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Great to see Keane scoring, two typical Keane goals as well. He is def making a big difference to the pool this year.Quote:
Originally Posted by Scram
Saw highlights of the Sunderland game and Reid laid on a great ball for their goal. However, he gave the ball away carelessly a few times particularly in the second half when he pretty much put one of the Portsmouth players through with a back pass.
According to the report in today's Indo, Benitez had a word with him about being constantly substituted: http://www.independent.ie/sport/socc...t-1530918.htmlQuote:
Originally Posted by dr_peepee
Quote:
Benitez said that he had spoken to Keane about the frequency with which he is being substituted and told the Ireland forward that he takes him off because the game usually needs a different kind of attacker at some juncture in the second half.
Read in the metro this morning and bout keane being substituted and he said that its good competition FOR Torres....does that mean he plans on only having one of them playing?!
a fit keane and torres is a partnership to match any in europe . this business of subbing robbie after 70 mins in every game is a joke . give keane the right supply and you get goals for both club and country .
I doubt it, they played together as a partnership right up until Torres got injuredQuote:
Originally Posted by paul_oshea
ya but that was before kuyt had scored 6 goals...
Benitez always liked four five 1 but he will be flexible and Keane Gerrard Kuyt and Torres will be interchangeable.
The days of a definitive first 11 are long gone. Injuries, and form and the opponents all dictate the modern managers thinking.
"horror miss, really awful" by Keane according to BBC live match updates.
Inexplicably tried to chip the keeper when all he had to do was tap it by Jaaskelainen using his left foot. Awful miss. He messed up another chance to go clear a few mins later. First touch let him down. Not Robbies best game(so far). Link for matchQuote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
http://www.ustream.tv/videoplayerpopup/channel/343147
Absolutely terrible miss. Worse even on second viewing. The only consolation for me is that he wasn't wearing a green shirt at the time.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
:ball: PP
It was truly awful. As bad as the miss against Athletico Madrid. Ball was pulled back perfectly for him and he went with his right when he should have just tapped it in from 2 yards with his left.
Watched the full game and he was making some good runs but when he got on the ball he never did anything with it. Very disappointing after his couple of goals last week.
He is so hot and cold sometimes. Then subbed for at 60. Just not a guy to count on when things are stressful as good as he was last week.
I seem to be getting abuse off Liverpool fans (work, friends but thank God no family member supports em :) ) every time he misses a chance?! I'm trying to defend him but christ after another howler like that today mr moaner might end up following Bellamy out the door after 1 season.
He must be getting annoyed with Benitez's substitution policy right now. On a hat trick against WBA and subbed and then taken off after 60 minutes. 5 men in MF against Bolton?
4 goals and 4 assists so far in premiership and CL. Not bad and as we know he gets better later in the season.
20 million outlay and only two goals in the PL? He needs to start bucking his ideas up fast because Benitez seems to have a hard on for 4-5-1 and once Torres is fit then Keano might find himself being used as an impact sub which would be disastrous for our World Cup campaign.Quote:
Originally Posted by eirebhoy
Berbatov, Rooney and Tevez don't have many goals either but I don't think Ferguson would be worried about that.Quote:
Originally Posted by shakermaker1982
It was a bad miss and particularly considering the miss against madrid only a few weeks ago. He really should just have put his foot through it. But having said that both Gerrard and Torres missed really good chances in the second half but we wont hear anything about them. Although both of them redeemed themselves with the second goal.
With Keane only playing on average 70 mins, i wonder is that a concern for us ie that he will not be able to put in a good full 90 mins for us from a fitness point of view.
Although it is only a friendly it is difficult to see Robbie being pulled by Liverpool. They also pulled Gerrard from the England squad. Any bets that they'[ll be fine for next weekend. Likewise Man utd rested Rooney and Ferdinand yesterday and pulled them from the England squad. Any odds they'll make a lazerus like recovery in time for next weekend?
For a friendly it is annoying but not a huge deal so long as it doesn't start happening later in the season for our big qualifiers.
It does appear McGeady is genuinely injured. I have doubts around the others.
