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Can Robbie cut the mustard?Shane Breslin 10:21:55
02/12/2008
Robbie Keane cut a disconsolate figure as he walked off with almost half an hour remaining at Anfield on Monday night. Even at this early stage of his Liverpool career there must be some doubt about his ability to make the grade on Merseyside.With Fernando Torres, the club’s undisputed number one frontman, sidelined by injury, the visit of West Ham presented Keane with a glittering opportunity to stake a claim for a lasting place in Rafa Benitez’s starting line-up.
It was a chance lost, though, as he became the first to bite the Benitez bullet following an anonymous and leaden-footed hour.
As the unproven French youngster David Ngog limbered up on the touchline, the Setanta Sports camera focused on Keane.
Looking disbelieving when his number flashed in the fourth official’s lights, he shook his head in a swirl of anger and frustration on the long walk to the dug-out, to a back-drop of gleeful “What a waste of money” chants from the travelling Hammers.
Perhaps the sight of Ngog, a tall and awkward forward with just half an hour of Premier League experience behind him, was the true source of Keane’s incredulity. Ryan Babel, the gifted but enigmatic Dutchman, would have been the choice of many Reds fans to replace him, but the decision to call Keane ashore could not be disputed.
So, having scored in just one of Liverpool’s 15 Premier League outings this season, and that against bottom club West Brom, what does the future now hold for Ireland’s captain?
He will certainly never receive the sort of service which plays to his strengths, not once Torres and Steven Gerrard remain the forward fulcra of the Liverpool side.
All of Keane’s best performances have come alongside a centre forward foil, whether it was Niall Quinn for Ireland or Teddy Sheringham, Fredi Kanoute and Dimitar Berbatov at Spurs. Ironically, Peter Crouch could have been his perfect partner but the big England international left Anfield two weeks before Keane’s arrival.
Torres, for all his wondrous capabilities, is not that type of player. He is the blueprint of the perfect lone striker, making it a long-shot that the pair will ever work well in tandem.
Indeed, there is a growing body of evidence which suggests that, given a fully fit squad and a big-game scenario, Torres will lead the line ahead of an advanced Gerrard, with Javier Mascherano and Xabi Alonso holding the midfield together.
In that system, there would be no room for Robbie.
After six years at Tottenham, where he shrugged off the journeyman tag to become one of the most coveted strikers in the land, Keane realised a boyhood dream by completing a move to Liverpool in the summer.
But despite Liverpool’s current position at the top of the Premier League table, that dream is beginning to turn sour for Ireland’s record goalscorer. Comments: (Click here to post your comment)1 I think this blog is way over the top. You can look to much into the stats against Robbie. Simple fact is, since the beginning of the season Keane know’s he on that pitch for a mere 60-70 mins max. That surely is affecting his game, Benitez is in someways playing with Robbies head in all the wrong ways. With Torres not fit, surely in the Benefit of LFC Keane should be your main focal for attacks. Gerard is best player in world in my opinion, is Torres is world class? if you cannot play with another striker how can you be ? Can he be coached to play with Robbie ? He done it with David Villa in the summer, why not Robbie ?
The Goonners - 11:15:39, 02/12/2008 Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
2 The fact is he is getting enough chances to be up there with the top scorers in the premier league yet has only scored to goals and that was in 1 game. I don’t think Robbie is good enough and thats a fact.He runs around like a headless chicken waving his hands in the air all the time it’s ridiculous. I think he would be good in center mid as an attacking midfeilder as everything he gets the ball he lays it off. I think his confidence is gone but i don’t think this is a good excuse for missing the kind of chances he is missing. He has been playing like this for Ireland for years and he should not be the irish captain.
Mark J - Dublin - 11:44:33, 02/12/2008 Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
3 I think there is a large grain of truth with the above blog. Torres is best-suited to the lone strikers role and Liverpool are alot more effective when they play the one-up-front formation. If Keane can’t play in the hole and needs a foil to hold the ball up for him, then his futures limited at Anfield...Rafa likes to have options. I think he sees Kuyt and Keane as a different way of playing than Torres and Gerard. Kuyt is the ever-present in this arrangement because he is adaptable. I don’t ever see the Torres/Keane partnership working seemlessly. If anything it’ll be Keane who has to change his game to succeed at Anfield. That, and learn to take his chances more ruthlessly when they do come along. Early days but to date he hasn’t convinced he can do either.
Eddie Singleton - 11:48:42, 02/12/2008 Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
4
Robbies just been found out thats all. He was always over rated IMO. He has been rubbish for Ireland for years. Its a pity. But there ye go.
