Robbie Keane

[Kevin77]

I am totally sick of people posting on these type of sites comments along the lines of ‘Get rid of Robbie Keane’ or ‘Drop Robbie Keane’. I’ve thought about it quite a bit and I really can’t understand it at all.

If Ireland were blessed with Henry, Van Nistlerooy and Drogba as our alternatives over the past 6/7 years then I could understand the hysteria. But the alternatives to date are not even close to that class.

If we look at the players competing for two positions up front over the duration of Keane’s international career I doubt that many neutrals would argue that Keane is at least not in the top two in total or even the number one striker for the entire period. The players are (in no particular order) – Niall Quinn, Richard Sadlier, Keith O’Neill, David Connolly, Clinton Morrison, Kevin Doyle, Stephen Elliott, Alan Lee and most recently Anthony Stokes.

His record alone should be enough, however this is often held against him. The arguments tend to gravitate around the allegation that he either doesn’t score against the big teams or scores the vast majority of his goals against minnows. Now even if this argument does hold sway (I’m not sure it does – anyone), he still is significantly in front of the other best strikers in the history of Irish football (Quinn, Givens, Stapleton etc) in terms of return and also has at least 5 or six years left in him at international level.

Is it that people just enjoy knocking winners or picking on the big name players?

To me, Kevin Doyle is the first genuine striker to come through and perform consistently in the Premier League of recent years that could challenge Keane’s position as number one Irish striker. Even so, this still doesn’t mean Keane should be discarded as we generally play two strikers. So at worst Keane is striker number two.

Stokes is on the way. But he just represents potential at the moment. As does Elliott at Sunderland (personally I think that once he gets a decent run in the team again, he will do well). Morrison is slipping down the order. Lee is never really going to get there (except with the old school ‘gotta play a big man up front (regardless of class)’ brigade). There are some other bright spots (Clarke at Ipswich comes to mind.

However until we have 2 or 3 other alternatives that are not just potential and are delivering in the here and now, let’s just try and enjoy Keane’s talents for what they are and appreciate that we have a striker that can play as a proper number 10 AND score close to 15 Premier League goals in a year. So he can come across a little petulant and frustrating at times, but not every Irish sportsman be as self effacing as the Munster rugby team and their captain Paul O’Connell. As a nation, we love the Italian and Argentinian national teams and forgive their petulance from time to time as we enjoy all the good things they bring to to game. Lets do the same for Robbie Keane. Let’s enjoy the tricks and flicks, because after all if we are not going to qualify for Euro 08, lets build for the future and enjoy the skilful attacking players we have like Keane, McGeady and Andy Reid. That’s what really makes football worth watching.

[galwayhoop]

robbie is our top all time goal scorer. i think he has scored a fair few of them against lesser teams and in friendlies but he did score the equaliser against the germans in WC2002!! i personally think he is a no. 10 and and not an out and out goalscorer. however due to our lacking in the goalscoring department in recent years much of that burden has fallen to him in recent years. perhaps with doyle on the scene now that may change. HOWEVER i don't think that you can just blindly pick him up front regardless of form / effort. he has been injured for a while now and only coming back to pushing for a place at spurs. unless he begins gettin his game regularly and is performing at a good level then an alternative to him for the san marino game has to be considered.

BTW i don't think robbie is a player that you can just sit back and watch his 'flicks and tricks' he is not ronaldhino!!!

[kingdom hoop]

thoroughly agree. it is both unlikely and unwise that robbie be dropped. he is by some distance our most technically gifted player. some may quibble with his goalscoring, but this is a problem that should be seen in an irish rather than a robbie keane context. as is said above he is not a number 9. he is not a good taker of one-on-ones, not good at scoring headers from crosses, doesnt have great pace, wont get up for long balls, isnt good with his back to goal(ie the abilities that spring to mind when talking about great goalscorers) but is still a pretty consistent scorer in a team that, realistically, doesnt provide him with abundant chances or decent passes to allow him to then do a little bit of work to create a good chance. we have been reliant, for the past few years, on him to do way too much, things that simply aren't in his make up. but, now, he finally has a fitting foil in doyle, a more typical centre forward and goalscorer.

the views of clarence seedorf on a young keane at inter are worth bearing in mind when discussing his role, and also the ronaldinho comparisons; "He is a phenomenon," said the Holland star.

"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."(BBC)
Its surely worth noting that seedorf, a champions league winner coming from REal, thought that robbie was on a par with him in an attacking midfield role


i realise, or hope!, i'm probably preaching to the converted but its important to dispel the notion that robbie should be dropped, particularly in light of the potential that the doyle/keane partnership has. Anyone disagree?

[youngirish]

I don't think Robbie Keane or anyone else should be an automatic choice in the first 11. He was poor in the last set of qualifiers. Some of the players need some competitiion for places and are clearly not performing in the abscence of it (O' Shea and Keane being two of the most prominent offenders).

With the number of talented young Irish strikers starting to make a name for themselves I think this is one position where we should be able to chop and change if things aren't going to plan. Saying that I think he should start the San Marino game even if Doyle is fit but if Stokes bangs in 15 goals from now until the end of the season I think he should be given a chance instead in one of the upcoming qualifiers.

[Royal rover]

I think it's easy to be critical of keane, he's our top goalscorer and unfortunately up until recently he's been our only striker with any real credentials.

[czarner]

As a nation, we love the Italian and Argentinian national teams and forgive their petulance from time to time as we enjoy all the good things they bring to to game.

