Keane is class act simple as that, this country loves to knock the people that are actualy talented Roy Keane, Bono, The Edge, and many many more
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Keane is class act simple as that, this country loves to knock the people that are actualy talented Roy Keane, Bono, The Edge, and many many more
Makes me fell better when people knock me:D agreed apart from the fact hes an arrogant ****** hes a brilliant footballer, (our top goalscorer ever) and that's all i careQuote:
Originally Posted by NeilMcD
Often you will find that people who are high achievers are tossers or have personality issues its the way of the world.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NeilMcD
Ive often been called a tosser and I have personality issues does this make me a high achiever?:D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FY3NxPMYaAwQuote:
Originally Posted by NeilMcD
Hoddle knew to play Robbie like that, running off the last line of defence and he had a good partner in Sherringham.Quote:
Originally Posted by lofty9
It looks to me that Berbatov has to be told by Robbie a lot of the time where to lay off the ball.
Not at all, have you ever seen Berbatove when playing with Defoe, he goes mad and he tells him what to do etc and it drives him nuts cause Defoe is clueless and I would say he is a nightmare to play with unless you were Niall Quinn or Drogba or Kenwyne Jones or something. Berbatove and Keane have a great footballing partnership because they are both clever players and Keane in my opinion is the better player over the last year than Berbatov and his attitude has been much better too.
Word of advice mate, I'd give up the coke if you're not sure it even gets you high. :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Greenforever
It's good to see him continue to play so well. It amazes me how much credit Berbatov gets when Robbie is outplaying him (and is also more consistent). Hopefully if we can get a decent manager in he can start producing effectively for Ireland.
yeah you would think that Sky are getting a cut of any possible Berbatov transfer the way they were gushing on about him last night. Fact of the matter is, that as a combination, Keane and Berbatov work extremely well together and the media don't seem to identify this fact at all. I would love to see the stats of how Berbatov has performed for Spurs alongside Keane against how he has done beside Defoe/Bent.....would any of the statisticians amongst us have that sort of info?Quote:
Originally Posted by jmurphyc
Totally agree Doc!........slightly off topic...what did you think of Defoe's new haircut?:eek:....do you think his hairdresser had a siezure mid way through?Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr. Ogba
Yep, it was all about Berbatov last night. Drove me mad. Mind, as an Arsenal fan the whole game drove me mad too!Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr. Ogba
Keane has lost weight, looks miles fitter than before.
Great performance by Keane and shows what he can do when he has the service.
Wouldn't worry too much about the commentary. Alan Parry habitually uses "brilliant" for anything slightly above normal and Ray Wilkins wasn't far behind last night. I thought it was a strange decision to take off Malbranque (and they scored shortly afterwards). Berbatov was excellent but for me our Robbie was motm.
I wish he would stop pointing all the time though :o
I think when you take Keane out of the Spurs team you take most of the life out of their team. As someone else said, replace Keane with Defoe and you also get a very frustrated Berbatov.
"He is a phenomenon.
"He is ready to play and he has some incredible moves in training, especially when it comes to dribbling.
"He's more or less in my position and I can tell you that he has just as good a chance as me of playing."
That was Seedorf talking 7 years ago. Keane has improved every season since then. It's interesting that Seedorf regarded him as an attacking midfielder then.
Strikers may come and go but Keane is a constant for Spurs
David Hytner
Friday January 18, 2008
The Guardian
When Dimitar Berbatov was dominating the headlines at the beginning of the month, after his agent's announcement that he wanted a move to a bigger club, one of the talking points concerned how his Tottenham Hotspur team-mates would subsequently regard him.
The opinion of one dressing-room insider was illuminating. "It will be interesting to see what Robbie Keane has to say," said the source. "Robbie is hugely influential and the others take their lead from him."
The circle has turned for Keane and the Dubliner has not only become the key figure on the playing staff but has emerged as the one constant in the club's tale of four strikers. He cannot have said anything incendiary about Berbatov and the spotlight has drifted away from the Bulgarian - his future will be back on the agenda in the summer but meanwhile those of Jermain Defoe and Darren Bent continue to be debated. Defoe says that the manager, Juande Ramos, is content to let him leave and the interest from Aston Villa beats louder and louder. Portsmouth, too, and Newcastle would like to take him. Bent, meanwhile, has not found form since his £16.5m summer arrival from Charlton Athletic and has had to suffer "waste of money" whispers.
Ramos has seen little persuasive from him and in the background the sporting director, Damien Comolli, has been looking for a new striker. He has had discussions about Fred, the Brazilian international at Lyon, only for the player to declare yesterday that he was staying put.
