Robbie Keane

[Closed Account]

Growing up watching Robbie, I love watching him boss the **** out of the, MLS, legend, https://youtu.be/RtY34iMwPdA

[paul_oshea]

Nothing surprising about him outpacing the defenders, i watched most of that game yesterday and NYC were woeful, they had no pace and couldnt handle any counter attacks at all. It is easy look sharp against inferior players.

Pirlo coming off made me think about the Reid/Keane Ilrenad/keane parternership, its no good having that vision if there isnt someone else on the same wavelength to make the run, see where the pass should go etc.

[pineapple stu]

Bloody heck, the marking for that first goal was amateurish.

[DeLorean]

Steven Gerrard praises Robbie Keane after LA Galaxy thrash New York City (http://www.espnfc.com/major-league-soccer/story/2579039/gerrard-full-of-praise-for-keane-after-la-galaxy-win)


When the guy is in good form and injury-free, he's always going to get you goals. The movement was clever, but the one disappointment I've got is that he never got that third and got the hat trick. Everyone at this club is desperate for Robbie to go on and win the MVP [Most Valuable Player award] again and we all have a responsibility to keep serving him and keep providing goal-scoring opportunities for him, and we've certainly been doing that of late.

[Crosby87]

I think the womens national team would give NYCFC tough game honestly.

[Closed Account]

THGmz90GhUI
Robbie being Robbie and Shay being Shayte

[DeLorean]

Ken Early: Robbie Keane thriving as a big fish in a small pond (http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/ken-early-robbie-keane-thriving-as-a-big-fish-in-a-small-pond-1.2342291)

[paul_oshea]

Ya that's what i was saying above :P

It could be just because he is Italian though.

Better players bring out the best in the gifted. Robbie is a poacher, takes up the positions well, if those defending dont have that sense of awareness he is always going to be ready to pounce.

I wrote the first 3 paragraphs before I read the article. It's reinforced my thinking now after reading it. I think its a little on the harsh side but broadly fair. Robbie has scored against decent opposition in the past before MLS, and scored against decent opposition in the premier league, he has only factored in the last few years and that suggests a decline in his powers, which the article obfuscates somewhat. Also, Robbie has been injured a good bit more in the last few years, and never looked that sharp. I've seen two games in the MLS and the game against Gibraltar and I think he is a lot sharper than he has been in the last couple of years. Do I think he will score against Germany though, No? But that's not the issue here.

[DeLorean]

It's pretty standard stuff in fairness. Anybody with even a remote interest in football knows his value has dried up against the bigger sides, that's not a criticism of him at all, time waits for no man. It's a credit to him that he can still have an impact in the easier games when some of our other options are often found wanting. It's simply a case of using him the most effective way we can from now on, his presence isn't hindering others potential, their own inadequacies/inconsistencies are. I'm a big fan of Shane Long, as most of us are, but he simply hasn't made himself undroppable and there are concrete and acceptable reasons for choosing Keane over him in certain matches. Daryl Murphy though... now that's a different story altogether.


I think its a little on the harsh side but broadly fair. Robbie has scored against decent opposition in the past before MLS, and scored against decent opposition in the premier league, he has only factored in the last few years and that suggests a decline in his powers, which the article obfuscates somewhat.

Absolutely, although I'm not sure that was Early's intention. He was probably just giving an account of Keane's recent value, and not necessarily undermining his achievements overall. In the final analysis his records will stand up to any scrutiny, goal after goal against opposition after opposition, good and bad, competitive and non-competitive, tournament after tournament. We'll be telling kids in twenty years the amount of criticism he used get and they simply won't be able to understand it.

