Robbie Keane

I agree with everything that has been said about Robbie simply not performing for us over the last year or so and that Clint has defiitely been our main man but I dont think now is the time to drop him. If we did then we are effectively trying out an totally unproven forward partnership in the biggest game we have played in a long time. Robbie has been terrible but he is still capable of doing things the other strikers we have are not. If things arent going well then we can bring Elliott on. I feel he would a much bigger impact on the game if he came on when other players are beginning to tire. He can be a real handfull at times and this will be better if he comes on later in the game.

I agree Robbie has been rubbish but this is not the time for experimentation

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Originally Posted by Tired&Emotional

Wallis made the point earlier that supply to Robbie is great and I agree but that can't excuse other parts of his game eg when he has the ball and is tackled. It seems to me that whenever he's loses the ball all he can do is throw a dissenting arm in the air, put on a moany face and shout in the direction of the ref. He makes no effort to try to win the ball back, imo....that's one thing that annoys me...!

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Agree with you there. His petulence can be a pain in the @rse.

Have to say though, if he starts/scores and puts us thru' I won't be moaning...I'll have his fcuking' love child!!

...did we have a site crash just there?! The Swiss are infiltrating...!

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Originally Posted by wws

he's created nothing out of nothing

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Yeah that really makes sense.

I fail to see the positives of dropping Keane. As I said, he can (admitedly he hasn't for us of late) produce something out of nothing and we are not Brazil that we have the luxury of bringing in someone of similar standard to him. Elliott is unproven, Clinton is honest and hardworking but average at the end of the day. Doyle won't even come into the equation for such a big game so dropping a player like Robbie Keane would be loading the gun to shoot ourselves in the foot.

The whole team has been p!ss poor by the way.

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Originally Posted by drinkfeckarse

Yeah that really makes sense.

I fail to see the positives of dropping Keane. As I said, he can (admitedly he hasn't for us of late) produce something out of nothing and we are not Brazil that we have the luxury of bringing in someone of similar standard to him. Elliott is unproven, Clinton is honest and hardworking but average at the end of the day. Doyle won't even come into the equation for such a big game so dropping a player like Robbie Keane would be loading the gun to shoot ourselves in the foot.

The whole team has been p!ss poor by the way.

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the positives of dropping keane are you will have 2 strikers not one who will run their arse off for the ball and who are both playing week in week out ... you will also have 2 people who will watch the play rather than giving out about every decision for five mins to the ref that goes against them ... He needs a kick up the hole and this is the time to do it .

Elliot delivered and stepped up to the plate on saturday
Morrison has delivered the two most vital goals so far in this campaign.


Robbie - scored a few v faroes was it? I've forgotten its been so long since he's contributed

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Originally Posted by zinedineontour

on paper yes .. on current form no

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Under that assumption, would it be fair to say that duff should've been dropped on saturday :confused:

'Robbie - scored a few v faroes was it? I've forgotten its been so long since he's contributed'

Did he not set up elliots goal on saturday :confused:

did he not a score a good goal at home to israel before going off injured :confused:

entered my reply twice by accident - can anyone delete this cheers

We need radical surgery after Saturday. We should only use players who show heart and fighting spirit. Robbie should be dropped. We have to try something different.

We need radical change at the back, midfield and up front. Without Duff & R.M. Keane we have to try something different. If we send out basically the same team only changed to accomodate Andy Reid and Clinton I'd be really ****ed.

Saturday was the worst Ireland performance I've ever seen.

I suggest a team of

Given
Finnan Cunningham O Brien Harte
S.Reid Holland O Shea A.Reid
Morrison Elliot.


Bring Robbie on at Half time if nothing is happening up front. At least it would show that BK has the b*alls to go for it.
:mad:

definitely needs a kick up the ar se but to drop him? tough call for kerr but since this is mr cautious we're talking about here i'd say theres no chance of him dropping robbie. or o'shea or kilbane for that matter.

Agree with you MJPCC on your team. wish we had a better option than o'shea for centre mid but looks like on saturdays performances of kav and kilbane we dont. reckon thats the strongest team we can go with

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Originally Posted by zinedineontour

the positives of dropping keane are you will have 2 strikers not one who will run their arse off for the ball and who are both playing week in week out ... you will also have 2 people who will watch the play rather than giving out about every decision for five mins to the ref that goes against them ... He needs a kick up the hole and this is the time to do it .

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That's a great argument there, drop him because we've got 2 fellas that will run around:rolleyes: :D

Do they have Robbie's ability?..........No

Have they a proven top level goal scoring record?......No. Does Robbie?.....Yes.

He might well need a kick up the arse but this is definately not the game to do it.

