Robbie Keane

[Icon]

He's quality - just needs a bit more time.

I'd keep him over many at the club - including some of the management.

[rubdub]

Or possibly the downside to Keane's lack of mental toughness.

Mental toughness how could you doubt that he came back from inter after change of manager and knuckled down to be a top club and international striker when others would have crumbled . How can he get any consistency when he doesnt figure week in week out . Keane needs run of games like at spurs to see best of him. raf is derailing our league by his constant team selections week in week out he rotates and its getting worse . Quiet simply Keane is been used as the pawn in a political off field battle

[Sheik Yerbouti]

I'm now starting to feel sorry for him. When the camera's on him warming up or on the bench he just looks like a lad looking out the window as his mates play football on the street but he's grounded for getting in trouble at school so he cant play too.
He must be scundered sitting on that bench when he knows he can do more damage that Kuyt, Benayoun etc. Still dont know why Rafa bought him if he's treating him like this. Leaves a bad taste.

Totally agree Marky.
Keane has put in some pretty poor performances and should be accountable for them but he's being treated with what seems like contempt from the manager. It's like Rafa is cutting his nose off to spite his face. He's the boss and by God, he'll make sure you know it. His stubborness is reminiscent of Houllier in some respect. I've heard a few things that have gone on between Rafa and Keane and if true, it's nothing short of bullying by the manager and his backroom staff and that is how Keane is seeing it.
If Benitez can't bring himself to give a little bit of ground then he should just sell him and hold his hands up. It's becoming embarrassing.

[peekay]

Owen had proven himself to be a goal machine in the Liverpool team. Subsequent dry patches were set against the fact that everyone new he could deliver the goods. Keane hasn't established this yet and there's no saying he will. Had Keane won European footballer of the year and had the world at his feet at 19, that might be a different story.

Even if Michael Owen was in a dry patch, when he was on the pitch, the opposition defenders did not dare push up. Simply because they knew it was only a matter of time before he gobbled up half a chance. He had that reputation and the opposition game plan was to prevent Michael from getting that half a chance. Keane is now where near that.

[wiw]

Will he play him Sunday? I think he will personally, and I think he's gonna score

[Marky]

Totally agree Marky.
Keane has put in some pretty poor performances and should be accountable for them but he's being treated with what seems like contempt from the manager. It's like Rafa is cutting his nose off to spite his face. He's the boss and by God, he'll make sure you know it. His stubborness is reminiscent of Houllier in some respect. I've heard a few things that have gone on between Rafa and Keane and if true, it's nothing short of bullying by the manager and his backroom staff and that is how Keane is seeing it.
If Benitez can't bring himself to give a little bit of ground then he should just sell him and hold his hands up. It's becoming embarrassing.

Yeah very true pal. Keane like Crouch is a bubbly character who's more often than not smiling and joking about, maybe Rafa doesn't like his players to be like that? i could be reading too much in to it but he strikes me as the type of manager that takes to serious players.
One way or another the gaffer needs to sort himself out before it's too late.

[Kenneth]

Yeah very true pal. Keane like Crouch is a bubbly character who's more often than not smiling and joking about, maybe Rafa doesn't like his players to be like that? i could be reading too much in to it but he strikes me as the type of manager that takes to serious players.
One way or another the gaffer needs to sort himself out before it's too late.

I am 100% condident that when/if Keane stops being ****e, Rafa will give him all the opportunties in the world. Until than, he's being picked/droped/subbed on merit.

[MrMichael]

I am 100% condident that when/if Keane stops being ****e, Rafa will give him all the opportunties in the world. Until than, he's being picked/droped/subbed on merit.

I agree

I've always rated Keane, but he performed well below his own standards during the first few months of this liverpool career, when he was given a lot of pitch-time. I won't bump some old threads to prove a point, but his form, and purchase, was getting lambasted on forums like this one. One good game at Xmas and suddenly his lack of inclusion in the team has become a convenient stick to beat Rafa with.

I also think we have formational issues as soon as he plays, issues which Rafa has yet to solve. Many people think 4-2-3-1 is our best formation, and he really doesn't seem to fit into that, or have been able to perform well enough when we have tried to accommodate him in a 4-4-2. He was totally invisible in it against Everton, that was a shocking performance imo. Ok, he should have played in that game (was it Stoke?) when Torres was still out and Kuyt was put upfront, but other than that I'm not sure he deserves a regular place in the starting line-up simply on merit so far.

[Kenneth]

Mental toughness how could you doubt that he came back from inter after change of manager and knuckled down to be a top club and international striker when others would have crumbled . How can he get any consistency when he doesnt figure week in week out . Keane needs run of games like at spurs to see best of him. raf is derailing our league by his constant team selections week in week out he rotates and its getting worse . Quiet simply Keane is been used as the pawn in a political off field battle

He does, or at least he did up to very recently.

[ned]

I think that Keane has been treated very poorly, as a striker you need confidence the way RKeane has been treated it would be impossible for him to have any confidence, I have criticised him at times but I think Rafa is really putting the boot in to him big time and I just thinks it's wrong.

[DannyMan2006]

4231, Keane in the hole and Gerrard on the right - We will hammer teams.

Not gonna happen I guess, so I really hope that Robbie can force his way into the team and start producing the goods. In effect, I'll be delighted when the January window has closed. No more paper reports and we can concentrate on what we have.

If Rafa is not gonna play him he should sell him now and buy someone he will.

[Joe King]

Robbie Keane sold and we will be back to last seasons form. We don't need a player who dithers around with his flapping arms and stupid running habits in our side, we need a playmaker to unlock defences, someone who can stretch a defence with a ball slid through the eye of a needle. Gerrard isn't that man for sure and no way in hell is Robbie Keane that person. Cut our losses, get rid, bring in someone experienced like a McAllister type player to nurture some of these bottlers in the side.

[Harv]

It's the number 7 shirt. It's cursed. End of.

Another number and Keane would be flying.

It should be retired. Everyone who has worn it since Kenny has been ****e. Good players suddenly turn to ****e when they wear it (Kewell, Keane, Smicer).

[Jack D Rips]

I am 100% condident that when/if Keane stops being ****e, Rafa will give him all the opportunties in the world. Until than, he's being picked/droped/subbed on merit.

Im 110% certain that when Rafa gives him the opportunity he will stop being ****e

[Jack D Rips]

Robbie Keane sold and we will be back to last seasons form. We don't need a player who dithers around with his flapping arms and stupid running habits in our side, we need a playmaker to unlock defences, someone who can stretch a defence with a ball slid through the eye of a needle. Gerrard isn't that man for sure and no way in hell is Robbie Keane that person. Cut our losses, get rid, bring in someone experienced like a McAllister type player to nurture some of these bottlers in the side.

You are ****ing clueless Joe. sell Robbie and back to last seasons form? Bring in someone? Who? WTF are you on about? Do you want last seasons form or someone new. Get a grip you moron