where it would have been more appropriate strategically to play a big lump like Long or Doyle up on his own, but that doesn't diminish the fact Keane is the best goalscorer we've ever produced and remains our most potent striker. It's a shame he can't run around doing donkey work all day and not scoring goals - which seems to be the only way an Irish striker can get any credit from certain quarters - but unfortunately we'll just have to settle for one of the most prolific strikers in the history of international football. Would only we had a Bobby Zamora.

I think it's as much of a disservice to Long and Doyle to call them a big lump than anything I have said about Keane. Long and Doyle's donkey work benefited Keane for a long time. The latter's unselfishness, in particular, contributed significantly to positive results (whatever there were) over the last several years. In the past, we have even seen how much England valued such grafting players, in Emile Heskey.

[Charlie Darwin]

Big lump is a bit harsh but I was being hyperbolic for a reason. Doyle and Long have been lauded for years for their unselfish work, running the channels and holding the ball up, etc. Few enough people have posed the tough question about whether those players are "unselfish" simply because they lack the courage or ability to be top strikers, like Keane. Perhaps that is being unfair, but certainly in Doyle's case he became very comfortable in his role as a striker nobody expects to score any goals, a role he has kept up as he tumbles down the leagues. Perhaps that is very harsh, or perhaps it's just accurate.

[harry crumb]

Big lump is a bit harsh but I was being hyperbolic for a reason. Doyle and Long have been lauded for years for their unselfish work, running the channels and holding the ball up, etc. Few enough people have posed the tough question about whether those players are "unselfish" simply because they lack the courage or ability to be top strikers, like Keane. Perhaps that is being unfair, but certainly in Doyle's case he became very comfortable in his role as a striker nobody expects to score any goals, a role he has kept up as he tumbles down the leagues. Perhaps that is very harsh, or perhaps it's just accurate.

For years...

Shane Long hasn't been given enough game time in an Irish shirt for you to come to that conclusion.

As for Doyle, I don't think he was ever a natural goalscorer like Keane is, but I think he has other qualities that Keane doesn't have.

[Charlie Darwin]

Of course he does. He has attributes that have been far more celebrated in the Irish media and general discourse than the attrbutes Keane has. Being a workhorse is the ultimate attribute to the Dunphy crew, unless you play in midfield, in which case it's confusingly proof you're not good enough at this level. Long has for years (yes, years) been held up as the great white hope but has only really delivered in patches in his (admittedly fewer than I'd like) opportunities.

[geysir]

Doyle use to have other qualities but he's a theory these days and he's just faded into the background into the third level of English league football
If only Doyle had a bit of Robbie's persistence/outrageous skill/grit /confidence in his ability/ hard graft.

I think these days, Stokes and Doyle are much of a muchness, both are good link players at their prime and at best coming in from the left. I'd have my doubts that either of them will be be good enough for our needs.

[samhaydenjr]

Probably 85-90% of his goals come against bottom 3 seeded teams. I'm not going to do the calculations. He has scored a quite paltry amount of goals against top 3 seeded teams. Granted, his record against the bottom 3 seeded teams is superb. They all count. I never said otherwise!



Nineteen of his fifty-four goals against European opposition have come against teams that are top three seeds for Euro 2016, or 35%. And to put that into context, Niall Quinn only scored nineteen goals in total against European opposition, John Aldridge got 17, near half of which were against Latvia (before Latvia were decent for a while).

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Nineteen of his fifty-four goals against European opposition have come against teams that are top three seeds for Euro 2016, or 35%. And to put that into context, Niall Quinn only scored nineteen goals in total against European opposition, John Aldridge got 17, near half of which were against Latvia (before Latvia were decent for a while).

We played the following teams forty times since 2000 in competitive group fixtures; Portugal, Netherlands, Switzerland, Russia, France, Israel, Czech Republic, Germany, Slovakia, Wales, Italy, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Armenia, Sweden and Austria. He has scored 6 goals in those games including penalties and dead rubbers. More importantly in the context of my argument, he didn't look like scoring (and didn't) in Euro 2012.

We can all manipulate the statistics for our own argument. :p

Anyways. His scoring record isn't my argument for the rotation of Keane in certain games. It is merely part of the argument, along with his age, profile, formation, overall strength of his performances and form of other players. I also have a difference in interpretation of statements Keane has made to the press revolving the meaning of "walk away".