Well hes withdrawn from the squad for def, not a great surprise knowing Liverpools record on this.......though i dont necessarily think its a bad thing for this game. We already know as much as we need to about Robbie. No harm try something different up front. Noel Hunt has been called up.Quote:
Originally Posted by gspain
To be fair to Fergie as long as Ronaldo's fit he knows they'll be ok :D Liverpool on the other hand without a fit Torres are relying on Kuty to bail em out..... Keane needs to be careful. Keano works hard for the team and we all know he is not suited as a lone striker in a 4-5-1 so it's partly Benitez's fault that Keano isn't racking up the goals but the chances he is getting are not being converted.Quote:
Originally Posted by eirebhoy
Oh well he has a nice break to recuperate. It's going to be very interesting to see who the Trap will call up as Keane's replacement. Will we see McCarthy (not like for like but Noel Hunt has already been drafted in) or will be see the return of singer/songwriter Andy Reid?
He actually travelled.Quote:
Originally Posted by gspain
Keane assembled with the squad today in Dublin but was unable to partake in this afternoon’s training session at Gannon Park, Malahide.
Having been assessed by medical staff, it was decided that he will not be fit for the game and will, therefore, return to his club.
http://www.fai.ie/index.php?option=c...k=view&id=3797
Thanks - wasn't aware of that. It is likely to be genuine then. As stated above by elroy it is a great opportunity to try out some others. We had some great players in the past who missed a lot of matches due to "injury". At least we never had a Ryan Giggs. I see England called up Gerrard anyway for a medical assessment.Quote:
Originally Posted by eirebhoy
There is a balance between accomodating the club and making the point that you won't have the wool pulled over your eyes either. We have some huge games in the spring and need our key players when some may be involved in a title challenge and a champions league challenge.
I didn't watch the game last night but how bad was he? WTF have Liverpool done to Keano?
I saw the first half and he was anonymous. West Ham had a blanket defence and Liverpool’s best moments came from corners where they utilised Hyppia’s threat in the air. Not once did they try and play the ball into the box along the ground.
Robbie was playing alone upfront and was swamped by West Ham defenders. Kuyt played deeper and saw far more of the ball.
I only heard bits of second half on the radio. Jan Molby was the summariser and he felt that Keane offered no threat but that was mainly due to Benitez playing him in an inappropriate role. Molby suggested he’d be far better playing off Kuyt & that getting substituted regularly is hammering his confidence especially when replaced by a 19 year old rookie. Alan Greene was more of the opinion that he was just woefully off form.
He wasn't so much bad as anonymous. Had sympathy for him as he was clearly under orders to play ahead of Kuyt and he got absolutely no quality supply. Kuyt was really woeful playing in the role that would have suited Robbie much better. I would have preferred to see Kuyt withdrawn, and Robbie being allowed to drop deep behind Ngog. Benitez clearly has no idea what he's doing, and has a total blind spot about Kuyt. Robbie and Babel are the main victims of Benitez's tactical ineptitude and irrational favouritism. His confidence must be draining away by the minute. I wish to God Benitez would go to Real and Liverpool appoint a manager with the imagination to get the best out of their formidable attacking talent.
I thought Gerrard was terrible last night too. Anytime he got the ball within 40 yards all he thought about was getting a shot in rather than looking for a through ball to Keane or someone else. And his shooting was appalling.
Keane looked so frustrated - he must have barely got 5 touches of the ball in the 65mins he was on. And to be taken off for a nobody will destroy his confidence. I agree he seems to love Kuyt even when he's having a negative impact on the team and simply doesnt take him off.
The problem with Benitez is that he decides his subsitutes before the game which is crazy IMO. Substitutes should be decided on how the game is going, what is needed for your team and how each player is performing. Instead he has it in his head from the first whistle that he's going to take Keane off after 65 mins. Keane knows this too and is constantly thinking about it.
While I agree that Benitez used Keane incorrectly last night, I have to disagree on the comments about Kuyt.
