Robbie Keane

**geysir** · 01/02/2011, 7:32 PM

Join the cynics then. I heard that interview and being an objective positive chap, I could not disagree more, well actually I could, I strongly disagree.
Just the usual Robbie type honest comment,this time he says he would not hold any grudges if he was dropped for good.
You guys need a heavy dose of cop on. Clarification my hole.

Q "In terms of your international career Robbie, there's a lot of competition for your spot in the team right now so was this move a way of fending off that competition?"

Robbie: "I have not really worried or thought about my position with the Ireland team. It is all about now and I have said before if I didn't play for Ireland and someone else came in, I have always said I would walk away."

**paul_oshea** · 01/02/2011, 7:48 PM

Geysir, what do the words in this order within the context above mean to you "I have always said I would walk away" ?

**paul_oshea** · 01/02/2011, 7:53 PM

Originally Posted by geysir

That would be a cynical interpretation of Keane's comments and how can you tolerate an existence/live with yourself, whereby even a Dublin gurrier has better english than you?

Geysir I actually thought that it might be poor robbie getting confused with the English language and its uses. That the "walk away" might have been a throw-away remark in robbie world meaning I would not complain and fight for my place.

Btw I'm not sure how someone can be better at English than someone else, how do you define that?! If they have more words in their vocabulary?! I would have thought it was the use of that, which could be metricised.

**kennedmc** · 01/02/2011, 8:18 PM

Originally Posted by geysir

Join the cynics then. I heard that interview and being an objective positive chap, I could not disagree more, well actually I could, I strongly disagree.
Just the usual Robbie type honest comment,this time he says he would not hold any grudges if he was dropped for good.
You guys need a heavy dose of cop on. Clarification my hole.

Q "In terms of your international career Robbie, there's a lot of competition for your spot in the team right now so was this move a way of fending off that competition?"

Robbie: "I have not really worried or thought about my position with the Ireland team. It is all about now and I have said before if I didn't play for Ireland and someone else came in, I have always said I would walk away."

but how does he know if he is "dropped for good" as you say? He would only be dropped for a game.

I would expect Keane to say "......I have always said I would stay and fight for my place".

What he is saying above appears to be if he not in the team he walks away. It's make Keane sound like a cnut!

I have no idea how you can draw your conclusion above from what you said Keane said above

**Noelys Guitar** · 01/02/2011, 9:36 PM

When I watched it I thought he was being honest. Trapatonni's public utterances about Keane needing to play first team football (then suggesting Vancouver Whitcaps as a possible destination for Keane) probably ****ed off Robbie. Keane has just moved clubs, has yet to play for West ham and that is his priority at the moment.

**Stuttgart88** · 01/02/2011, 10:11 PM

Originally Posted by paul_oshea

Btw I'm not sure how someone can be better at English than someone else

It's very easy Paul. Many people posting here, for example, are better at using English than you are. Consistently.

**Stuttgart88** · 01/02/2011, 10:14 PM

Originally Posted by geysir

You guys need a heavy dose of cop on. Clarification my hole.

Bang on. Footballers aren't bleedin' philosophers or poets.

If any of you guys had a mike in front of your face for half your life I reckon you'd sound pretty stupid a lot of the time.

**SwanVsDalton** · 01/02/2011, 11:05 PM

Sounds a fairly innocuous, if flippant remark. Anybody got a link?

**Scooby Doo** · 01/02/2011, 11:18 PM

Originally Posted by SwanVsDalton

Sounds a fairly innocuous, if flippant remark. Anybody got a link?

Sounded quite petulant to be honest. Was abit taken aback seeing as he is the captain of the national team.

Anyway, interview available on SixOne news 1st Feb on RT� Player.

**Nedser** · 02/02/2011, 12:18 AM

Originally Posted by SwanVsDalton

I was merely answering your strange 'career goals stat' by pointing out both players development is very obviously not like-for-like.

In the context of this discussion, I don't think it's strange to point out that a striker has only scored 30-odd league goals in 6 years, despite playing pretty regularly for most of that time. That says to me he's not really a prolific goalscorer (which is what I believe we need to replace Robbie when the time comes).

Originally Posted by SwanVsDalton

The point you're making is Stokes has more potential to be the new 'Robbie Keane' ie Ireland's main goalscorerer, than Shane Long, right? I'm merely pointing out that's a strange point of view as Stokes is only proven at SPL a........

You're correct about what my point is, but there is no contradiction whatsoever in saying an unproven player has more potential than a proven player. In any case, they're both unproven at the top level, but Stokes is a couple of years younger (which can be significant at that age) and in my opinion he has far more natural talent than Long. Hence I think he has far more potential than Long. I fully accept that's a matter of opinion though.

Originally Posted by kennedmc

Why aren't you making the same case for Rooney and Sammon? Both playing well on the SPL and scoring goals.

Because my opinion of Stokes is not just based on his recent SPL form. I became aware of him when he was about 15, through a friend of a friend who was on the staff at Arsenal. He told me about this kid from Dublin, who they believed was going to be a superstar. Obviously that prediction hasn't quite come true, but IMHO he still has far more potential than any Irish striker since Keane. Also, he has now (finally) shown consistent goalscoring form coupled with general progress over a relatively sustained period (a season and a half). That's why I'm making the case for Stokes.