[paul_oshea]

14/10/1998 Lansdowne Road, Dublin *Malta 5-0 UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying 2
18/11/2003 Lansdowne Road, Dublin *Canada 3-0 Friendly match 2
13/10/2004 Lansdowne Road, Dublin *Faroe Islands 2-0 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification 2
15/11/2006 Lansdowne Road, Dublin *San Marino 5-0 UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying 3
22/08/2007 NRGi Park, Aarhus *Denmark 4-0 Friendly match 2
11/02/2009 Croke Park, Dublin *Georgia 2-1 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification 2
28/05/2010 RDS Arena, Dublin Algeria 3-0 Friendly match 2
24/05/2011 RDS Arena, Dublin Northern Ireland 5-0 Nations Cup 2
04/06/2011 National Arena Filip II, Skopje FYR Macedonia 2-0 UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying 2
11/11/2011 A Le Coq Arena, Tallinn Estonia 4-0 UEFA Euro 2012 Play-Off 2
02/06/2013 Aviva Stadium, Dublin Georgia 4-0 Friendly match 2
06/06/2013 Aviva Stadium, Dublin Faroe Islands 3-0 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification 3
11/10/2014 Aviva Stadium, Dublin Gibraltar 7-0 UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying 3
04/09/2015 Estádio Algarve - Faro-Loule Gibraltar 4-0 UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying 2


Robbie has been a great servant and finisher for Ireland. Where he is criticised is that he tends to score a lot of goals against really poor opposition or in meaningless games. He has 67 goals in 141 games for Ireland. Attached are an example of 27 of the 67 goals he scored in 12 games. So he has 40 goals in 129 games if you exclude these and when Robbie doesn’t score (which is in 70% of games) he doesn't offer a lot, i'd like to see his assists compiled.

[Charlie Darwin]

That is an actually astonishing piece of POSHing.

[DannyInvincible]

14/10/1998 Lansdowne Road, Dublin *Malta 5-0 UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying 2
18/11/2003 Lansdowne Road, Dublin *Canada 3-0 Friendly match 2
13/10/2004 Lansdowne Road, Dublin *Faroe Islands 2-0 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification 2
15/11/2006 Lansdowne Road, Dublin *San Marino 5-0 UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying 3
22/08/2007 NRGi Park, Aarhus *Denmark 4-0 Friendly match 2
11/02/2009 Croke Park, Dublin *Georgia 2-1 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification 2
28/05/2010 RDS Arena, Dublin Algeria 3-0 Friendly match 2
24/05/2011 RDS Arena, Dublin Northern Ireland 5-0 Nations Cup 2
04/06/2011 National Arena Filip II, Skopje FYR Macedonia 2-0 UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying 2
11/11/2011 A Le Coq Arena, Tallinn Estonia 4-0 UEFA Euro 2012 Play-Off 2
02/06/2013 Aviva Stadium, Dublin Georgia 4-0 Friendly match 2
06/06/2013 Aviva Stadium, Dublin Faroe Islands 3-0 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification 3
11/10/2014 Aviva Stadium, Dublin Gibraltar 7-0 UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying 3
04/09/2015 Estádio Algarve - Faro-Loule Gibraltar 4-0 UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying 2


Robbie has been a great servant and finisher for Ireland. Where he is criticised is that he tends to score a lot of goals against really poor opposition or in meaningless games. He has 67 goals in 141 games for Ireland. Attached are an example of 27 of the 67 goals he scored in 12 games. So he has 40 goals in 129 games if you exclude these and when Robbie doesn’t score (which is in 70% of games) he doesn't offer a lot, i'd like to see his assists compiled.

Why are you selectively excluding goals? They all count. And even if you do wish to exclude those for your own arbitrary reasons, 40 goals in "meaningful" games (or about 1 goal in every 3 of those games) is still an incredible record; as good as any top international striker and miles better than any of the alternative options we've had or indeed any other Irish striker in history. You could diminish any top-class striker's record in the exact same manner you've just tried to do with Robbie's by deleting goals against weaker teams. In the game's he doesn't score, it's not as if he's not trying either; when he's selected, the hope is that he will offer a goal-threat more significant than that of our other striking options. With the benefit of hindsight, it doesn't always work out, sure, but managers can only go with their hopes, instincts and sense of likelihood based on prior evidence. Unfortunately, they can't read the future like yourself.

[paul_oshea]

I was just giving a look at all the supposed minnows, and lesser games, arguably you could argue in the last 5 years his only goal against similar opposition was the Sweden goal. He has scored at least once in 38 games from 141. That means he didn’t score in 103 games for Ireland or 73% of games.