As an Irishman, I can honestly say I hate the Italian and Argentinian national teams more than any other because of their petulance, arrogance, cheating, and general unsportsmanlike conduct on the football field, and there are certainly parallels between Robbie's attitude and that generally displayed by members of these national teams, which is why he irritates me so much. That said, I'd agree with you that given his record he shouldn't be dropped unless there are alternatives who are clearly of an equivalent standard. I remember during the Dutch friendly about 3 years ago, when he picked up the ball around the halfway line and started running towards the opposition goal without paying any attention to the movement of his teammates, I turned to my girlfriend of the time and began explaining how this kind of selfish, egotistical behaviour was why I disliked him so much. Halfway through my rant, he scored THAT goal, and I've pretty much kept my mouth shut about him since.

[NeilMcD]

I think the runs off the ball that night were fantastic and Keane knew that they basically opened the route to goal for him and he took advantage of it. Andy Reids run off the ball should be shown to all young players.

[JimmyP]

I remember during the Dutch friendly about 3 years ago, when he picked up the ball around the halfway line and started running towards the opposition goal without paying any attention to the movement of his teammates, I turned to my girlfriend of the time and began explaining how this kind of selfish, egotistical behaviour was why I disliked him so much. Halfway through my rant, he scored THAT goal, and I've pretty much kept my mouth shut about him since.

haha, yeah - my dad did the exact same.

[OwlsFan]

An English Spurs friend of mine was at the game last night. I asked him how did Robbie get on. His reply was "ok but lacked a yard of pace". That doesn't bother me so long as he still has his tricks and can beat a player.

Incidentally, the same guy met Alan Mullery who said John Giles was a "sh*t, and the slyest/dirtiest player he played against".

Is this the same Mr Giles: the proponent of the beautiful game we see every Saturday night on RTE?.

[gustavo]

I fully endorse this Robbie love-in

[NeilMcD]

An English Spurs friend of mine was at the game last night. I asked him how did Robbie get on. His reply was "ok but lacked a yard of pace". That doesn't bother me so long as he still has his tricks and can beat a player.

Incidentally, the same guy met Alan Mullery who said John Giles was a "sh*t, and the slyest/dirtiest player he played against".

Is this the same Mr Giles: the proponent of the beautiful game we see every Saturday night on RTE?.

Alan Mullery is a **** in my view. If you ever see him on tv he talks so much rubbish. I thought Keans movement for his goals was fantastic but Berbatov was top class also and Malbranque put on a great display but I thought Keane looked very good for someone who was out for about 12 games.

[Kingdom]

Only saw the highlights but it was the first time I saw Keane come back from a long lay off and could say he looked fit and reasonably sharp.
Any previous time he has been out injured for a number of weeks, I've always felt he looked chunky and sluggish when returning. Not last night though.

[eirebhoy]

Incidentally, the same guy met Alan Mullery who said John Giles was a "sh*t, and the slyest/dirtiest player he played against".

Is this the same Mr Giles: the proponent of the beautiful game we see every Saturday night on RTE?.

I don't know about that. Giles doesn't rate Riquelme or Ronaldo because they don't do to the dirty work.

[geysir]

He rates them highly but not as top of the class midfielders. To be regarded by Johnny as being in the same league as Johnny, at least you have to have in your box of tricks the natural requirements of an all-round midfielder, that includes the ability to tackle, the awareness when to track back.

Anyone think Robbie's game is maturing?
I saw the game where he returned and came on a sub. He seems to have that bit more presence. A couple of his passes were sublime. A couple of times his vision is seconds ahead of the others. Looks like he has all the requirements for the role in the hole. He can lead attacks from the left from the right and from the middle. He's a handful for any defence.
Anyone think that he is our most important player after Shay?

[Qwerty]

I don't know about that. Giles doesn't rate Riquelme or Ronaldo because they don't do to the dirty work.

I wouldn't have Riquelme in my pub team. When you basically set up your team so that virtually all creativity has to come from one man you are screwed unless you have Maradona. Maradona won the 86 WC virtually on his own, take him out of that team and it was crap. Peckerman wasted so much talent by his misguided setup in the last WC.

BTW Keane is our #1 striker and has been for a while, people criticise him but he hasn't had a really suitable partner. Perhaps Doyle can fill the void. If you want to criticize Robbie then focus on the rubbish gymnastics of his. I cringe when he cartwheels.

[OwlsFan]

Alan Mullery is a **** in my view. If you ever see him on tv he talks so much rubbish. I thought Keans movement for his goals was fantastic but Berbatov was top class also and Malbranque put on a great display but I thought Keane looked very good for someone who was out for about 12 games.

Agree with you about Mullery but it is interesting to hear his unsolicited private view on Giles as someone who played against him.

Fingers crossed for Robbie that he'll remain injury free and get back to his best.

[cavan_fan]

BTW Keane is our #1 striker and has been for a while, people criticise him but he hasn't had a really suitable partner. Perhaps Doyle can fill the void. If you want to criticize Robbie then focus on the rubbish gymnastics of his. I cringe when he cartwheels.

It's when he lets go of both the bow and arrow that i hate.

[tetsujin1979]

It's when he lets go of both the bow and arrow that i hate.

He did that once, and he only did it because a mate of his in England asked him to do it if he scored in the World Cup

[NeilMcD]

Agree with you about Mullery but it is interesting to hear his unsolicited private view on Giles as someone who played against him.

Fingers crossed for Robbie that he'll remain injury free and get back to his best.

I think its well known that Giles was a nasty piece of stuff on the pitch.

[Billsthoughts]

Take that back McD unless you have facts to back it up!!!!