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Originally Posted by totalfootball

What a load of rubbish. Very typical nonsense. Since when do points against the Faroes count less than points against Switzerland? Robbies goals against the Faroes got us three points (no one else scored), Morrisson's goal against Switzerland got us one. I know which I think was more important (hint: three is bigger than one).

Robbie also scored against Israel, and once he was substituted, no one was able to score again.

But hey, lets not wreck a great story by imputting any rationality. None of the goals Keane scores ever count. Never, ever, ever. They are always lucky or irrelevant.

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Good man totalfootball, you've hit the nail on the head. Afterall, Robbie is our top scorer in the group.

If Kerr drops Robbie against the Swiss he needs to be sacked before the game and a new manager installed before the teams get out on the pitch. It's ridiculous that it's being suggested fat Robbie should be dropped because Elliot scored against those powers of world football Cyprus.

We always look more likely to get a goal when he plays. Didn't he setup Elliot's goal by being a nuisance in the Cypriot's box?

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Originally Posted by drinkfeckarse

That's a great argument there, drop him because we've got 2 fellas that will run around:rolleyes: :D

Do they have Robbie's ability?..........No

Have they a proven top level goal scoring record?......No. Does Robbie?.....Yes.

He might well need a kick up the arse but this is definately not the game to do it.

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did elliott not score on sat and morrison scored 2 very important goals this campaign ?? keane has done **** all apart from moan recently for us and needs that kick up the arse .. neither of them have robbies ability but it counts for **** all if your playing ****e and playing for yourself rather than the team which the other 2 do .

Robbie is a talented striker , his finish against Israel was exceptional - could any of our strikers do that ?. If we have a penalty and its 0-0 who else takes it (assuming Harte isnt there).

I still think our problems lie in the midfield. Our defence is solid enough and we have some good strikers. Clinton works hard, Elliot is looking the part and Robbie is a good goalscorer (yes, I too would like to see him cut out the moaning side and instead jump up and fight to get the ball back).

The supply to the forwards in the last few games has been dreadful. Even the away game to the Faroes showed how shocking it is. Perhaps we are so used to relying on Duff to do something we have forgotten how to cope if he isnt making the breakthrough ?

As everyone is picking a side/formation heres mine for whats its worth..

If I was in charge and I was brave enough I would put Keane and Morrison up front and tell Andy Reid to play in behind them in a freeroll. Kavanagh,Kilbane,Holland, Reid, JOS pick whoever you want for the 3 midfield spots, they can all stay there and battle and do similar jobs . But I would be pulling Reid,Keane and Morrison to one side and telling them in no uncertain terms that this is it. Reid wants to be a creative Gazza then get to it now when we need it most. Give the front two a supply for a change, pull the defence all over the place up front (which Morrison is great at doing) and get those goals !

Ireland players do not need a 'kick in the arse', if they fail on wednesday then some of them will never see a World Cup again - that should be incentive enough for any of them.

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Originally Posted by zinedineontour

did elliott not score on sat and morrison scored 2 very important goals this campaign ?? keane has done **** all apart from moan recently for us and needs that kick up the arse .. neither of them have robbies ability but it counts for **** all if your playing ****e and playing for yourself rather than the team which the other 2 do .

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But that's my whole point zinedine, you've admitted that neither of them have Robbies ability. Yes he's been poor by his standards recently but he can still produce something out of nothing and as long as he's got that, he's got something that the rest of them dont. Why would you want to take that away and replace it with a hardworking average player for such a vital game?? I could see the logic if we were at home to the Faroes or someone but not for a game of this magnitude.

Robbie has sulked his way through the last two internationals - and a more fussy referee would have adjudged the single contibution he did make in both games to have been 'high foot'. Sorry I cant back his claims to a starting berth when there are hungrier and fresher options. I'm surprised he's still got support from some. Why indulge him one more time? He is currently no better than any of the other options and I'd even say the novice Doyle would offer more heart and pride than lard arse.

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Originally Posted by drinkfeckarse

But that's my whole point zinedine, you've admitted that neither of them have Robbies ability. Yes he's been poor by his standards recently but he can still produce something out of nothing and as long as he's got that, he's got something that the rest of them dont. Why would you want to take that away and replace it with a hardworking average player for such a vital game?? I could see the logic if we were at home to the Faroes or someone but not for a game of this magnitude.

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my point is keane has the potential but has not been doing it and clinton and elliott are playing better than keane at the moment ... we cant keep playing robbie just cause he might produce some magic .. He seems to be getting some stick in the papers so hopefully that might do the trick and he will come out flying on wed .. not against keane at all just really dissapointed with what how hes playing for someone so talented.