The point was in relation to Ken Earlys original post. Getting the best out of robbie now is to start him against the minnows, but leave him out against the better opposition as he doesn't offer anything when not scoring goals.

I am not reading the future, its stats based on the past. Leave the maths to me and the literature to you :P

[geysir]

For the most part, quality strikers score a large portion of their intl goals against 5th and 6th seeded teams. It is not a fault of the striker, they are just the facts of life,
e.g. Zlatan loves to score against minnow teams.
In the qual campaign for wc 2014, Zlatan and Robbie scored 6 each
Zlatan scored one against Germany and Austria, Robbie scored one against Sweden.
This mere rattling of stats 'scores goals mostly against minnows' is not a sensible tool of judgement or else one would be inclined to say that Zlatan was just marginally a more effective striker than Robbie in that group campaign.
And seeing as we are a middlin' to below middlin' team, it is not a great surprise that our strikers struggle to score against the top seeded teams.

The question of Robbie's usefulness now is based on his ability at this present time and compared to what else is available to us.

[gustavo]

14/10/1998 Lansdowne Road, Dublin *Malta 5-0 UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying 2
18/11/2003 Lansdowne Road, Dublin *Canada 3-0 Friendly match 2
13/10/2004 Lansdowne Road, Dublin *Faroe Islands 2-0 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification 2
15/11/2006 Lansdowne Road, Dublin *San Marino 5-0 UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying 3
22/08/2007 NRGi Park, Aarhus *Denmark 4-0 Friendly match 2
11/02/2009 Croke Park, Dublin *Georgia 2-1 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification 2
28/05/2010 RDS Arena, Dublin Algeria 3-0 Friendly match 2
24/05/2011 RDS Arena, Dublin Northern Ireland 5-0 Nations Cup 2
04/06/2011 National Arena Filip II, Skopje FYR Macedonia 2-0 UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying 2
11/11/2011 A Le Coq Arena, Tallinn Estonia 4-0 UEFA Euro 2012 Play-Off 2
02/06/2013 Aviva Stadium, Dublin Georgia 4-0 Friendly match 2
06/06/2013 Aviva Stadium, Dublin Faroe Islands 3-0 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification 3
11/10/2014 Aviva Stadium, Dublin Gibraltar 7-0 UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying 3
04/09/2015 Estádio Algarve - Faro-Loule Gibraltar 4-0 UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying 2


Robbie has been a great servant and finisher for Ireland. Where he is criticised is that he tends to score a lot of goals against really poor opposition or in meaningless games. He has 67 goals in 141 games for Ireland. Attached are an example of 27 of the 67 goals he scored in 12 games. So he has 40 goals in 129 games if you exclude these and when Robbie doesn’t score (which is in 70% of games) he doesn't offer a lot, i'd like to see his assists compiled.

I see nothing has changed

[back of the net]

For the most part, quality strikers score a large portion of their intl goals against 5th and 6th seeded teams. It is not a fault of the striker, they are just the facts of life,
e.g. Zlatan loves to score against minnow teams.
In the qual campaign for wc 2014, Zlatan and Robbie scored 6 each
Zlatan scored one against Germany and Austria, Robbie scored one against Sweden.
This mere rattling of stats 'scores goals mostly against minnows' is not a sensible tool of judgement or else one would be inclined to say that Zlatan was just marginally a more effective striker than Robbie in that group campaign.
And seeing as we are a middlin' to below middlin' team, it is not a great surprise that our strikers struggle to score against the top seeded teams.

The question of Robbie's usefulness now is based on his ability at this present time and compared to what else is available to us.


9 out of 10 of Lewandowski's goals have come against Georgia and Gibraltar.......just the one against one of the bigger teams in the group and that was against germany last friday

He has scored 6 of his 10 against Gibraltar.


Still an unreal striker though

[Metrostars]

For the most part, quality strikers score a large portion of their intl goals against 5th and 6th seeded teams. It is not a fault of the striker, they are just the facts of life,
e.g. Zlatan loves to score against minnow teams.
In the qual campaign for wc 2014, Zlatan and Robbie scored 6 each
Zlatan scored one against Germany and Austria, Robbie scored one against Sweden.
This mere rattling of stats 'scores goals mostly against minnows' is not a sensible tool of judgement or else one would be inclined to say that Zlatan was just marginally a more effective striker than Robbie in that group campaign.
And seeing as we are a middlin' to below middlin' team, it is not a great surprise that our strikers struggle to score against the top seeded teams.