While last night wasn't one of his better games, he has been one of Liverpool's best players this season, especially in the absence of Torres.
If Benitez wants to get the best out of Robbie, he needs to play him in a withdrawn role, or perhaps even on the sides of that 3 pronged attack.
I'm also more of a fan of Babel than I am of Benayoun.
Robbie Keane is quickly becoming the next Voronin- if this poor form continues much longer he'll be run out of town.
Jesus Christ how much of a high opinon do you have of your own opinion. You think that Il Trap and Benitez do not know what they are doing and they are tactically inept. Yet both have one European Cups and League titles.Quote:
Originally Posted by third policeman
I do not agree with everything that Benitez does but I would never say that he has no idea at what he is doing.
Is anyone truly surprised by what's happened thus far at Liverpool for Keane???
To qualify that, I do rate Keane so it's not a cheap dig. I just haven't seen anything from Keane in a red shirt that I've not seen already for Ireland Spurs or Leads at stages.
If I'm honest, I believe he found his level at Spurs. But to be fair to him I don't think his current use in the team is what Benitez had in mind when he signed him. I think we'll see the best of Keane when Gerard (or even Kuyt) is unnavailable. Plus he always comes into his own in the second half of the season. A couple of braces totally changes the look of the oul' goal to games ratio. I'm willing him to do well. It's clearly eating at him.
From his own perspective it's a pity there's no International break soon because I think it does players well to get away to a different environment for a while...
There's an old saying: "Never meet your heroes you'll only be dissappointed!" well in Robbie's case you shouldn't play for them either because you'll only be dissappointing!
Keane should go back to Spurs where he could do no wrong. He's missing a hold-up player like he had with Berbatov. If Liverpool had kept Crouch we would right now be saying what a success his move was.
I think him and Roman Pavlyuchenko would make a great strike force! Him and Torres just don't work.
To be fair, and speaking as a Spurs fan, Keane only really played consistently well once Berbatov arrived at the club. The pair enjoyed a good relationship with Keane's anticipation of situations aided by the fact that he could be certain of Berbatov's ability to play it into the right areas.
I'm not really surprised at what's happened at Anfield for him so far. Torres seems more suited to playing on his own while Keane, although known as a hard worker, never gets the tackles in or wins the ball back as is the Liverpool way under the current manager. Surprised at Benitez signing him.
Also I agree with the above poster, him and Crouch probably would have made a fine partnership with Torres out injured!
There seems to be a lot more pressure on Keane to score from the fans and media than Rooney and Tevez who haven't been scoring much this season.
What? Rooney has grabbed a good few this season. Lately, he's gone off the boil.
Not sure how many Tevez has got but I get the feeling he won't be there much longer. He doesn't seem too happy.
Rooney, as England's favourite son, is praised for his "hard work" and "intelligence" when he's not scoring goals.Quote:
Originally Posted by eirebhoy
Tevez has been the odd man out since Berbatov's arrival, so I think the fans are sympathetic to his situation.
While the top pundits tend to agree that Robbie isn't being utilized correctly, the lowest common denominator of supporter is getting frustrated.
Rooney - 6 goals, 4 assistsQuote:
Originally Posted by superfrank
Keane - 4 goals, 4 assists
Tevez - 1 goal, 2 assists
Tevez hasn't played much but hardly ever looks like scoring and Keane can work just as hard in deep positions if he didn't concentrate on the goalscoring part.
To be fair to Keane, he has played a few games as the lone striker, which absolutely does not suit his game. There is no denying the goals haven't flowed for him as much as he, or Liverpool, would have liked. However in the games he has played with Torres, his performances have been good, the link play between the two is good, and unfortunately due to Torres injuries, when they've seemed like they're getting a partnership going either torres is injured or the Int break comes along.
He'll be fine.
Imposter alert. I think someone has got hold of Ciaran's log in and password and is actually talking sense.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ciaran
Keane better than his form:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/foo...l-Benitez.html
Quote:
Originally Posted by eirebhoy
Haha its a funny old game as greavsie would say.....
Aye just shows you how quickly things might change for Keane too. ;)