Robbie Keane

[tetsujin1979]

Don't think we'll ever really know what happened at Liverpool

[dynamo kerry]

Yep. Bought for 13 million (a large transfer fee at the time). Made 14 appearances only scoring 3 goals. Sold a year later for a loss. Hardly a rip-roaring success.
Didn't the manager change at inter in the summer he was bought. Lippi was sacked and tardelli decided he didnt need Robbie. (They recoba and others at the time) considering he was 20 it was a shame given the couple of years he had before then. He maybe could have stayed with Coventry a bit longer but the profile he got from the inter move in some ways set him up for life.

I'm a Liverpool fan. Benitez is on record as saying he didn't want robbie, he didn't want to adapt to use him and he was glad he went.

A Robbie Keane book would be very interesting but I'd not be surprised if parrot hadn't already called him for advice.

[SkStu]

People paint his time at Liverpool as a failure (not saying you have done that DK) but Robbie scored 7 goals in half a season for them, lets not forget, playing for a manager that didn't want him. That's not really a huge failure either!

[Closed Account]

People paint his time at Liverpool as a failure (not saying you have done that DK) but Robbie scored 7 goals in half a season for them, lets not forget, playing for a manager that didn't want him. That's not really a huge failure either!
This should probably all go in the Robbie thread but whilst we're here, he(Robbie) touched on a couple of these subjects on Soccerbox recently:
https://ok.ru/video/976436267622


https://ok.ru/video/976436267622

https://ok.ru/video/976436267622
https://ok.ru/video/976436267622

[DeLorean]

People paint his time at Liverpool as a failure (not saying you have done that DK) but Robbie scored 7 goals in half a season for them, lets not forget, playing for a manager that didn't want him. That's not really a huge failure either!

And playing out of position for a least some of it, in a supporting role to Torres. Not the mention the fact the Rafa dropped him just as he was starting to shine, right after a big goal against Arsenal and brace in a 2-0 win against Bolton. He barely played again after that.

[Olé Olé]

People paint his time at Liverpool as a failure (not saying you have done that DK) but Robbie scored 7 goals in half a season for them, lets not forget, playing for a manager that didn't want him. That's not really a huge failure either!

And he wasn't exactly playing in his best position either, from my recollection.

[SkStu]

And playing out of position for a least some of it, in a supporting role to Torres. Not the mention the fact the Rafa dropped him just as he was starting to shine, right after a big goal against Arsenal and brace in a 2-0 win against Bolton. He barely played again after that.

From my recollection of his time there, every time he scored he seemed to get dropped.

[paul_oshea]

He seemed to play and then not play not necessarily just when he scored. But I remember the away European game, and watching that Bolton game and thought ya this is it. Then he didnt play, it was like Benitez was trying to break him and use him as a pawn in his chess game with the board - and he succeeded. Most fans were willing to forego Robbie because of their love for Rafa. Lots not even agreeing that he wasnt given a fair chance and use the line, sure he failed at most clubs.

[seanfhear]

Robbie never proved he was a Top Four Premier league striker . Perhaps harsh but true .

[paul_oshea]

Its not harsh, its the truth.

He was a great player at international level, but there were some very frustrating misses and elements to his game that excluded him from being at the top.

[jbyrne]

Robbie never proved he was a Top Four Premier league striker . Perhaps harsh but true .

yet still 15th in the list of epl scorers....
pretty decent if youre to be honest

[seanfhear]

yet still 15th in the list of epl scorers....
pretty decent if youre to be honest
Decent alright but still not Premier League Top Four level.

[tetsujin1979]

Decent alright but still not Premier League Top Four level.

what record is Top Four Level?

[jbyrne]

Decent alright but still not Premier League Top Four level.

have a look at all the so called world class players robbie is ahead of including utd, arsenal etc players who are considered top class "top four" players...

https://www.premierleague.com/stats/all-time

[seanfhear]

what record is Top Four Level?
Regular appearance over a period of time for a club that was regularly in the top four when Robbie was playing for them . He was either not playing for these clubs or when he was he was not a regular starter for those clubs when they were in the top four .

[tetsujin1979]

That definition would mean there's been very few top four strikers in Premier League history.

[geysir]

Does that rule Shearer out of the top 4 epl strikers?

[John83]

Does that rule Shearer out of the top 4 epl strikers?
He won the league with Blackburn and was 2nd-4th with Newcastle several times. One could argue the definition of top four, but Newcastle were in the mix in the 90s.

[seanfhear]

Robbie was not as good at club level as some people seem to wish for .

When he went to Liverpool did he make himself undroppable . I don’t believe Liverpool were winning the league then !

He was not top drawer in the premier league . If he was then the top drawer clubs of the premier league would have bought him . Liverpool did and he was not good enough to force his way into the team . If he was not Irish and had scored so many goals for Ireland it would be much easier to get agreement on this .

International football bar say the top 30 ( perhaps even 20 ) teams is a far lower level than the premier league .

