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I think anyone that actually follows Ireland is not blinded by Keanes scoring record and knows the stature of the teams he tends to score against. However being made captain has made him undroppable and in my view the one player that cant be let have that attitude is Robbie. it seems to go to his head.
I think he needs competition for his place in order to improve his performance, mightn't be a bad idea to drop him for a match or two, maybe play Ireland up front behind Doyle, see how that works out
Whats the alternative, and please be realistic. He is a top player who tries his best for Ireland and imo gets undue criticism. Ok he hasnt scored in many big games for us but we've never really had a striker who did such anyway.
I may as well express my view in this thread.
To be honest, I think the Keane Doyle partnership up front is a complete misnomer. Both are good strikers in the premiership and can score. But lets face it, the teams they play for can create chances for them.
Our midfield has been lame and negative for quite some time and their passing ability and skill levels are fairly low. Even our defence are limited when it comes to creativity and tend to hoof the ball given the chance.
Basically what I'm saying is we need a targetman. Badly. Someone who can compete with centre defenders and cause havoc. Who do we have that fits that description.
Or we need to play midfielders that will supply our front men. Like Andy Reid, Stephen Ireland Damine Duff, Stephen Hunt etc. Not Douglas and Kilbane etc.
I thought he worked his arse off against Slovakia.
I think being relieved of the captaincy would do him a world of good. As captain he has a whole field to worry about. But as a striker he can't afford to be doing that. The best captain is rarely the best player. I would agree it should be Dunne, but i don't know where this cult of the captain came from, with formal presentation of armbands the week before the game.
I think it puts pressure on the role that need not exist. I am not old enough to remember Andy Townsends first game as captain, but i would imagine he found out a half our before the game when Jack walked in, said "Andy, your skipper this afternoon and chucked an armband at him." (or whatever name he thought Andy Townsend was called that day, probably Tony, leaving Tony Cascarino looking round confused, and saying "but i'm sub Jack")
Its a situation mirrored in the other sport. I don't think we have seen the best of Brian O'Driscoll since he became captain.
Thankfully I didn't see the Czech game, but I thought Keane had a very good game against Slovakia. He made S.Ireland's goal, he did an immense amount of off the ball running, and looked sharp when he had the ball. Talk of dropping him is nonsense. No-one will thrive in the forwards without better service from midfield. Forwards can't score if they aren't fed the ball.
Now whether he should be the captain is another issue entirely. But he is worth his place on merit. And merit on the basis of performances for us, not for Spurs.
Personally I thought his last two games were his worst so far. The amount of times we got in a position to cross the ball and Keane was practically walking back from midfield where he seemed to run into all evening leaving Doyle up front on his own and over-crowding the midfield. On one occasion the ball was crossed by Hunt or Kilbane not quite sure but it reached McGeady on the other side of the box, Keane wasn't there for the first ball and still wasn't there for the second from McGeady.
This idea that he works his socks off is a myth, his attempts at closing down defenders is laughable basically he runs in the general direction of the ball without any conviction of ever getting there (compare that to Doyle or Hunt who actually put in challenges). He's a fat waster, not worthy of Niall Quinns goalscoring record, I'd rather throw Long or Stokes up front, even play Doyle on his own and an extra midfielder than watch him going through the motions dragging his ego around the park. Stans lame excuse for making him captian was it'd get a better performance out of him a la Spurs, if he needs an armband to perform do that he shouldn't be captain. It's an armband thats all it's not gonna make you any better or worse. I find that the notion he's weighed down by the expectancy of it another lame excuse for his substandard performances.
Made it???Quote:
Originally Posted by Marked Man
He got out of the way of the ball.Thats hardly making a goal!!!
Keane should not be captain.
He should start every game when fit imo, but should not be beyond substituting.
I disagreeQuote:
Originally Posted by btid1
he is a disgrace in an ireland jersey - all he is doing is living on past international glories.
