Robbie Keane

**DannyInvincible** · 23/05/2011, 8:40 PM

Originally Posted by mark12345

"He gets into really good positions to receive the ball outside the box but his role doesn't seem to be in the box as it is for Ireland."

I've been saying this for the last two or three years. Robbie's best football is played outside the box. How many times have we seen him running from just past halfway (in a Tottenham shirt) at defenders and doing a quick one-two to set up a chance or score? Robbie is a great attacking midfielder. Problem is people expect him to score goals and that side of his game has diminished somewhat. I just wish Trap would play him as an attacking midfielder for Ireland!

Agree with this. He was great performing a role from midfield in Bari. And I always remember this:

**Philly** · 23/05/2011, 10:54 PM

Seems to be open to a move down a division now:

"The chances in the Premier League for me are fairly slim.

"For me it is about enjoying my football and playing as much as I can, maybe going to a team where I can maybe help the younger players that are coming through.

"I am not getting any younger but I will go back and see what happens.

"I am a Tottenham player and I am sure they will want to get a bit of money for me.

"Whether a Championship team would pay that, that's another problem, but I want to play in the Premier League for the next couple of years."

http://football365.com/story/0,17033...947452,00.html

If Reading go up, could a Long/Keane partnership be a possibility for them? It would mean him giving up a lot of his salary, but he would get games and still be close to London.

**DannyInvincible** · 23/05/2011, 10:58 PM

Well, at least he appears willing to do what it takes to get a game of football, but I still reckon he's good enough for Premier League football.

**Acornvilla** · 24/05/2011, 12:55 AM

back to celtic for another loan?

**gastric** · 24/05/2011, 5:14 AM

Article from The Independent.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/socc...e-2655104.html

**DannyInvincible** · 24/05/2011, 6:37 AM

Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

Well, at least he appears willing to do what it takes to get a game of football...

Hmm, on second thoughts...

**elroy** · 24/05/2011, 12:13 PM

Originally Posted by Sullivinho

Redknapp has not closed door on Robbie Keane

"I haven't written Robbie off at all. He is a top-class professional who has played over 100 times for his country," he added.

"He captains the Republic of Ireland team. He is a top-class professional. He has to come back here and fight to play in the team now."

Hmmmm.

Apparently Wolves had an agreement to buy O'Hara if they stayed up too so the England prospect will have to do his impressing from Molineux again next season.

With Harry you never know, that could be him trying to big up Keane for a big more cash move this summer. Keane has only one year left on contract now so hard not to see him leaving Spurs. In any case 'arry may not even be at Spurs next season.

**SkStu** · 24/05/2011, 3:17 PM

Originally Posted by elroy

With Harry you never know, that could be him trying to big up Keane for a big more cash move this summer. Keane has only one year left on contract now so hard not to see him leaving Spurs. In any case 'arry may not even be at Spurs next season.

thats exactly what my initial thoughts were too. In reality, Bagpuss has no time for Robbie Keane, that much is clear.

**DannyInvincible** · 24/05/2011, 3:23 PM

Originally Posted by SkStu

Bagpuss

Droopy the dog, surely...

**SkStu** · 24/05/2011, 3:31 PM

Love it Danny!!

I dunno though - make your own minds up. Here he is with Arsene Wenger.

**John83** · 24/05/2011, 3:37 PM

Originally Posted by SkStu

Love it Danny!!

I dunno though - make your own minds up. Here he is with Arsene Wenger.

And... is that Denis Wise and his mum?

**weldoninhio** · 24/05/2011, 11:20 PM

He's a washed up, never-was. He scored goals for Ireland, even a few against the bigger teams, but what has he ever won?? Any time he's gone to a big club its been disasterous. He's looking for one last bumper payday before retiring.

**theworm2345** · 24/05/2011, 11:58 PM

Originally Posted by weldoninhio

He's a washed up, never-was. He scored goals for Ireland, even a few against the bigger teams, but what has he ever won?? Any time he's gone to a big club its been disasterous. He's looking for one last bumper payday before retiring.

That never-was scored 48 goals (and counting) for his country including ones that the rest of us will never forget. I guess you would value the Champions League runner up medal he got with Liverpool over those though in spite of his minor contribution to the cause?

**Sullivinho** · 25/05/2011, 12:03 AM

Originally Posted by weldoninhio

He's a washed up, never-was. He scored goals for Ireland, even a few against the bigger teams, but what has he ever won?? Any time he's gone to a big club its been disasterous. He's looking for one last bumper payday before retiring.

Claudine turn you down? Plenty of fish and all that.

**Serb** · 25/05/2011, 12:10 AM

Originally Posted by weldoninhio

He's a washed up, never-was. He scored goals for Ireland, even a few against the bigger teams, but what has he ever won?? Any time he's gone to a big club its been disasterous. He's looking for one last bumper payday before retiring.

I think that's very harsh on every level. He has scored goals consistently in his career, for club and country, since he was 17. He would never have gotten the moves to big clubs if he wasn't scoring goals, and I don't think that his moves to either Inter Milan or Liverpool were disasters — they were unlucky more than anything.

The manager that bought him for Inter got sacked, and when Tardelli came in, he didn't give the 20 year Robbie, that he knew nothing about, many chances. With Liverpool, it's widely accepted that Benitez didn't buy Robbie, he was brought in by the higher powers. He would score goals and then be dropped for the next match regardless. He ended up with 7 goals in 28 games for Liverpool, which isn't too shabby considering the amount of game time he got. His record for Spurs, who aren't exactly a small club, is very good — 121 goals in 293 appearances. Not too many strikers can boast a better record than that.

As for winning things, well, he has only has a League Cup to his name, but there are a lot of better players who haven't won anything, and a lot of much worse players who have a hoard of medals. The usual people that are mentioned in this context are players like Matt LeTissier and Alan Shearer, but I'm sure if I looked around, I could some equally well known and medal-light footballers. I don't think a lack of medals proves that someone was not a top quality individual footballer, it just means they never played in really great teams.

**Murfinator** · 25/05/2011, 12:13 AM

Originally Posted by Sullivinho

Redknapp has not closed door on Robbie Keane

"I haven't written Robbie off at all. He is a top-class professional who has played over 100 times for his country," he added.

"He captains the Republic of Ireland team. He is a top-class professional. He has to come back here and fight to play in the team now."

Hmmmm.

Apparently Wolves had an agreement to buy O'Hara if they stayed up too so the England prospect will have to do his impressing from Molineux again next season.

Its wise, if Spurs cannot secure regular champions league involvement I think they'll wind up losing Modric and Van der Vaart ( I don't include Bale since hes overrated tripe and nowhere near the level of the other two), if they do lose those two they'll move away from the 4-5-1 and discover some striking problems. Defoe is abject, Crouch is and always has been mediocre, Pavel is a decent player. If Keane did somehow rediscover his form he'd be greatly welcomed into the starting lineup.

That said I think Harry is hoping to buy a couple of strikers because they desperately need them, and his talking up of Keane is probably more to try and encourage higher bids for him through claiming hes of some value to spurs. If he's still there in August I'd expect to see comments more along the line of "well he wants to play and we cant always guarentee that, if the right offer came in we'd consider it etc etc"

**elroy** · 25/05/2011, 9:27 AM

When you compare the commitment of Keane to that shown by some of the younger lads over the last few days.............

The guy has given us his all over the last 15 years or so. He has been a great servant who will not be fully appreciated until he is retired.

**tetsujin1979** · 25/05/2011, 9:34 AM

So far this season, Robbie's scored three goals at club level, and five at international level, with potentially three more international games to come, although I wouldn't mind seeing him rested for the Italy game.