[geysir]

He won the league with Blackburn and was 2nd-4th with Newcastle several times. One could argue the definition of top four, but Newcastle were in the mix in the 90s. Newcastle were in the mix before Shearer joined them in the 90's but waned until Robson's time, altogether Shearer played with a top 4 team 5 times out of 14 or so seasons. There are probably many other EPL strikers with better epl records and titles than Shearer, but that does not mean they are better strikers.

[tetsujin1979]

Would it exclude Jermaine Defoe - eighth overall in the all time top scorers list?
Probably Les Ferdinand as well - tenth overall

[seanfhear]

Mourinho seems to have put Troy, on the not ready yet Limb . Not surprising really considering the lad is only 17 or has he turned 18 .

[geysir]

Robbie had an excellent season with Coventry and reasonably excellent 5 or 6 seasons with Spurs when they were just a middling team, in that period he stood his ground with some of the world's top strikers . That season with Berbatov was worth the price of 3.
His record in the MLS far outshines any other ex EPL striker, a credit to his level of professionalism.
Who gives a f f if he wasn't better than Henry or Bergkamp or Shearer or whoever in the EPl.

[Bungle]

Robbie was a really good player. Shearer, Van Niestlerooy, Aguero and Henry were all absolutely outstanding players so harsh to put him up against them as they were all world class.

In my opinion, Robbie was that level below world class. Perhaps at wc 2002 and at times with Ireland and Spurs, he was there or nearly there.

I've been watching Troy for a few years. I think he is a world class 17 year, but a lot to do to become a world class 21 or 22 year old. The talent is there though.

I'm possibly most excited by Knight and Molumby at the current time though.

[jbyrne]

yet still 15th in the list of epl scorers....
pretty decent if youre to be honest

and 5th highest foreign scorer in the epl...

[DeLorean]

When he went to Liverpool did he make himself undroppable .

Three goals in two games would normally ensure you start the next couple, yeah.


I don’t believe Liverpool were winning the league then !

No, they lost the league that season by four points to Manchester United, having sold Keane in January, leaving David N'Gog as the main back-up for Fernando Torres. They had a string of draws in the immediate aftermath of dropping an in-form Robbie from the starting line-up, barely even using him from the bench. I always remember the contrast with Fredrico Macheda, who won United four points with late winners in the run-in, which was ultimately what separated the two clubs in the end. Liverpool had a very strong second half to the season without Keane but it wouldn't have taken much of a contribution from him to get Liverpool over the line that year. Benitez cut off his nose to spite his face.

I agree overall that Keane wasn't in the very top bracket of great PL strikers but, as Geysir says, who cares really?! He was very, very good. (Maybe these could be moved to RK's own thread, Tets?).

[Yard of Pace]

What's the obsession with debating "how good" Robbie was???
It really mystifys me and I hope he never sees some of the things people say here. Let alone elsewhere.
If I were him I would tattoo 67 on my forehead and let that be that. Because really it should be.

But, I know it's fun to debate things, though. And I'm glad someone mentioned Keane and Berbatov. I remember urging my father, who had long since grown weary of modern football to please watch these two play. They were simply incredible. A joyous thing. And like The Clash (Cut The Crap doesn't count) or The Smiths, it was all genius and over far too quickly. Or maybe when it was just right.

If circumstances were different and Robbie had less of a nomadic club career, I reckon he'd be now in the "world class" bracket, whatever that means. Indeed, I would suggest if he came along now, he'd achieve that exalted status. It was a different time altogether back then.

[Yard of Pace]

https://www.planetfootball.com/nostalgia/celebrating-keane-berbatovs-brilliant-chalk-and-cheese-spurs-partnership/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_p3AJ52GqM

[John83]

What's the obsession with debating "how good" Robbie was???
It's nothing new. It always rankled me that Irish fans put him down given the results and commitment he had for us over the whole span of his career. I'd rate him a smidge behind the best strikers of his generation (and as you say, if he'd found the right team at the right time, who knows what might have been), but people used go on like we should drop him in favour of ... dunno really. David ****ing Connolly?

[DeLorean]

https://www.planetfootball.com/nostalgia/celebrating-keane-berbatovs-brilliant-chalk-and-cheese-spurs-partnership/

Wow, had forgotten that volley against Fulham. As well as being a great box player he really did score some goals that were technically very difficult. The one for Liverpool at Arsenal was arguably even better.

https://thumbs.gfycat.com/BogusViciousAmazonparrot-max-1mb.gif (https://www.google.ie/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwiPo7LLpYrnAhWpThUIHWk6CvkQjRx6BAgBEAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fgfycat.com%2Fgifs%2Ftag%2Fkeane&psig=AOvVaw2aWR3Uk8uzIM1qNengFjv2&ust=1579338779992542)

[Razors left peg]

Robbie to me is one of most under appreciated sport people ever in Ireland. We never had any one like him before or since. People criticized him for scoring goals against lower ranked teams, we've proven in recent years that we dont do that easily without him. He got some brilliant and important goals for us too. Will never forget him travelling to an away game for us to play the week his father died, especially when so many players these days look for excuses not to play.