Paul DCFC - 12:09:24, 02/12/2008 Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
02/12/2008
Robbie Keane cut a disconsolate figure as he walked off with almost half an hour remaining at Anfield on Monday night. Even at this early stage of his Liverpool career there must be some doubt about his ability to make the grade on Merseyside.With Fernando Torres, the club’s undisputed number one frontman, sidelined by injury, the visit of West Ham presented Keane with a glittering opportunity to stake a claim for a lasting place in Rafa Benitez’s starting line-up.
It was a chance lost, though, as he became the first to bite the Benitez bullet following an anonymous and leaden-footed hour.
As the unproven French youngster David Ngog limbered up on the touchline, the Setanta Sports camera focused on Keane.
Looking disbelieving when his number flashed in the fourth official’s lights, he shook his head in a swirl of anger and frustration on the long walk to the dug-out, to a back-drop of gleeful “What a waste of money” chants from the travelling Hammers.
Perhaps the sight of Ngog, a tall and awkward forward with just half an hour of Premier League experience behind him, was the true source of Keane’s incredulity. Ryan Babel, the gifted but enigmatic Dutchman, would have been the choice of many Reds fans to replace him, but the decision to call Keane ashore could not be disputed.
So, having scored in just one of Liverpool’s 15 Premier League outings this season, and that against bottom club West Brom, what does the future now hold for Ireland’s captain?
He will certainly never receive the sort of service which plays to his strengths, not once Torres and Steven Gerrard remain the forward fulcra of the Liverpool side.
All of Keane’s best performances have come alongside a centre forward foil, whether it was Niall Quinn for Ireland or Teddy Sheringham, Fredi Kanoute and Dimitar Berbatov at Spurs. Ironically, Peter Crouch could have been his perfect partner but the big England international left Anfield two weeks before Keane’s arrival.
Torres, for all his wondrous capabilities, is not that type of player. He is the blueprint of the perfect lone striker, making it a long-shot that the pair will ever work well in tandem.
Indeed, there is a growing body of evidence which suggests that, given a fully fit squad and a big-game scenario, Torres will lead the line ahead of an advanced Gerrard, with Javier Mascherano and Xabi Alonso holding the midfield together.
In that system, there would be no room for Robbie.
After six years at Tottenham, where he shrugged off the journeyman tag to become one of the most coveted strikers in the land, Keane realised a boyhood dream by completing a move to Liverpool in the summer.
But despite Liverpool’s current position at the top of the Premier League table, that dream is beginning to turn sour for Ireland’s record goalscorer. Comments: (Click here to post your comment)1 I think this blog is way over the top. You can look to much into the stats against Robbie. Simple fact is, since the beginning of the season Keane know’s he on that pitch for a mere 60-70 mins max. That surely is affecting his game, Benitez is in someways playing with Robbies head in all the wrong ways. With Torres not fit, surely in the Benefit of LFC Keane should be your main focal for attacks. Gerard is best player in world in my opinion, is Torres is world class? if you cannot play with another striker how can you be ? Can he be coached to play with Robbie ? He done it with David Villa in the summer, why not Robbie ?
The Goonners - 11:15:39, 02/12/2008 Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
2 The fact is he is getting enough chances to be up there with the top scorers in the premier league yet has only scored to goals and that was in 1 game. I don’t think Robbie is good enough and thats a fact.He runs around like a headless chicken waving his hands in the air all the time it’s ridiculous. I think he would be good in center mid as an attacking midfeilder as everything he gets the ball he lays it off. I think his confidence is gone but i don’t think this is a good excuse for missing the kind of chances he is missing. He has been playing like this for Ireland for years and he should not be the irish captain.
Mark J - Dublin - 11:44:33, 02/12/2008 Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
3 I think there is a large grain of truth with the above blog. Torres is best-suited to the lone strikers role and Liverpool are alot more effective when they play the one-up-front formation. If Keane can’t play in the hole and needs a foil to hold the ball up for him, then his futures limited at Anfield...Rafa likes to have options. I think he sees Kuyt and Keane as a different way of playing than Torres and Gerard. Kuyt is the ever-present in this arrangement because he is adaptable. I don’t ever see the Torres/Keane partnership working seemlessly. If anything it’ll be Keane who has to change his game to succeed at Anfield. That, and learn to take his chances more ruthlessly when they do come along. Early days but to date he hasn’t convinced he can do either.
Eddie Singleton - 11:48:42, 02/12/2008 Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
4
Robbies just been found out thats all. He was always over rated IMO. He has been rubbish for Ireland for years. Its a pity. But there ye go.
Paul DCFC - 12:09:24, 02/12/2008 Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Paul Marin -19 is one thing, 20 is a whole other matter. It gets even worse if they win the UCL. *groan*. 
05/18/2011.MU fans naah cough, but all a unuh a vomit?-Lazie 1/11/2015
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