Robbie Keane

I more or less agree with Murf above except that I think one can say that Robbie has crowded out Long (and others) to some extent and that Long has been deprived of the chance to be a regular goalscorer at international level. His record is good and would be better if he hadn't been marginalised.

But isn't Keane only 31 anyway? Stupid to be writing him off. I rememember all the know-alls writing Brian O'Driscoll off in 2008.

I'd like to see a system where Robbie is more involved in the game. He's not just a fox in the box, he has more than that. If we can't find such a system we can look at a system that doesn't involve him - that's what friendlies are for.

A system where Robbie never gets on the ball and is isolated is the worst of all worlds as far as I'm concerned.

One sentence I don't understand from Fanning's article:

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Originally Posted by Dion Fanning

McClean is at least closer to the players than he was, if even further from the team.

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He seems to be suggesting that they players agree with him, but all the indications are to the contrary. Players like O'Dea, Doyle and Long seem completely bemused by the likes of Gibson and McClean who feel they are entitled to spots in the team despite never really working for it or impressing in the green shirt.

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Originally Posted by Crosby87

Is that the paper that printed the underwhelming Kate pics? Ive seen better racks on Deer.

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That was the Daily Star, which is co-owned by the company behind the Independent but they have no input in what goes in the paper.

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Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

He seems to be suggesting that they players agree with him, but all the indications are to the contrary. Players like O'Dea, Doyle and Long seem completely bemused by the likes of Gibson and McClean who feel they are entitled to spots in the team despite never really working for it or impressing in the green shirt.

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Yep O'Dea had very strong words against Gibson to the media and Doyle to McClean. Unusual in fact for players to talk about other players in that manner.
The message from the core playrs is for those guys to cop on and knuckle down, but of course the media want to suggest that there's some hostile undercurrent against the manager going on.

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Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

One sentence I don't understand from Fanning's article:

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Originally Posted by Dion Fanning
McClean is at least closer to the players than he was, if even further from the team.

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He seems to be suggesting that they players agree with him, but all the indications are to the contrary. Players like O'Dea, Doyle and Long seem completely bemused by the likes of Gibson and McClean who feel they are entitled to spots in the team despite never really working for it or impressing in the green shirt.

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I think he's alluding to McClean's own comments on the matter, namely that the resulting slagging and banter he's been on the receiving end of have brought him closer to the other players. In other words, his twitter 'tirade' really broke the ice.

I wouldn't exclude that the players' (or some of them) bone of contention is less to do with the colourful description of the team performance but more to do with 'whatever you say out there - say nothing'.

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Originally Posted by Murfinator

Yep O'Dea had very strong words against Gibson to the media and Doyle to McClean. Unusual in fact for players to talk about other players in that manner.

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To which comments are you referring exactly? I don't think anything that critical or out-of-the-ordinary was said. O'Dea and Gibson are good mates, to the best of my knowledge, and Doyle said the tweet helped McClean integrate more than anything.

Goal number 13 of the season for Keane tonight at home against Toronto FC. Darren O'Dea is playing for Toronto.

And Robbie gets his 14th in injury time.

Final score LA Galaxy 4 Toronto FC 2

The first goal is online here

and the second goal here.

Robbie's second goal was a joke, it really shows you just how poor the defending is in the MLS. O'Dea is a terrible player, I'm sorry but he really is very very poor. He took a yellow for a terrible tackle on Landon Donovan - just just walked right up to him and kicked him in the knee! Donovan was ticked right off and started a pushing match, O'Dea really should have been sent off.

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Originally Posted by Colbert Report

Robbie's second goal was a joke, it really shows you just how poor the defending is in the MLS. O'Dea is a terrible player, I'm sorry but he really is very very poor. He took a yellow for a terrible tackle on Landon Donovan - just just walked right up to him and kicked him in the knee! Donovan was ticked right off and started a pushing match, O'Dea really should have been sent off.

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Seen that, was pretty funny, dunno what the hell O' Dea was at.

Keane finds that league far too easy. He wouldn't be wasting his time doing the cartwheels if he wasn't so untaxed.