[CraftyToePoke]

TOWK is new and either a culchie or a Liverpool fan. We should cut him a bit of slack :)

TWOK'ers a Dub I reckon


I don't even know why I have to keep saying this anyways

Used 'anyways' twice. Sure sign of a Dub.

[Charlie Darwin]

TWOK'ers a Dub I reckon



Used 'anyways' twice. Sure sign of a Dub.
Nah, 'n' anyways is Dublin.

[geysir]

We played the following teams forty times since 2000 in competitive group fixtures; Portugal, Netherlands, Switzerland, Russia, France, Israel, Czech Republic, Germany, Slovakia, Wales, Italy, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Armenia, Sweden and Austria. He has scored 6 goals in those games including penalties and dead rubbers. More importantly in the context of my argument, he didn't look like scoring (and didn't) in Euro 2012.

We can all manipulate the statistics for our own argument. :p

Anyways. His scoring record isn't my argument for the rotation of Keane in certain games. It is merely part of the argument, along with his age, profile, formation, overall strength of his performances and form of other players. I also have a difference in interpretation of statements Keane has made to the press revolving the meaning of "walk away".
We can all manipulate?
Robbie started playing and scoring in competitive games in 1999. Why do you start in 2000? Why ignore World Cup Finals and play offs.
Before you claimed that Robbie scored 85% to 90% against 4th 5th and 6th seeds.

He has scored against Yugoslav Turkey Netherlands Iran italy France Russia Estonia Sweden 10 goals
WC finals 3 goals
13 of his 39 competition goals came that way
The point is that you can make an argument about Robbie's worth to the team now, without manipulation of facts or rewriting history. It just betrays a bias and devalues any analysis.

[Stuttgart88]

On the basis of part of TOWK's argument the only player we used in Euro 2012 who should still be playing for Ireland is Keith Andrews. I also think that to think that a guy who has only ever shown the ultimate commitment to playing in green would say he'd walk away, I.e., turn his back on playing international football, as soon as he's not picked is plain daft and bordering on belligerent at this stage. It's also belligerent to ignore just how comprehensively we were overrun in Poland to argue that Keane never looked like scoring. Would a 25 year old Keane have played any better?

Keane is only a year older than Ibrahimovic so I still don't think age is a critical factor just yet. The only thing past its sell by date is TWOK's line of argument.

Everything else is accepted by everyone I think. Keane should continue to be a major part of our immediate future but not a certain starter, and we should be more flexible in formation and tactics.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

On the basis of part of TOWK's argument the only player we used in Euro 2012 who should still be playing for Ireland is Keith Andrews. I also think that to think that a guy who has only ever shown the ultimate commitment to playing in green would say he'd walk away, I.e., turn his back on playing international football, as soon as he's not picked is plain daft and bordering on belligerent at this stage. It's also belligerent to ignore just how comprehensively we were overrun in Poland to argue that Keane never looked like scoring. Would a 25 year old Keane have played any better?

Keane is only a year older than Ibrahimovic so I still don't think age is a critical factor just yet. The only thing past its sell by date is TWOK's line of argument.

Everything else is accepted by everyone I think. Keane should continue to be a major part of our immediate future but not a certain starter, and we should be more flexible in formation and tactics.

What you said in the first paragraph wasn't that outlandish. Of who was playing in Poland, who should genuinely be a part of O'Neill's thinking going forward? Given, Ward, St Ledger (sorry Doc), Whelan, Andrews, Duff and Doyle should arguably not be considered. That leaves Keane, McGeady, Dunne and O'Shea. Of the other players that got playing time; Cox, Walters, Green and Long, at least 2 of them arguably aren't up to this level.

I'm not basing my opinion of Keane on Euro 2012. I am basing it on the last several qualification campaigns as well...

Ibrahimovic is a better player, playing for one of the top 6 teams in the world, a CL regular and has led Sweden to multiple tournament qualifications. Some players can go in their mid to late 30's (Giggs, Zanetti, Totti), some can't. Neither here nor there. Opinion just based on what I see.