Keane in the past has had to live with question marks over his Tottenham future. He has had to battle for his place and during his spells out of the team he might have been tempted elsewhere. But he has endured and after a spectacular calendar year in 2007, when he scored 31 goals for the club in all competitions, he has challenged a clutch of perceptions.
When he arrived at White Hart Lane he had played for Wolverhampton Wanderers, Coventry, Internazionale and Leeds inside four years. But that was the summer of 2002. Keane is a nomad no more.
He is also becoming recognised as a goalscorer rather than a scorer of great goals. Although the epithet of "prolific" has not yet attached itself, he has consistently been the club's leading Premier League scorer and he finished last season with 22 goals in all competitions. He has 15 so far this time out, to promise an even greater return, and he is now only one short of his century for the club. He brushes aside talk of personal landmarks, though, to see the bigger picture.
"The cups are very important but so is the Premier League because we want to get into the Uefa Cup [via league position] and that is still not out of our reach by any means," he said. "We proved that over the last couple of years."
Keane has proved himself time and again and, with uncertainty in the air, Ramos can be thankful that he intends to keep doing so.
Keane the enigma
By James Lawton
Friday January 18 2008
Would it be wickedly sardonic of Roy Keane to speculate on how much easier his task would be this weekend if one of the chief threats to his Sunderland relegation fighters at White Hart Lane was wearing a green rather than a white shirt?
Probably, but then nobody does it better than Keano and surely it is also true that few followers of the Republic of Ireland have failed to notice the performance gulf which separates his namesake Robbie of Spurs from the one who has performed for so long for the national team.
We have a cluster of contrasts and ironies here. While Roy railed against what he considered the inadequacies of Ireland's big-match preparations, his form for his country was as seamlessly committed as it was for his paymasters Manchester United. This Keane knew only one way to play whenever he played, and the colour of his shirt was plainly incidental.
Yes, he performed the most gut-wrenching act of insurrection before World Cup 2002, but it was Roy Keane who carried Ireland there -- and virtually on one leg in the decisive qualifier against the Netherlands.
The same cannot quite be said for the hero of Spurs, the selfless, fiercely scuffling scorer Robbie, who is now just one short of his 100th goal for Tottenham.
Of course, you have to give unto Robbie what is his and this most significantly includes the fact that he has made an imperishable mark on Irish football with his record tally of 32 goals in 78 international games, which is after all in the taller foothills of Bobby Charlton's legendary total of 49 for England in 106 appearances. But then you know what they say about statistics.
Broke
Robbie Keane is not for Ireland what he has been, for at least some of the time, for a succession of clubs from when he broke the British transfer record of £6m for a teenager when moving from Wolves to Coventry, and the growing suspicion at the approach of the dawn of a new Irish regime is that he is not likely to be.
At 27, Robbie Keane is perhaps an extraordinary enigma, a bright, self-motivated pro who has found his way, albeit through a few thickets of confusion, to a consistently high-impact level of performance in the Premier League but who cannot, despite the worthiest of declarations, find the same passion for his country.
Or maybe the truth is rather more brutal. Maybe Robbie Keane simply remembers most vividly where his richest butter is spread. Certainly, his record and current form for Spurs sharply contrasts with his often insipid contribution to the failed regime of Steve Staunton. For the tenderfoot international coach Staunton, Keane seemed like a ready-made leader, a man upon whom to bestow both the captaincy and untouchable status. Keane sailed on beyond inquest or correction, however poor the Irish team performance.
Yet for Spurs he has resembled a one-man improvement programme. Perhaps he simply responded well to an authority figure, a status that was sadly beyond the tyro Staunton.
Martin Jol had it before the Tottenham board cut the ground from under his feet -- and he pushed Keane to his most valuable time of self-examination in the spring of 2005 when imposing a £10,000 fine and banishment to reserve team training. The betting had to be on Keane packing his bags and adding another, perhaps sharply less prestigious club to his list of ultimately frustrated employers.
Instead, Keane of course re-invented himself. He became integral to the spirit -- and the scoring potential -- of Spurs. He overtook Jermain Defoe, who was once heralded as the natural successor to Michael Owen in the England team and, more recently, he has fought off the expensive challenge of another England player, Darren Bent. He is the natural foil for the remarkably gifted Dimitar Berbatov and a potent weapon in his own right, as he proved with his 15th goal of the season in the mid-week victory at Reading, which set up a fourth Round FA Cup visit to Old Trafford.
