Robbie Keane

**Charlie Darwin** · 16/03/2013, 3:52 AM

Originally Posted by samhaydenjr

Quick question for the Keano-skeptics: How many Irish players have scored in competition against Russia, Holland, Germany, Italy, Spain, France and Yugoslavia?

Or you could be even more pithy and ask how many Irish players have scored - or really excelled - at a World Cup. I know many Irish players haven't had the fortune to play at the top level, but on the very, very highest stage, you're looking at Robbie doing the business, Paul McGrath doing the business, Niall Quinn doing the business but not many others. The best we have ever performed on the highest stage was WC2002, and who was there bailing us out at the last minute time and again?

**DannyInvincible** · 16/03/2013, 5:07 AM

Originally Posted by samhaydenjr

Quick question for the Keano-skeptics: How many Irish players have scored in competition against Russia, Holland, Germany, Italy, Spain, France and Yugoslavia?

Or even how many players of any nationality? I'd imagine it wouldn't be too many.

**gastric** · 16/03/2013, 8:10 AM

Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

None of which holds any relevance to his ability or performance. Which is the point I was making.

I agree completely with you, I was just acknowledging the questions that surround Robbie, but should not be used to judge his football ability. Will be interesting to see will his profile rise in the US with him leading Galaxy's media campaign.

**brine3** · 16/03/2013, 9:17 AM

[quote]

Originally Posted by samhaydenjr

Quick question for the Keano-skeptics: How many Irish players have scored in competition against Russia, Holland, Germany, Italy, Spain, France and Yugoslavia?

Not fair to judge all Irish players by goals scored, when not everyone is a forward.

Shay Given has made world class saves against all those opponents.

But I would say that Robbie Keane is the greatest goal-poacher striker we've ever had.

**brine3** · 16/03/2013, 9:21 AM

Originally Posted by Crosby87

Was Robbie given a chance at Inter? I dont remember those days.

He was signed by Marcello Lippi but Lippi was sacked soon after he arrived and replaced with... our very own Marco Tardelli, who immediately shipped him on to Leeds.

Robbie has a lot of natural ability but he is essentially the same player he was when he was 20 years old. He never really matured in the tactics department. Still a great player, but I will always wonder what he could have been if he had tried to stick it out at Inter or Liverpool and tried to develop his tactical game.

**tetsujin1979** · 16/03/2013, 10:44 AM

Originally Posted by brine3

He was signed by Marcello Lippi but Lippi was sacked soon after he arrived and replaced with... our very own Marco Tardelli, who immediately shipped him on to Leeds.

Robbie has a lot of natural ability but he is essentially the same player he was when he was 20 years old. He never really matured in the tactics department. Still a great player, but I will always wonder what he could have been if he had tried to stick it out at Inter or Liverpool and tried to develop his tactical game.

Tardelli didn't sell him, it was a decision by the director of football. This was mentioned in one of the early press conferences in Trapattoni's reign

**EastTerracer** · 17/03/2013, 10:02 PM

No goal for Keane today as LA Galaxy finished 1-1 against Chivas USA. He played the full match but did manage to get himself booked in injury time. Hopefully he will be safely on a plane tonight or tomorrow morning.

**Murfinator** · 17/03/2013, 11:11 PM

Originally Posted by Crosby87

Was Robbie given a chance at Inter? I dont remember those days.

Inter had Vieri, Hakan Sukur and Ronaldo back then, who were all among the best in the world at that time. He got a chance as a young player and 4th choice but it was a bit of a strange move that he left so soon, he surely couldn't have expected more gametime in that company but he seems to have. In retrospect we learned from Robbie's career that he's been intolerant towards sitting on the bench anywhere so that might be it.

**geysir** · 18/03/2013, 9:47 AM

Originally Posted by Murfinator

Inter had Vieri, Hakan Sukur and Ronaldo back then, who were all among the best in the world at that time. He got a chance as a young player and 4th choice but it was a bit of a strange move that he left so soon, he surely couldn't have expected more gametime in that company but he seems to have. In retrospect we learned from Robbie's career that he's been intolerant towards sitting on the bench anywhere so that might be it.

The decision was made to send him to Leeds on loan, in the season that Leeds were flying high. Robbie got a place in that team.
Where do you get the idea from that Robbie expected more game time at Inter ahead of Sukur, Vieri and Ronaldo, apart from normal desire/ambition to play?

**Stuttgart88** · 18/03/2013, 10:27 AM

I didn't realise that being articulate was an essential criterion for being considered world class.

**SkStu** · 18/03/2013, 2:14 PM

Clearly not Stutts. We have Paul O'Shea who, despite being more articulate when drunk, is in my opinion a world class poster. Controversial to some, maybe. But easily top 5 foot.ie poster from what ive seen. And im just going on his performances on foot.ie as that is all that is relevant to the discussion.

DaHamsta OUT!

**osarusan** · 18/03/2013, 2:18 PM

Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

The best we have ever performed on the highest stage was WC2002, and who was there bailing us out at the last minute time and again?

What criteria are you using? We went further in the tournament in Italia 90.

**Stuttgart88** · 18/03/2013, 2:28 PM

Maybe goals scored?

I think we got 2 in Italia 90. Robbie got 3, all crucial, in Japan / Korea.

**geysir** · 18/03/2013, 2:34 PM

Performance wise? we played better football at WC2002, apart from penalty shoot out drama of course.

**paul_oshea** · 18/03/2013, 2:35 PM

Ya and he scored in the penalty shoot out too stutts.

**paul_oshea** · 18/03/2013, 2:35 PM

Originally Posted by SkStu

Clearly not Stutts. We have Paul O'Shea who, despite being more articulate when drunk, is in my opinion a world class poster. Controversial to some, maybe. But easily top 5 foot.ie poster from what ive seen. And im just going on his performances on foot.ie as that is all that is relevant to the discussion.

DaHamsta OUT!

St Patricks day was yesterday Stu :P

**Charlie Darwin** · 18/03/2013, 9:02 PM

Originally Posted by osarusan

What criteria are you using? We went further in the tournament in Italia 90.

Quality of football and opposition faced. You could argue beating Italy in '94 was our best single result, but in terms of facing top-quality teams and actually matching them, it's the best we've ever done.

**PatJR** · 19/03/2013, 3:26 PM

An startling piece of audio on RTE with Dunphy commenting on Doyle being left out. he has a go at including Sammon which is obvious enough but he moved on Keane then saying how can we play Robbie Keane who, according to Dunphy, has not played a match in two months!! The moron presenting didn't have a clue either, not able to point out that he play two games in last two weeks. Of course it's only Dunphy but the dumb dumbs and barstool experts will pick up on it and cite it as valid reason to drop Keane and revoke his passport.