And I understand I touched a nerve with my interpretation of Robbie Keane's comments. Apparently others have been guilty of the same interpretation.
http://talksport.com/sports-news/football/euro-2012/4944/1/keane-could-walk-away-international-football
http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/i-considered-walking-away-but-ill-stay-as-long-as-trap-wants-me-robbie-keane-26895402.html
http://www.joe.ie/football/euro-2012/robbie-keane-vows-to-quit-ireland-if-dropped-by-trapattoni/

Last paragraph. What I said. Nothing wrong with that.

As far as what geysir said, I would find the stats that correspond with Robbie Keane's club career over the last half-dozen years more relevant than World Cup 2002. It's called context. The proof is in the pudding. His goals make him a valuable member of the squad like Dunne and O'Shea, not some deity that can't be criticised. Various other factors point to the possible benefits of other younger options, rotation and flexibility in other matches.

[Stuttgart88]

Of the Irish players you mention above, most are in positions where players are emerging that have overtaken them.

Those other links about his "walking away" add nothing. There was a lot of fuss about what he said at the time, and mischief in the way it was reported. I think it's pretty obvious what he means but sadly he's not a poet laureate. If you want context, look at how loyal and committed he has always been. He's not the type of guy who would walk away in a huff if not picked. He was saying he'd walk away from the scene, as if just accepting it has come to an end.

And of course Ibrahimovic is a better player, nobody disputes that. I was just giving just one example of a player in the same age bracket as Keane to show that writing a guy off just down to age is silly. I'm not sure that's what you're saying though, but you did hint at it on earlier posts.

Your last two sentences above are pretty much accepted by everyone. I tried to summarise where your argument actually makes sense in two earlier posts above and you should have the good grace to stop digging yourself into a hole. I quite frankly couldn't care less if O'Neill picks Keane or not. I'm not even sure I'd pick him if it was my choice. The only things that bother me are the stupid nitpicking about his record and the pointless comparisons to Klose and Shevchenko. Neither of them is eligible for Ireland.

For what it's worth, I personally don't think Keane's age is that critical. He still looks lively to me and still has a fox in the box instinct, an instinct others in our squad don't have. I think we might just eek out the upcoming campaign out of him. It's not really relevant whether he is worse than he was, it's whether he's good enough now and next year. That's just opinion that I don't think stats shed any light on.

[DannyInvincible]

Those other links about his "walking away" add nothing. There was a lot of fuss about what he said at the time, and mischief in the way it was reported. I think it's pretty obvious what he means but sadly he's not a poet laureate. If you want context, look at how loyal and committed he has always been. He's not the type of guy who would walk away in a huff if not picked. He was saying he'd walk away from the scene, as if just accepting it has come to an end.

I think the following quote from the above Independent article makes that clear:


But the thought of never putting on a green jersey again was quite difficult for me to come around to. Even now, I'm dreading that day. I'll keeping playing on while I'm fit and healthy and as long as the manager picks me.

The only message I can take from that is that Robbie will always be dedicated to playing for us. Of course, he doesn't select the team; his selection is ultimately dependent on the manager wanting him, as he points out. When the manager no longer requires his services, he'll quietly accept that his day has come.

It would be malicious to try and suggest what Robbie is saying is that he'll storm out in a huff and refuse to play for us ever again if the manager drops him for a game. Neither his words nor his actions over the years would indicate he's potential walk-out material. They would entirely suggest the opposite, in fact. I suspect the headlines from the pieces above were part of the anti-Trap media wave; attempts to make out that even our committed captain would have been prepared to walk out on/fall out with Trap.

[geysir]

As far as what geysir said, I would find the stats that correspond with Robbie Keane's club career over the last half-dozen years more relevant than World Cup 2002. It's called context. The proof is in the pudding. His goals make him a valuable member of the squad like Dunne and O'Shea, not some deity that can't be criticised. Various other factors point to the possible benefits of other younger options, rotation and flexibility in other matches.
Let's do a quick recall, you made a statement that 85 to 90% of Robbie's international goals were against 4th 5th and 6th seeds.
Then you proceed to deliberately ignore the year 1999, Play Offs and the World Cup Finals, meanwhile bizarrely regarding as an explanation, that Robbie's club record being more relevant to his international goal scoring stats than the goals he scored at the World Cup Finals.
The only nerve that you irritate is the subterfuge alert nerves.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Let's do a quick recall, you made a statement that 85 to 90% of Robbie's international goals were against 4th 5th and 6th seeds.
Then you proceed to deliberately ignore the year 1999, Play Offs and the World Cup Finals, meanwhile bizarrely regarding as an explanation, that Robbie's club record being more relevant to his international goal scoring stats than the goals he scored at the World Cup Finals.
The only nerve that you irritate is the subterfuge alert nerves.

