Robbie Keane

[elroy]

So...........any chance whatsoever of Keane hanging around Spurs and getting CL football next season? Keanes biggest rival is arguably Defore and after a great start to the season, he has really gone off the boil. Only one goal in the last 7 and that was from the spot. 2 goals in his last 12 games! Admittedly the lad has got 21 league goals for them this season but 5 of them were in one game. If Keane was still around at Spurs I think he may have well pushed Defoe very close for a starting place in recent weeks.

[Drumcondra 69er]

So...........any chance whatsoever of Keane hanging around Spurs and getting CL football next season? Keanes biggest rival is arguably Defore and after a great start to the season, he has really gone off the boil. Only one goal in the last 7 and that was from the spot. 2 goals in his last 12 games! Admittedly the lad has got 21 league goals for them this season but 5 of them were in one game. If Keane was still around at Spurs I think he may have well pushed Defoe very close for a starting place in recent weeks.

Depends where they finish for me. If Spurs get 3rd they'll spend a truckload this summer, if they have to wait for a qualifier (which could well be a very difficult games to get through) then they may have to wait until they've got through that before spending big. Which could give Keane the chance to lay down a marker. But I reckon Redknapp will try and ship him out.

I mean getting CL qualification could be a blessing in disguise for Keane, they'll need a bigger squad next season so there may be scope for games if he's still there. I feel the sun has set on his Spurs career though, if he winds up at Everton or Villa he'll be lucky. I'd say he's kicking himself that he went out on loan now, he'll be hoping that Crouch and Defoe pick up injuries during the summer! I reckon had he stayed he may well have got a good few games in the run in, Pavleyechenko wasn't getting a look in before Keane left and played a significant part, reckon he'll go this summer as well though.

[dr_peepee]

It's a strange one. If Spurs are to push on or consolidate then it should be important to have someone of the calibre and experience of Keane as one of the forward options in the squad... . I don't think it'll do either of them well to stay around each other but they'll do well to better each other should they part ways. And by that i mean that assuming now he's 3rd in line as a Spurs forward, I'd struggle to name a better player to come in and offer what he has to offer as a forward back up option for a club challenging on four fronts.

Defoe and Pav are only good when starting regularly. Any marquee signing is going to oust someone or either not be content with the bench either way causing some displacement.

The Spurs-Keane thing's gone stale is all, really. If they can get past it, it'll be mutually benificial in the long run.

[Wolfie]

Himself and Berbatov can renew their striking partnership next Autumn somewhere for a fraction of what it was rated at about 3 years ago.

Everything must go!!!!!

[ShamrockIreland]

It's true he supported Liverpool since he was a kid. He never mentioned any other English team, and I've know he was a Liverpool fan from early on. As for supporting Celtic most Irish people have them as their 'other' team so if he's guilty a lot more of us are aswell. It's funny how times have changed a few seasons ago Keane was considered Spurs best player. I agree they've done well without him the same can be said without Berbatov though.

[geysir]

I thought Berbatov was an excellent partner for Robbie (and vice versa), but their imposed divorce did neither of them any good.
Their performances earned big money transfers for Spurs.

[Docboy]

I think the role Keane played in organising the Spurs trip to Dublin just before Christmas, and a few days before they lost at home to Wolves, played a big role in his decision to head to Glasgow. Reckon Redknapp would have lost a lot of trust in him then and Robbie's not one to stick around if he's not going to get game time.

That said, Redknapp has shown his willingness to bring other outcasts in from the cold (Bale, Pav & Bentley most prominently) so there's a chance Keane will stick around if he has a good preseason. One thing's for sure though, he won't be guaranteed a place in starting line-up and you'd have to wonder whether Robbie would be willing to accept that.

[Crosby87]

Champions League and Robbie just don't mix apparently.

[Colbert Report]

I'd like to see him playing 90 minutes every match for a team like Wolves, Newcastle or Blackburn.

[Razors left peg]

I still think he better than Defoe who goes missing in most big games

[Stuttgart88]

I'd have agreed last year but I was very impressed by Defoe this season. I was looking for reasons to criticise him but couldn't find many!

[Razors left peg]

I watched him pretty closely recently in the games against Man City and Man United and he was subbed after about an hour of both games. I think he was excellent earlier in the season and he does very well against the teams outside of the top 6 but I really think he is poor against the very top teams.... Id actually like to see if the stats back me up on that

[dr_peepee]

I'd have agreed last year but I was very impressed by Defoe this season. I was looking for reasons to criticise him but couldn't find many!

Clinical player, quality finisher... But he's a hungry ****!!! I sware if Spurs were beaten 2-1 but he got Spurs consolation he'd walk off the pitch a happy man. I would have liken to see Keane and an in form Bale in the same team. I reckon we'd have seen a strong finish to the season from Keane had he been around. I believe there's a bit of friction between Harry and Defoe lately too.

[Serb]

I think he was excellent earlier in the season and he does very well against the teams outside of the top 6 but I really think he is poor against the very top teams.... Id actually like to see if the stats back me up on that

Here are Defoe's stats for goals versus top 6 teams over the past 4 seasons:

09-10: 18 Goals: 1 v Manchester United    15 v All others
                 1 v Manchester City       -
                 1 v Chelsea               -
08-09: 3 Goals:  0 v any top 6             3 v All others
07-08: 7 Goals:  1 v Everton               6 v All others
06-07: 12 Goals: 1 v Chelsea              11 v All others
==========================================================
Total: 40 Goals  5 v Top 6                35 v All others

The numbers alone don't prove anything because, obviously, he's going to score less goals in the 12 games he has against top 6 sides relative to the 26 games he has against other opposition. He also didn't feature a whole lot for either Tottenham or Portsmouth in any of his seasons apart from this one. Maybe a goals per game in either would be more useful?