He was and is still ridiculed for saying that both Liverpool and Celtic were his boyhood clubs. I get people in England not understanding that but it always annoys me when I hear Irish people take the p!ss out of him for that. When I was growing up (and Im a similar age to Robbie) I supported United, and like everyone else I knew supported Celtic.

He had an excellent club career, probably was unlucky a couple of times with moves not working out like they should, but he was a high end Premiership striker for a long long time and that takes an excellent player to do.

Revisionism is a hilarious thing sometimes, recently I was talking to a young cousin of mine who was in stitches when I said that Roy Keane was one of the best players in the world when he was top of his game. He had a view that Roy was just a kicker and that Gerrard and Vieria were the 2 great midfielders in England at that time and Roy was a bit crap. Now the kid is only 16 but it maddened me that there was that opinion around. I think Robbie still suffers from that sort of viewpoint. Maybe its because hes Irish and we dont appreciate what we had but year on year he was a regular goal scorer in a top league. He was never an Henry or Van Nistleroy but he was probably at the high end of the next level and thats not bad!

[Eirambler]

It's nothing new. It always rankled me that Irish fans put him down given the results and commitment he had for us over the whole span of his career. I'd rate him a smidge behind the best strikers of his generation (and as you say, if he'd found the right team at the right time, who knows what might have been), but people used go on like we should drop him in favour of ... dunno really. David ****ing Connolly?

Connolly, then Kevin Doyle and in later years Shane Long. Laughable looking back at it.

[DeLorean]

Jonathan Woodgate (and presumably Robbie Keane) sacked by Middlesbrough. To be replaced by Neil Warnock. It was coming really.

[seanfhear]

Jonathan Woodgate (and presumably Robbie Keane) sacked by Middlesbrough. To be replaced by Neil Warnock. It was coming really.
They should ask to stay and get some Lessons from the Auld Dog. Warnock really is something else ! Is he about 72 years old now ?

Can you imagine a 72 year old taking your job ?

[John83]

They should ask to stay and get some Lessons from the Auld Dog. Warnock really is something else ! Is he about 72 years old now ?

Can you imagine a 72 year old taking your job ?
Most of us can't even imagine being fired as often as the average football manager.

Of course, there are exceptions...

[geysir]

Not just being replaced by one of the oldest managers in football but one from the graveyard, Warnock unwrapped only need to sleep walk a few results for Boro to keep them up.

Has Robbie run out of dreams now? or as the song goes, 'people don't run out of dreams, they run out of time'?

[Colbert Report]

He may manage his boyhood club next.

[Eminence Grise]

Well that gives him lots of options!

[Razors left peg]

Hearing some rumors that Robbie is being lined up to take over as manager of LA Galaxy. Would be a good 1st step into management with him considering he is a club legend over here

[geysir]

Robbie's the true LA Galaxy legend, but Beckham got the statue.
Only in USA!!

[Razors left peg]

Robbie's the true LA Galaxy legend, but Beckham got the statue.
Only in USA!!
Beckham was great for Galaxy from a profile point of view, all about the dollars

[Olé Olé]

https://www.football365.com/news/everybody-loves-keane-wolves-leeds-spurs-liverpool-ireland

Interesting piece on Robbie for F365.

[Trequartista20]

'easily the most exciting youngster in English football at the time... '

Apart from Michael Owen and several others.

[tetsujin1979]

After appearing for both sides in a Liverpool-Celtic Legends game, Keane had a brief interview with fourfourtwo about his time at Liverpool
https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/no-regrets-robbie-keane-reflects-on-his-short-liverpool-stint-and-that-goal-against-arsenal

[CraftyToePoke]

Set to join BigSams four games to save the world mish at Leeds. No panic going on there then & a dream move again for him.

https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2023/0503/1380401-leeds-set-to-appoint-allardyce-for-relegation-firefight/

[pineapple stu]

Appointed manager of Maccabi Tel Aviv, bizarrely.

Should rule him out of the running as Kenny's successor for the immediate future anyway. Interesting to see how he gets on.

[NeverFeltBetter]

That's unexpected for sure. Conference qualifiers in a month too. Real sink or swim there from a cursory look at Israeli club football, he'll be expected to challenge for titles immediately.

[Fixer82]

Boyhood dream etc etc etc

[Snapshot]

Boyhood dream etc etc etc
How about just wishing him luck. He deserves a shot at management as much as anyone else. You probably would be unfamiliar with the The Fields of Athenry if it wasn't for Robbie.

[Olé Olé]

Fair play and best of luck to him. Interesting location to camp up at in his first proper managerial role. I was going to ask whether he had any connections to get in there but he's well connected as it is so could be any link at all.