No subterfuge at all, geysir. The trick is to pay attention.

These are some of the first comments I left on Shane Long's thread, before the discussion was moved here.

"Keane used to be a goalscoring threat against big nations. His goal against Sweden was his first goal from open play against a decent team since the Playoff in Paris."

And

"http://greenscene.me/2011/06/robbie-...ational-goals/ (http://greenscene.me/2011/06/robbie-keanes-51-international-goals/)

There is a list of his International goals.

Since the World Cup in 2002, the only teams of note that he has scored (from open play) against are Italy in Bari, France in Paris and Sweden in Dublin."

And my point about Klose, Shevchenko and Ibrahimovic is not a direct comparison to Keane or simply that they have scored lots of goals but overall performances and how/much their goals and performances against a certain standard of team contributed to qualification to tournaments and only Klose can say he ever played with an amazing pool of players. Germany didn't always have players like Ozil, Gotze, Reus and Schurrle all over the pitch.

[SwanVsDalton]

Diminishing Keane's scoring record only works if anyone else had any scoring record at all. Long's doesn't stand up if it's examined in the same context as Keane's and, regardless, there's a past year of missed sitters.

No one needs to look at anything in much detail, Keane still puts all the competition in the shade in terms of goal threat. That might say more about our striking options than Keane but hey ho. I love Keane but I'd love it even more if someone put him under a bit of pressure, because we surely need attacking options.

[irishfan86]

I think a big issue here is that many of us haven't accepted that players can play longer than ever before at a high standard. We've seen some outfield players play until 40 in the Premier League, and that trend is only going to continue as players take their diet and fitness more seriously.

MLS is derided by many but where teams can oftentimes lack technique, there is no such drop off when it comes to the sports science and the fitness side of the game -- in fact I would argue North America is more advanced in some ways than the UK in that regard.

Obviously there's no way to access Robbie's fitness information but it wouldn't surprise me if his endurance and strength have increased since moving to LA -- I certainly doubt they will have dropped off at all.

I'm not saying age is irrelevant, but it seems to me many have been looking to drop Robbie based on his age more than any other factor I can see, and that attitude needs to change.

[BonnieShels]

Diminishing Keane's scoring record only works if anyone else had any scoring record at all. Long's doesn't stand up if it's examined in the same context as Keane's and, regardless, there's a past year of missed sitters.

No one needs to look at anything in much detail, Keane still puts all the competition in the shade in terms of goal threat. That might say more about our striking options than Keane but hey ho. I love Keane but I'd love it even more if someone put him under a bit of pressure, because we surely need attacking options.

And another tonight

[Stuttgart88]

Bbc says he ballooned a header over the bar, and a few "might have scoreds" too.

[geysir]

We should acknowledge that about 90% of Shane's certified misses are against better teams, only about 10% of his misses are against lower seeded teams.

[Charlie Darwin]

According to the Paul O'Shea school of algorithms, Long is bound to score sooner or later, which will provide conclusive proof that he's the prolific goalscorer we all knew he was and highlights the folly of continuing with past-it Keane.

[geysir]

Robbie is doing the pro-coaching courses. According to leaked evidence, he was running the show at coaching school, taking over the floor in the classroom with everybody else held in rapt attention and also on the sidelines in the practice games, telling the instructor what was happening and what to do.
That could spell trouble for the tactically inept Mon and Roy, as a typically cocky, know-it-all Robbie will just brush them aside when it comes down to elucidating the finer points of our game plan.
I expect Robbie will sort it all out so that he remains the centrepiece, the star man, the striker supreme.

[BonnieShels]

Bbc says he ballooned a header over the bar, and a few "might have scoreds" too.