Keane had only words for the team after his latest splash of headlines. "As a striker you are judged on getting goals and it is always important to score and get your confidence up," he said. "I've been lucky enough to score a few this season, but it is not about me, it is about the team."
That would have sounded a lot more platitudinous if you didn't remember the testament of former Spurs player Edgar Davids, the ferociously committed Dutch midfielder.
Genuine
Davids claimed that it was the passions aroused in a training ground fight between Keane and himself that provoked Spurs into a genuine sense of a team -- one capable of making a first serious run towards Champions League qualification.
Now under the tough new manager Juande Ramos, Keane's commitment appears to have re-doubled yet again. Recently Massimo Moratti, the president of Internazionale for whom Keane played just nine games -- and scored one goal -- said: "Looking at Keane today, I have to regret he left us so quickly . . . he looks like a perfect player."
Well, maybe not perfect. Not as exquisitely balanced as his team-mate Berbatov, perhaps, but certainly a force of will and ambition, which makes him increasingly a key figure in the team.
The other Keane will no doubt have absorbed all of this as he outlines another vital game-plan. And, perhaps inevitably, smiles that sardonic smile.
- James Lawton
I don't understand people questioning his commitment and work rate when playing for Ireland.
I don't question his commitment or work-rate but I do question his efficiency.Quote:
Originally Posted by eirebhoy
For Spurs (from my limited viewing of them) his strength seems to be getting into the right(goalscoring) positions. Then he gets the chances and scores.
However with Ireland he seems to think he needs to go get the ball rather than pick up these positions in the box and ends up in midfield and on the wings at times we need him in the box to score.
I think the captaincy has had an negative influence on this.
No problem with his Irish work rate, just his concentration. I think he has difficulty balancing the yin of Robbie Keane - Ice Cool Hitman with the Yang of Robbie Keane, Captain.Quote:
Originally Posted by eirebhoy
Well any player that constantly ignores managers instructions should be dropped. He could be just doing what the manager wants though. His best form in recent years has been partnering Morrison.Quote:
Originally Posted by micls
True but given who that manager was I'm doubting that there were instructions........Quote:
Originally Posted by eirebhoy
I think his contrasting form for club and country are a result of a number of factors, but I don't think the captaincy is one of them; after all, he was the leading scorer in this calendar year and captained Spurs for the majority of those games.
His lack of goalscoring comes down to two key genuine factors (not the presence of an armband):
-the absence of a target man to play with (his most recent successes were alongside Berbatov, and before that, Mido).
-the lack of a creative and dominant midfield to get the ball to him. He has to drop deep with Ireland because he never gets the ball.
As a schoolboy Robbie was paid £1 a goal.
If he had stuck to that contract in the Premiership he would now have £100.
Edit 100th goal for Spurs, 100th Premiership was on 26 Dec 2007.
ah yeah, but its sterling over there.Quote:
Originally Posted by tricky_colour
Seriously though, congratulations Robbie. Class player. And your missus is a ride.
I think Robbie has struggled for Ireland since Niall Quinn retired. He seems to play better with a big man up front with him
well done robbie! great player for spurs and Ireland
Actually his goal ratio for Ireland 78 (32) is 0.410. goals per game where as forQuote:
Originally Posted by drummerboy
Spurs 181 (76) it is 0.419. . , so....untill this season it was probably a better ratio
for Ireland because he has scored a hatful this (last) year.
We just like to think he plays shyte for us, truth is he plays shyte for Spurs too :D
It's a pretty good ratio all in all.
The truth is our midfield is so poor Robbie has to try and do the work of 2 men and has to drop deeper than he should. Yes, he missed a few in the last campaign but his general playing form has been good enough.
He's already scored as many premiership goals as last season.
Just out of interest, how is Robbie Keane so famous worldwide? I've talked to people of all nationalities and he's the first name they mention. Maybe it was his excellent world cup but Duff was just as impressive in that and Duff was playing regular champions league football for a few seasons.
Dunno, but He gets mentioned a fair bit in Spain, back even before Ramos took over. As well as the odd newspaper mention, His 100th goal for Spurs was noted on the European sports round up on Spanish tv last night.
Ronnie Whelan hit it right on the head when talking on the Premiership last night.
The Premier League on TV. Worldwide.Quote:
Originally Posted by eirebhoy
Yes but I think he should drop back to win the ball and then play some decent passes to the front guys. And then get up front bloody quick.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
"In the Tottenham dressing room I pinned up a motto: “The Team is the Star”. If any player sums up that philosophy, it’s Robbie Keane. Normally it’s not the best combination to have a striker as your skipper. Robbie is different. He’ll do any job a manager asks and seeks togetherness with teammates socially as well as on the pitch. Character-wise, if you had 11 Robbie Keanes on your side, you’d have a chance of winning any game.