As for the captaincy been given to him - OMG
i aint doubting his ability but with ireland he does not perform - his 31 goals have been mostly against poor teams
drop him and see if he manages to take his head out of his ass while he dosent have to worry about swaning around like a prat in an ireland jersey.
he was brutal in slovakia and czech rep - the 2 games when not only as one of our most senior and talented players but as our captain - we needed him most
I do too.Quote:
Originally Posted by eirebhoy
I think he started coming too deep for the ball long before he was made captain. He's starved of service, and it's where his instincts lie these days anyway. I don't think being captain has made him any more like that.Quote:
Originally Posted by backtowalsall
Agreed.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marked Man
This is the midfield that was overrun and couldn't pass a ball to save their lives? I don't think he should play so deep either, but that battle's long lost.Quote:
Originally Posted by mackannovic
'Worthy' of it? He earned it. By scoring a load of international goals. You try it. Heskey has 5 in 50 for England (with far better service), Cole had what, 1 in 12? The expectation that a striker in front of a mediocre team should be scoring a dozen goals a campaign is nonsense. It doesn't happen.Quote:
...He's a fat waster, not worthy of Niall Quinns goalscoring record, I'd rather throw Long or Stokes up front, even play Doyle on his own and an extra midfielder than watch him going through the motions dragging his ego around the park...
I don't care if Keane's goals are against the likes of Cyprus. I'd sooner the rest of the team would remember to beat them than have the farcical situation of having to beat a decent team away to keep any real chance of qualifying alive with a third of the games left.
Quote:
Originally Posted by back of the net
Germany 2002, Spain 2002, Israel 2006, to name just a few games he scored in that were big games.
Keane played his best for us when he was alongside Quinn, likewise at Spurs he plays his best when he is alongside berbatov. There is no doubt Keane suffer for Ireland at present because there is no similar player alongside him. But there can be no question over the guys commitment and effort to this team. It is clear to see to anyone who follows the Irish team with any bit of decent interest that Keane is one of our best players who undeservedly gets alot of stick when things go wrong. Truth is the service to him the last few years hasnt been great and that is wher e the real problems lie. Its hard to score goals against any teams, particularly the bigger teams when the service to the front two is poor.
I can just read the Star tomorrow. Irish fans rush to defend Robbie Keane!!!
Care to elaborate as to why??Quote:
Originally Posted by Seano
Keane steps over the ball at least 5 times a game and 99.99999% of the time its doesnt work.I would be inclined to give the assist to whoever crossed the ball AFAIK Kilbane?
i said he had ability and he was one of our best players - i never said he didnt score against big teams
also i have been an ardent fan of the the irish team for the last 15 years - so i have a massive interest in the irish team
as for keane - i dont single him out - there is others
reality is that he has not performed to his undoubted talent for the last 3/4 years on a consistent basis for ireland.
how can you say service lets him down when the majority of the time he is waltzing around the midfield or near the sideline looking like he doesnt have a care in the world.
he is a class player but hasnt reached the heights a player of his calibre and age should be reaching.
he is 27 - he should be starting to peak. I have no issue with him not scoring if he is helping out in other areas - but when he tracks back - alot of the time he seems so dissinterested
and his consistent mouthing off to the ref drives so many irish fans mad
To say he is a disgrace is, in itself, a disgrace IMO. I don't think for a second that he's ever produced his Spurs form for us (at least consistently) but he is still the best striker we have and his record proves this regardless of who the goals came against.
Giving him the captaincy was a mistake though and as another poster suggested, he shouldn't be above geting substituted when he is playing poorly.
He is the best finisher we have by a mile. Anyone who thinks otherwise is deluded.
Quote:
Originally Posted by back of the net
Tell me who has?
We've been on a steady decline since the class of 2002. Theres no denying that. We have some decent players but beyond that theres just lower league clutter.
He is our record scorer because he has scored goals. To say any striker doesn't deserve that accolade is just sheer stupidity. Whether he scored the majority of his goals recently or before WC 2002 is irrelevant. He's scored them, he's our record scorer and he fully deserves to be.
And to call him a disgrace to the Irish shirt is stretching it a bit. A lot infact. Followed by calling for players who have played 1 or 2 good games to be started ahead of him. Get a grip.
The simple reason that he hasn't produced for us what he has done for Spurs - Quality of player around him. He'll score fck all feeding off the likes of Kilbane and Douglas or Potter.
But I definately agree that he shouldn't be our captain. Richard Dunne should be. Dunne is our leader, Keane is our captain.