Those stats climb ever higher.


We should acknowledge that about 90% of Shane's certified misses are against better teams, only about 10% of his misses are against lower seeded teams.

You gotta commend him for such consistency.

Incidentally Robbie and Shane are tied for goals in December and January for their clubs.

[WexCar]

Robbie is doing the pro-coaching courses. According to leaked evidence, he was running the show at coaching school, taking over the floor in the classroom with everybody else held in rapt attention and also on the sidelines in the practice games, telling the instructor what was happening and what to do.
That could spell trouble for the tactically inept Mon and Roy, as a typically cocky, know-it-all Robbie will just brush them aside when it comes down to elucidating the finer points of our game plan.
I expect Robbie will sort it all out so that he remains the centrepiece, the star man, the striker supreme.

Anyone know where they take place? I know IT Carlow runs Degree courses with the FAI & IRFU.

[geysir]

Anyone know where they take place? I know IT Carlow runs Degree courses with the FAI & IRFU.
Carlow and Dublin according to the article linked earlier (http://www.thescore.ie/robbie-keane-coaching-qualification-1256633-Jan2014/)

[Stuttgart88]

Nah, 'n' anyways is Dublin.
When I was at running club at Paddington Rec in London last night there was an 11 a side game of footy on the AstroTurf inside the track. I think the team in the all red kit were all Dubs. I heard so many Dublinisms in Dublin accents that if I had closed my eyes I'd have sworn I was playing up in Marlay Park again.

I wonder who they were. Maybe Ardee Bhoy knows? Or Positive Paul?

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/soccer/keane-will-be-ready-for-serbia-friendly-257352.html

Keane will be ready

[irishfan86]

Keane scored twice in a friendly against the Galaxy B team in a preseason friendly. Caught the keeper out with this shot from distance: http://www.lagalaxy.com/video/2014/02/22/robbie-keane-scores-goal-distance-vs-galaxy-ii-goal

[DannyInvincible]

Robbie's 'Senior International Player of the Year' award acceptance speech from LA:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2r3jOUuq1LE

Also features Bruce Arena looking like a waxwork as well as other laughs, so worth watching 'til the end.

[geysir]

That was impressively statuesque by Bruce, the only giveaway was a barely perceptible flutter from his eyelids.

[Crosby87]

For some reason i think Robbie kinda resembles Tim Roth circa Reservior Dogs.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

http://thescore.thejournal.ie/robbie-keane-la-galaxy-5-1347092-Mar2014/

Keane signs new contract with mickey mouse team.

[Stuttgart88]

If we had a 24 year old at that Mickey Mouse team with the same goal record and receiving the same general acclaim, would you be denying the logic in his call up maintaining instead that Long needs to start against good teams, and then Stokes?

[DeLorean]

Keane signs new contract with mickey mouse team.

I hear he stays awake at night thinking of the Leicestershire countryside and what might have been.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Robbie's stats.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/t1/1544528_618468084904123_1909284427_n.jpg

[ArdeeBhoy]

Though it does beg the question, why did they forget his time at Inter?

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

He had 11 in 41 in his second spell at Spurs, not 11 in 19.

[Razors left peg]

http://thescore.thejournal.ie/robbie-keane-la-galaxy-5-1347092-Mar2014/

Keane signs new contract with mickey mouse team.

Dont blame him at all, look at the life style he has compared to if he playing somewhere like Stoke or Sunderland.

Hes still our number on striker and as long as hes bangin in the goals for us he'll continue to be because we dont have another natural goalscorer

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Course not. I just don't think he should be guaranteed a starting place in every game on the basis of his performances in the MLS. If he had opted to move to Besiktas when he had the chance instead of making a lifestyle choice and was banging in the goals in The Super Lig, or if he had taken a move to stay in the competitive Premier League then there wouldn't be a question.

I think Keane should be starting some games but I think it would be a mistake to start him in others. Shane Long is our #1 striker. We have to find a way to play Wes Hoolahan and/or Andy Reid. It's going to be hard to accommodate Keane and do that. We have seen the evidence that it does not work already.

I think it would be a mistake to hitch our wagon to Keane just for the sake of it.

I hope O'Neill is brave enough to make the tough decisions.