The question of Robbie's usefulness now is based on his ability at this present time and compared to what else is available to us.

All international players who score a lot mainly score against the minnows. Look at Rooney, on 49 now but 5 have come against San marino and 3 against Kazakhstan alone.

[Stuttgart88]

In fairness, if he can score 3 against Kazakhstan while playing alone that's some achievement.

[Crosby87]

MLS player rankings released, Keane slips to 7th best.
http://www.sportsjoe.ie/football/robbie-keane-is-ahead-of-some-real-heavyweights-in-fifa-16s-mls-ratings/40376

[tricky_colour]

The reality is the all strikers will get the bulk of their goal against the minnows, only a few will put one past us :p

[geysir]

MLS player rankings released, Keane slips to 7th best.
http://www.sportsjoe.ie/football/robbie-keane-is-ahead-of-some-real-heavyweights-in-fifa-16s-mls-ratings/40376
Should that not read, MLS player rankings --> compiled by a computer game for kids?

[tetsujin1979]

His wife gave birth to a baby boy last night: https://www.facebook.com/RobbieKeane/posts/916363435114585
Congratulations Robbie and Claudine!

[osarusan]

Roy's take on it:

http://www.bbc.com/sport/live/33998096

And here are some more good quotes, this time from Republic of Ireland assistant manager Roy Keane after the news that Robbie Keane's wife Claudine has given birth to the couple's second son in Los Angeles.

Robbie missed training in Dublin on Tuesday but Roy poured very cold water on speculation that the birth may mean the striker could miss Thursday's Euro 2016 qualifier against Germany.

"Why wouldn’t he be [here]? He didn’t have the baby, did he?” said the former Manchester United captain.

"Unless he’s breastfeeding. Robbie’s had a game and has been travelling."

[Stuttgart88]

To be named Roy? First one is Robbie jr,.

[tricky_colour]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKbGYl48IYg

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/10/06/16/article-3262025-2D249C7D00000578-482_964x454.jpg

[tricky_colour]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjmrkX9Mf5M

[OwlsFan]

It's hardly a "hilarious message" though is it? If one of your mates said it around a table in a pub, would everyone crack up? It's just another of Keane's silly soundbites for the media. Easy thing to say that Robbie will be slightly delayed because his wife has had a baby but Roy is just courting attention with these comments and it works.

More importantly, not much time for Robbie to sleep off the jet lag.

[KK77]

Snidy from Keane but nothing new there.

[DeLorean]

It was really nasty. I hope Tony O'D. is okay.

[geysir]

Tony was in stitches. That was a good stand-up delivery from Roy.

[DeLorean]

For the record... I was being sarcastic.

[Closed Account]

So Robbie, what did you make of Roy Keane's breastfeeding comment?

https://amp.twimg.com/v/c91f3ebd-177a-4980-8f1c-2ba2c0cca1d9 …

(https://t.co/ZzccIS2qdr)
v4dTH2KZZEU

[KK77]

So Robbie, what did you make of Roy Keane's breastfeeding comment?

https://amp.twimg.com/v/c91f3ebd-177a-4980-8f1c-2ba2c0cca1d9 …

(https://t.co/ZzccIS2qdr)
v4dTH2KZZEU

Good man Robbie!

[paul_oshea]

I thought robbie was a bit sheepish/bitchy in it, the jet lag might be affecting him.

[bennocelt]

Christ, "football banter" :rolleyes:

[DeLorean]

Roy's comment totally unnecessary but I enjoyed it as it's no harm to take TOD down a peg or two every so often. Owls is right that it wouldn't have been funny in a pub context with your mates, but then again that wasn't the context. Robbie's 'comeback' was just cringing.

[Closed Account]

https://streamable.com/3drx

[DeLorean]

Some finish but my God what was No.24 doing? Even after being caught with the long ball he still had all the time in the world to recover and hold Keane up, or at least arch his foot around to block the shot.