As I mentioned in the Sammon thread yesterday, he had done pretty much nothing in his career until a few months ago. As far as I can tell, even fans of the clubs he used to play for never saw any potential for greatness in him, and there is general bemusement about the fact that Wigan have signed him. So that's why I'm not making a case for him.

WRT Rooney - I know little about him, hence I'm not making a case for him either. Maybe he's a great prospect too, I really don't know. But if he is I would expect him to be moving onwards and upwards from Inverness pretty soon.

Originally Posted by kennedmc

I am very indifferent towards Celtic.

Me too. My opinion of Stokes has nothing to do with the fact that he plays for Celtic.

**gastric** · 02/02/2011, 5:22 AM

Of all the positions where we can potentially replace players, Robbie's position is the one where essentially we have no one who can replace him. Long and Stokes are improving, but there is a long way to go. Trap's comments possibly were meant to encourage him to move on, but seem to have peed him off. I reckon too that Keane made the comments knowing Trap can't replace him.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/socc...s-2520876.html

**PatJR** · 02/02/2011, 8:27 AM

I suppose everyone will interpret his comments as they want to. Some people, particularly some journalists in the Independent, are always ready to pounce on whatever Keane says\does and try to paint it in a negative light. There always has been a sinister attitude towards Keane in the media here, in contrast to Britain where he is generally regarded by pundits\players\journos as a top pro and a top fella.

My interpretation is that he is saying he will quit when he is not a regular starter but reduced to being wheeled out for last 10\15 minutes. I think that's fair enough, he owes Ireland nothing and has given great service. I also think that day is a couple of years away yet.

**an_ceannaire** · 02/02/2011, 8:53 AM

Robbies stock with the Irish public has never been lower. Hear the comments texted into Off the Ball last night and even Ian Dempsey this morning.
"Disgraceful" "Petulant" "Arrogant" basically F**k him...etc etc etc

Robbie is not popular in Ireland anymore atall

**Philly** · 02/02/2011, 8:56 AM

While I think talk of him being dropped is hugely premature, his response to the question was not one you would expect from your team captain. I saw the clip and it definitely came across as arrogant. Perhaps he was unhappy with the question or something, but he should probably clarify what he meant.

**Duggie** · 02/02/2011, 9:07 AM

hes a legend in my eyes and always will be but im very disappointed with his comments, i hope he didnt mean it the way it came out. it dosent sound like the robbie we know who has rarely ever missed a game for us. i imagined robbie would still be there at 35/36 untill someone told him to retire. hope he gets off the mark early with west ham and gets his confidence back.

**paul_oshea** · 02/02/2011, 9:14 AM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

It's very easy Paul. Many people posting here, for example, are better at using English than you are. Consistently.

Stuts, I hope you don't mean you, although your use of the language might be very good, your understanding leaves a lot to be desired. As this was exactly the point I was making.

Walking to the tube today, I was thinking it was probably Robbie being frustrated with the way things have gone the last month(s) that he doesn't want to be talking anymore to the media, after years of saying the same old same old, he just wants to be back doing what he does best, and he doesn't need the nuisance of journos or reporters annoying him. Along with what Trap said it all just built up, and he didnt actually mean the walk away but happy to hang up his boots if he wasn't to be picked and wasn't good enough and as robbie might well see it who are we to question this after all his good service? Many would even feel for the guy and wouldn't blame him. However, the intelligent and articulate posters (like stutts

) should be aware that wrt Captaining your country there is a certain PR element, especially when speaking to journalists from your own country. Robbie has been aware of this for years, and he needs to be careful about what he says, and he let himself down big time here.

And I don't think use of the English language or gomeys or pessimism comes into it at all.

**tetsujin1979** · 02/02/2011, 9:24 AM

my own interpretation of it was that he meant if someone comes into the side and replaces him, then he has no problem stepping aside.

**Duggie** · 02/02/2011, 9:33 AM

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

my own interpretation of it was that he meant if someone comes into the side and replaces him, then he has no problem stepping aside.

well it came out like if he was dropped hed quit, he owes us nothing and given us everything but id hope if he wasnt started in a particular game hed be itching to get back in again.

**shakermaker1982** · 02/02/2011, 9:37 AM

It was a PR disaster Paul. Imagine if Ferdinand had said the same thing? He'd walk away because sitting on the bench for his country was not for him? The English media would be on his case until he backtracked and retracted the statement. If our other Keane had said something similiar (he probably did back in his pomp) then he'd also be getting stick from his regular haters.

It's also a bit disrespectful to the lads who turn up to every training camp with very little chance of getting game time. If Keane was dropped from the starting 11 then I'd expect him to fight for his place and support the lads in front of him by passing on his knowledge and experience. His place in the starting 11 is not set in stone right now because he has been **** for the last 2 years. If Shane Long keeps banging in the goals for Reading then the manager has a big decision on his hands.