Robbie doesn’t play the game for personal accolades but deserves any which come his way, and yesterday he reached 100 against Sunderland. Only two other players in the past 30 years have reached a century. Their identities, Teddy Sheringham and Glenn Hoddle, show how special it is. At Spurs, Robbie is appreciated, the fans regularly voting him player of the year, but I wonder whether in the country he gets the recognition he deserves. He is only 27 and hardly any other striker in England comes up with the goods so regularly. He’s worth £15m to £20m - at least. Nobody scored more times in the Premier League in the calendar year of 2007 than Robbie. But the statistic which is even more revealing involves his number of goals away from home. It’s about 50%, and it’s a very rare footballer who performs as well in hostile stadiums as on his own ground. In my time as Spurs manager, Dimitar Berbatov didn’t come close to 50%. Robbie’s consistency is a result of his coolness and character. It’s a big reason why after two years of saying “I have three first-choice strikers though only two can play”, I changed my policy and announced “Robbie is my No 1”.
In my first six months it was difficult for Robbie, he was a substitute almost as often as he played from the start. He moaned, like most footballers would, but his effort and performance didn’t drop in training or in games. He scored a number of important goals during that period coming on as a substitute and that reflected well on him. Many strikers you put on the bench sit there with a miserable face and when you send them on, their attitude is: “I’m only involved for 20 minutes, what can I do? If I don’t score nobody will complain.”
Robbie would charge onto the pitch, desperate to get a goal and a win for the team. And when he played from the start and I substituted him, he hated it. He’d rather stay on the pitch and move to left-back than clock off early. This made him a great player to have when you needed to make a tactical change.
You could tell Robbie to move wide and close down the full-backs to stop the opposition starting attacks from the flanks, and he’d do it happily. Similarly, with Berbatov being a real No 9 I needed his partner to be more of a No 10 and Robbie adapted without asking questions. He developed into a good provider of assists.
When I first set eyes on the Tottenham squad, I would not have put Robbie among those who stood out as natural athletes. Then we did the physical tests. Quickest over 10 yards? Robbie. Over 20? Robbie was second only to Ledley King. Stamina? He was near the top in those tests. Later, Aaron Lennon would arrive and take the mantle of the club’s top speed merchant but Robbie (and Ledley) still ran him close.
On top of that, I’d seldom seen a player who could score in such a variety of ways. Robbie gets goals with his right foot, left foot, from volleys, chips and free kicks. The only things he can’t do are tackle and head the ball. He has an ability with penalties which is almost unique - most players decide in advance which side they’ll put the ball but Robbie runs up, watches the keeper and makes his choice in the very last milliseconds.
Off the pitch he can be a funny guy. I’ve always enjoyed having Irishmen in my dressing room. They love companionship. In my experience, they do everything they can to ensure there’s a good atmosphere and spirit, whether it’s organising games on the team bus or sitting down next to a guy who is by himself in the training ground canteen. Andy Reid was similar. I remember on a preseason trip to France, Andy and Robbie leading everyone in a round of singing until 4am. I didn’t want to stop them, I thought: “This is what a football team is all about.”
In Holland we say: “Be a man in the night and a man in the morning.” That means if you want to stay out until the early hours having a drink, don’t be a sissy the next day. Be a man and get on with your work. Irish players are like that.
Robbie is good at making new players welcome. Some fans didn’t agree, but when Ledley was injured he was my automatic choice to be captain. It puzzled me that only once during my time did another club - Everton - try to buy him. I look at some of the strikers being signed by Europe’s top clubs and think Robbie’s better. It would have been nice if goal No 100 had come against Arsenal on Tuesday but I knew Robbie would score yesterday@.
Martin Jol in the Sunday Times
Must say I agree about the Irish lads;)
if Martin Jol loves Irish people so much then imagine how much fun he'd have managing our rabble :) c'mon Martin you know it makes sense.
We should go and sing outside his house every night at 4 a.m. until he agrees to consider it.
And lob a brick through his window if he turns us down.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Paddy Garcia
feck sake how much is he paid a week surely they could have taught him to head a fecking ball or tackle someone???
considering half the premiership players cant even use their left foot he's doing alrightQuote:
Originally Posted by gordongekko
Most strikers can't tackle for nuts. Alan Smith, for exampleQuote:
Originally Posted by gordongekko