Robbie Keane

[BFG]

Are you for real. He wanted to go because he was frozen out by Rafa, and treated appallingly, just the sames Robbie is being treated now

I'm not sure about that. Crouch to me was a victim of the success we had by playing Gerrard off Torres. He simply couldn't fill the role of lone front man in the same way Torres does and playing him up with Torres wasn't as good for the team so he didn't get much of a chance. Still played 36 times last year though so that's hardly being 'frozen out'.

Keane has played 27 times for us already this season and has by and large been ****e so he's been taken off a lot and wasn't included aganst Everton yesterday after being anonymous when starting against them less than a week earlier. If that's treating someone 'appalingly' then there must be at least half of every PL squad that's very hard done to.

[DannyMan2006]

He wanted to go because he'd been frozen out for some reason. A whole other discussion as to why.

Simple answer for that, we played better with the 4231 formation. That in itself will be the biggest obstacle for any striker to overcome at Anfield, no matter who we buy.

Keane had a fantastic chance at the start of the season to get up and running, largely down to Gerrard and Torres being injured. But he is simply not suited to playing the Torres role in a 4231 and thus was never really going to take off.

That said, he has had a lot of goal scoring chances during this run of games and had he taken at least half of them he may now have found himself starting and finishing games. Because at present he is offering very little in terms of build up play, and if he can't guarantee he will finish the odd chance he will get, why would Rafa play him?

[Kenneth]

Yes, Crouch suffered because of the 4231 formation but there's more to it than that. He didn't even get a proper chance off the bench even when we were crying out for him.

[Tee]

With the cowboys in town I feel there could be some last minute transfer wheeling and dealing involving Keane.

[ufc43]

What a load of bollix. It will be down to Rafa treating Keane apalingly.

we signed him for 20m and played him in games for 65 minutes. compare that to how Ferguson nurtured Berbatov. And how the player has responeds by scoring 3 point goals in the last 10 minutes. And when Robbie has been on the bench , how many times has he been given a meaningful amount of time to come on and change a game.

Compare how Keane has been treated to Kuyt

I agree

[Jack D Rips]

I'm not sure about that. Crouch to me was a victim of the success we had by playing Gerrard off Torres. He simply couldn't fill the role of lone front man in the same way Torres does and playing him up with Torres wasn't as good for the team so he didn't get much of a chance. Still played 36 times last year though so that's hardly being 'frozen out'.Keane has played 27 times for us already this season and has by and large been ****e so he's been taken off a lot and wasn't included aganst Everton yesterday after being anonymous when starting against them less than a week earlier. If that's treating someone 'appalingly' then there must be at least half of every PL squad that's very hard done to.

Im afraid this is a tad misleading. He started 9 league matches, 5 CL matches 7 Fa/League cup matches. The rest were substitute appearances

[BFG]

Im afraid this is a tad misleading. He started 9 league matches, 5 CL matches 7 Fa/League cup matches. The rest were substitute appearances

He still appeared in 36 games for us. He was used very sparingly I agree but that doesn't constitute being frozen out was all i was saying mate. Ask Pennant.

[DannyMan2006]

Yes, Crouch suffered because of the 4231 formation but there's more to it than that. He didn't even get a proper chance off the bench even when we were crying out for him.

True. Maybe he feared Crouch sticking it out if he got a decent number of games, meaning another "Jermaine Pennant". It seems that as soon as Rafa signed Torres he no longer counted on Crouch. Maybe he just didn't think they would work together?

[The Birdman]

Im afraid this is a tad misleading. He started 9 league matches, 5 CL matches 7 Fa/League cup matches. The rest were substitute appearances

That's still starting 21 games and appearing as sub in 15.
He left because he wanted regular first team football, Rafa offered him a new contract but he joined a lower team for regular football, you've got to admire that rather that sit around like O'Shea and others do at Man U and play 10 times a season.
On the subject of Rafa and his stats wasn't there one where Crouch only scored 1 goal as a sub or something??

[BG1973]

[QUOTE=Jack D Rips;1261322]

100% agree, he's not been good enough. Compare him to torres in the derby..torres back from injury, might frogivehim for not pushing himself 110% yet he was always in the picture. Robbie was invisible, when the ball cam near him the defenders always seemed to get their foot in first.

Re Crouch, not much we could do, he wanted the move not us as far as I am aware. We would be on a lot more points if he'd have stayed.. and now he's shafted at Pompey.[/QUOTE]

Are you for real. He wanted to go because he was frozen out by Rafa, and treated appallingly, just the sames Robbie is being treated now

bollocks was he, he became a victim of competition and he didn't have the capacity for it and started talking to the media - nothing more. He also played against arsenal away and in the CL home leg. Rafa rated him but not as first choice once Torres and Gerrard gelled so well. If he was treated so appallingly he has kept pretty quiet about it.

[Infadel]

All these comments on here are just speculation - that's all they can be, but what is obvious is that there is a lot of "politics" and maneouvering going on at the club and I think that it's reached the point where players are being used as pawns to make points. This can only be to the detriment of the players and the club.

[Manofthebog]

Harry Redknapp has declared his interest in bringing Liverpool striker Robbie Keane back to White Hart Lane. (PA Sport 1616 GMT)

[Exiled_red]

i feel for robbie because i dont think benitez wanted him and he's now been left out of the team and treated unfairly by rafa.

If you look at the impact that berbatov has had then keane could do something similar but he needs to play.

According to Wikipedia

..................Games Goals
Keane.............17..........5
Berbatov.........18..........5

Berbatov hasn't had that great an impact

I'm not sure if Keane has been treated fairly or not, you could argue he hasn't been given long enough to settle or you could argue that on what we've seen he hasn't done enough to get picked.

[Jack D Rips]

According to Wikipedia

..................Games Goals
Keane.............17..........5
Berbatov.........18..........5

Berbatov hasn't had that great an impact

I'm not sure if Keane has been treated fairly or not, you could argue he hasn't been given long enough to settle or you could argue that on what we've seen he hasn't done enough to get picked.

The difference is that Ferguson has been prepared to stand by Berbav and leave him on the pitch for 90 minutes. Berbatov has rewarded him with 6 points thanks to goals in the last 10 minutes.

[chadrtc]

The difference is that Ferguson has been prepared to stand by Berbav and leave him on the pitch for 90 minutes. Berbatov has rewarded him with 6 points thanks to goals in the last 10 minutes.

But Keane isn't half the player Berbatov is!