[tetsujin1979]

Robbie's volley VS Portland is up for MLS Goal of the Season: http://play.bracketpro.myomnigon.com/?clientId=8108164261&bracketId=186
Vote early, vote often

[Crosby87]

Will Robbie be picked for Euro's?
http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/european-championships/irish-news/richard-sadlier-robbies-quality-too-valuable-to-be-left-behind-next-summer-34222692.html

[DeLorean]

Articles like that praising Keane are always welcome, but is there even a question of him not making the squad? Are far as I'm concerned there is no discussion.

[samhaydenjr]

Articles like that praising Keane are always welcome, but is there even a question of him not making the squad? Are far as I'm concerned there is no discussion.

Keane has got to be in the squad, as far as I'm concerned. Right now, I kind of see him as like Brian O'Driscoll in his last year - yes his contribution to overall play has diminished, but you know he still has some tricks up his sleeve that can change a game. I take on Sadlier's point about him not being suited to being the lone striker in Martin O'Neill's system but if we needed a late goal to sneak through to the last 16, it would be good to know we have someone with his eye for goal and boundless self-confidence on the bench - he still has a phenomenal goalscoring record in MLS, with 20 in 24 games this season, plus he will be less than halfway through his season next June and so will be relatively fresh, which may allow him to close the gap a little on younger players who will be just off gruelling European seasons

[backstothewall]

Keane has got to be in the squad, as far as I'm concerned. Right now, I kind of see him as like Brian O'Driscoll in his last year - yes his contribution to overall play has diminished, but you know he still has some tricks up his sleeve that can change a game. I take on Sadlier's point about him not being suited to being the lone striker in Martin O'Neill's system but if we needed a late goal to sneak through to the last 16, it would be good to know we have someone with his eye for goal and boundless self-confidence on the bench - he still has a phenomenal goalscoring record in MLS, with 20 in 24 games this season, plus he will be less than halfway through his season next June and so will be relatively fresh, which may allow him to close the gap a little on younger players who will be just off gruelling European seasons

Totally agree. He won't start, but there is likely to be a moment when we need a goal. If I put myself in that moment, I'd rather be looking down the bench at Robbie than anyone else we have available.

He's worth taking to bring on in the 118th minute for a penalty shoot-out if we should get that far

[tetsujin1979]

Led the line for LA Galaxy in their first game of the seasson on Thursday night in a CONCACAF Champions League game against Santos Laguna of Mexico: http://www.lagalaxy.com/post/2016/02/24/match-report-la-galaxy-earn-0-0-draw-santos-laguna-ccl-quarterfinal-first-leg
The game finished 0-0 with the return leg in Mexico next week

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2016/03/23/whats-ailing-la-galaxy-star-robbie-keane-not-enough-touches-ball

What's ailing LA Galaxy star Robbie Keane? Not enough touches on the ball

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

http://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/football/10218696/tubes-meets-robbie-keane#ooid=RnbHZjMjE6W0Gt_ObOFLEGRdft7g8Ep7

Tubes meets Robbie Keane.

[Closed Account]

Things have come full circle, TOWK is now the our official Robbie Keane correspondent. I, for one, welcome our new TOWK overlord.

[DeLorean]

That Messi fella has finally joined the 50+ club (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_men%27s_association_football_players_with_ 50_or_more_international_goals)

BBC Sport (http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/35923449)

[OwlsFan]

Was amused when camera panned to Robbie when the national anthem was being played. When he saw himself on TV, the chest went out and the vocal cords extended.

Getting worried about our striker options if Long gets injured.

[DeLorean]

The question was put to MON the other day about the possibility of bringing Keane along even if he doesn't make the squad. O'Neill didn't exactly rule it out. We're getting fairly near the stage now where you'd have to question what value there'll actually be in Keane taking one of the twenty-three places, cruel and all as it would be if he missed out. It's certainly not the way I'd like to see him finish his Ireland career but if he has less to offer than somebody like Doyle, then it has to be a consideration. I'm not sure Murphy has anything more to offer but he's an O'Neill-type, so he's safe out.