09-10: Scored in 33% of games versus top 6. (3 goals in 9 games).
       Scored in 60% of games versus all others. (15 goals in 25 games).

08-09: Scored in 0% of games versus top 6. (0 goals in 2 games).
       Scored in 50% of games versus all others. (3 goals in 6 games).

07-08: Scored in 17% of games versus top 6. (1 goal in 6 games).
       Scored in 46% of games versus all others. (6 goals in 13 games).

07-08: Scored in 20% of games versus top 6. (1 goal in 5 games).
       Scored in 42% of games versus all others. (11 goals in 26 games).

He has an overall ratio of 5 goals in 22 games against top 6 opponents, a ratio of 1 goal every 4.4 games. He has a ratio of 1 goal every 2 games versus non-top six opponents (35 goals in 70 games).

QED?

[yapster]

If Keane is better than Defoe then he wouldn't have been shipped out to Celtic in the first place. Spurs have done great to qualify for the CL next season.

[Razors left peg]

If Keane is better than Defoe then he wouldn't have been shipped out to Celtic in the first place. Spurs have done great to qualify for the CL next season.

It about opinions... Martin Jol sold Defoe to keep Robbie

[Razors left peg]

Thanks a million Serb. The numbers I think do back up what I was saying. I do realise of course that it is much more difficult to score against the bigger teams but for me the problem with Defoe is that if hes not scoring in games he really doesnt give the team anything else where as Robbie might not be as clinical a finisher as him I think Robbie will give u a better work rate and will create more for other team mates

[yapster]

It about opinions... Martin Jol sold Defoe to keep Robbie

there you go...

[EalingGreen]

Although I've always been a fan of Robbie's and have always stuck up for him in the past, I would be hugely surprised if he ever played for Spurs again, and if so, would say he has no-one only himself to blame.

For as it was, he was always "batting on a sticky wicket" under Redknapp, since Crouch (signed 3 times by Harry) and Defoe (managed with 3 clubs by Harry) were always going to be the manager's first choice strike duo. Moreover, when RK came back from Anfield, it was in the context that the manager was desperate for players, and the Chairman was, as always, happy to make a tidy "turn" from Liverpool.

Which is not to say that RK would never have played under Harry, one of whose strengths is not to be too dogmatic when it comes to selection, personalities, formations and form. (Somebody said earlier that Harry had "frozen out" the likes of Bale, Bentley and Pavylichenko from the team earlier in the season; not so, in fact it was quite the opposite - although he wasn't picking them, it was only because he had better laternatives at the time, which the players accepted. Therefore when he recalled them, they weren't resentful, but gave it their best shot).

No, what did for RK was defying Harry's express instruction that there would be no Xmas Players Party, by covertly organising one in Dublin under the guise of a "Golfing Trip". Faced with potential rebellion in the ranks, Harry could have lashed out at all of them. Instead, he was cuter than that, by going for the chief mutineer. I distinctly remember when Harry first heard of it, he really gave RK what for and I said to myself, "That's the end of Robbie".

However, a couple of days later, Harry was much more conciliatory. Most people took that as a sign Harry was backing off, but I had little doubt that he went to his Chairman, demanding that RK be sold in the January window, only to be told that the club wanted back most/all of the fee they paid Liverpool. As it happens, there were no takers, so Harry was clever enough to offload him (and his wages) to Celtic, to buy himself time.

And in that period, he signed Eidur Gudjonnson on loan (v.similar type player to Robbie), and reinvigorated Pav, who would have been sold had there been a big enough offer.

Thereafter, having asserted his authority and restored the morale in his squad, Harry managed to get Spurs into the Champions League, which means that the Chairman will now loosen the purse strings to allow Harry to sign another couple of strikers and take the first half-decent offer for RK.

Of course, it is just possible that no such offer will come in for RK. In which case, he will have to come back to Spurs. But if he does so, it will be strictly on Harry's terms and quite honestly, the trust having been broken between them, I doubt whether it can ever be regained.

Sad, but as a Spurs fan, I believe no player is ever bigger than the club, therefore so be it.

P.S. For all those posters slagging off Jermain Defoe as being overrated etc, you are, of course, entitled to your opinion. I personally don't share it, but that's neither here nor there, since Harry clearly rates him and it's his opinion which counts - something Robbie Keane should have heeded...

P.P.S. Fabio Capello also seems happy enough to have JD in his squad (if not First XI), which must count for something.

[EalingGreen]

It about opinions... Martin Jol sold Defoe to keep Robbie

As the late, great Brian Clough always used to point out, no Manager ever sold (or bought) a player - it is always the Chairman's name on the cheque, whether Payee or Signatory.

And if you disagree with that, just remind me who "sold" Jol to acquire Ramos?

Anyhow, for information, there was a period soon after Jol took over where Defoe and Berba were clearly his first choice strikers (although he sometimes used Robbie as a third striker wide/'in the hole'). Then JD was injured for a period, RK came in in his place and played so well that he stayed in the team even when JD was fit again.

At which point, Jol had a problem, since Defoe took the hump, particularly since not playing regularly for Spurs was harming his England prospects. Then RK signed a five year contract, Spurs signed Darren Bent for £16m(!!!), Pompey came up with an offer which would recoup what they'd paid WHU for him and JD got the chance to play once more for the manager who'd given him his break in football, one 'Arry Redknapp...