At the end of the day, he's playing regularly, scoring goals and seems to be enjoying his football which all bodes well for the October double-header. Regardless of the opposition, Keane still remains our most natural and trickiest forward whose game is based on subtlety not the power of a Doyle, Walters or Long. Could anyone honestly argue that any of those strikers possesses the type of invention and footballing intelligence that Keane has. He's our wily old fox in the box that our workmanlike team requires.
Added to that when on form he does have the type of personality, character and confidence of a street footballer which too few of our players possess at present...

Jaysis, that ball they use looks like the ball from the Amiga game Speedball 2....:)

Awesome looking ball, looks impressive traveling at speed.

Robbie continues to take the USA by storm, making it into The NY Post's famed "Page 6" Sunday Gossip section:

David Beckham had a "low Key" boys night out at Rock&Reilly's on the Sunset Strip. The soccer star, flanked by security, met up with his Galaxy teammate Robbie Keane and two male friends at the Irish Rock 'n' Roll whiskey bar for a belt before heading out to hotspot restaurant Ink for dinner. Later, Becks and his crew were spotted back at Rock & Reillys. Keane led a singalong and ordered cocktails for the group, signing autographs along the way. A fellow patron overheard Becks requesting that a DJ play Keane's favorite music by Stone Roses and Oasis, which they rocked along to. The boys then grinded on eachother before being whisked out by club security among a throng of wellwishers. When one over zealous fan asked Keane if he played for England, the Irish Captain good naturedly admonished him for making such a mistake before ordering some whiskey from a perky Irish Bartender who asked for a photo with her hero.

And I'll add this from the Posts "Weird but True" section:
Dozens of residents in Northern Ireland were in a sticky situation after a brazen vandal glued the doors on their homes shut. More than 25 homes were targeted in CO Donegal--locking some people in and some out. "Me Ma is in their trapped, and we can't get any food to her for the better part of the morning." Said Resident Hugh O'Brien, adding that he expected the doors to be shut "For the foreseeable future" until a solution to the problem could be found. Several of the more obese residents who were trapped could be seen vainly attempting to climb out of windows as a crowd of gawkers gathered.

Discuss.

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Originally Posted by Crosby87

[/I]And I'll add this from the Posts "Weird but True" section:
Dozens of residents in Northern Ireland were in a sticky situation after a brazen vandal glued the doors on their homes shut. More than 25 homes were targeted in CO Donegal--locking some people in and some out. "Me Ma is in their trapped, and we can't get any food to her for the better part of the morning." Said Resident Hugh O'Brien, adding that he expected the doors to be shut "For the foreseeable future" until a solution to the problem could be found. Several of the more obese residents who were trapped could be seen vainly attempting to climb out of windows as a crowd of gawkers gathered.

Discuss.

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When did Donegal rescind from the Republic and sneak back into the UK? I've missed that newsitem.

Yeah i thought it would be unethical for me to edit that.

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Originally Posted by Crosby87

Robbie continues to take the USA by storm, making it into The NY Post's famed "Page 6" Sunday Gossip section:

David Beckham had a "low Key" boys night out at Rock&Reilly's on the Sunset Strip. The soccer star, flanked by security, met up with his Galaxy teammate Robbie Keane and two male friends at the Irish Rock 'n' Roll whiskey bar for a belt before heading out to hotspot restaurant Ink for dinner. Later, Becks and his crew were spotted back at Rock & Reillys. Keane led a singalong and ordered cocktails for the group, signing autographs along the way. A fellow patron overheard Becks requesting that a DJ play Keane's favorite music by Stone Roses and Oasis, which they rocked along to. The boys then grinded on eachother before being whisked out by club security among a throng of wellwishers. When one over zealous fan asked Keane if he played for England, the Irish Captain good naturedly admonished him for making such a mistake before ordering some whiskey from a perky Irish Bartender who asked for a photo with her hero.

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Good thing he's not a Phil Collins fan or we might have been seeing Robbie on a different page.

The boys then grinded on each other. What does that even mean????

It means that they are gay for each other. Can't say I'm surprised when it comes to Beckham.

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Originally Posted by Colbert Report

It means that they are gay for each other. Can't say I'm surprised when it comes to Beckham.

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Ah they're grand, male dogs do it all the time when their bitches are feeling frigid:)