Robbie Keane

Aidric

I think its safe to say he's been a flop so far. I see Benitez has come out defending him again today but the stats don't read well for him: Since July he's scored 4 times and been substituted in 15 games.
I never rated him that highly as a player so maybe it was inevitable he'd flop at a big club.

ctrl-alt-delete

In my opinion he hasn't played in his best position much for Liverpool,

He is a supporting striker - ideal for Torres - and they havnt had much time with the latter being injured

It doesnt work with kuyt - as kuyt is off doing what keane likes to do, Keane left on his own - and that is not his game

Erin Go Brath

Liverpool is too big a club for him. He doesn't have the bottle to deal with the pressure of the club. He'll be gone by the end of the season, if not sooner!

Pighead

ctrl-alt-delete wrote: »

In my opinion he hasn't played in his best position much for Liverpool,

He is a supporting striker - ideal for Torres - and they havnt had much time with the latter being injured

It doesnt work with kuyt - as kuyt is shit

Completely agree.

staker

too early to say he's a flop imo.

wcarey1975

Far too early to judge. As Crouch before people said he was a flop before Christmas and this year before he left everyone was saying he should never have been sold. The end of the season will be a better judge of him. We should wait till then. If he flops then he flops but right now he needs confidence and he needs support.

Erin Go Brath

When are we meant to judge? Hes been playing over 4 months now, starting in most games. Surely we should be seeing a better return?

Keano

Don't know if I would class him as a flop yet I will give him until the end of the season.

spockety

Erin Go Brath wrote: »

Liverpool is too big a club for him. He doesn't have the bottle to deal with the pressure of the club. He'll be gone by the end of the season, if not sooner!

Jesus, where to begin... :eek:

Erin Go Brath

If i got a new job and performed rubbish it in for several months i'd be out on my ear. The boss wouldn't say, "maybe he'll do better next year". These guys are full time professionals being paid huge money. If he doesn't start performing and scoring regularly he WILL be shown the door!

Gareth37

His next 2 matches are against Blackburn and Hull. If he cannot score in these 2 matches he won't score again

JPA

If Liverpool were doing badly it would be more of an issue but they're not so....

~Rebel~

ill judge him properly when he's had a run of games with Torres beside him, and not before. Valuations are a funny thing anyway, what do they really mean? Does his price being the same as Torres make them equal players?

Rather then worry about his success V his price, its probably a better idea to judge him on his success as a partner to Torres, the purpose for which he was most likely purchased. I think he will turn out to be a decent buy in the long run, but playing up front on his own so much really has'nt helped him. He's simply not built for the role, being blessed with neither speed nor stature.

Mr.Nice Guy

Erin Go Brath wrote: »

If i got a new job and performed rubbish it in for several months i'd be out on my ear. The boss wouldn't say, "maybe he'll do better next year".

But if the boss wasn't letting you do the job you were qualified for and was sending you home early on several occasions then you would merit a good deal of sympathy surely?

I felt he would struggle in the initial stages but come good eventually and I still think this will prove to be the case. Being substituted so often however isn't helpful as he needs to be given the chance to properly settle in.

It's funny though because I was criticised by a few Liverpool fans last season when I suggested Liverpool should have gone for Jermain Defoe who, I was told, wasn't good enough to be a Liverpool player. I wonder if those same fans would hold that view today.

IRISHSPORTSGUY

wcarey1975 wrote: »

Far too early to judge. As Crouch before people said he was a flop before Christmas and this year before he left everyone was saying he should never have been sold. The end of the season will be a better judge of him. We should wait till then. If he flops then he flops but right now he needs confidence and he needs support.

Crouch is an entirely different player to Keane mind - he is a true targetman and targetmen improve with age. Just look at Niall Quinn or Chris Illumino as other true examples (just off the top of my head).

OPENROAD

Did Liverpool really need Keane?

Quint

He's played in every premiership game so far and has 2 goals against the bottom of the table team. He's definitely been a flop so far, but I wouldn't bet against him turning it around.

Jazzy

~Rebel~ wrote: »

ill judge him properly when he's had a run of games with Torres beside him, and not before.

who are we dropping then?


i really want keane to do well but just cant see it happening. hes not a good enough player for liverpool and certainly isnt worth £20m
id LOVE to be wrong, so lets hope so

IRISHSPORTSGUY

Quint wrote: »

He's played in every premiership game so far and has 2 goals against the bottom of the table team. He's definitely been a flop so far, but I wouldn't bet against him turning it around.

It may be a little premature to say but I think he has peaked...

~Rebel~

Jazzy wrote: »

who are we dropping then?


i really want keane to do well but just cant see it happening. hes not a good enough player for liverpool and certainly isnt worth £20m
id LOVE to be wrong, so lets hope so

as i've said on a fair few threads, it works out fairly nicely really.

For most home games, and the easier away games;
Kuyt--Alonso--Gerrard--Riera

---

Keane--Torres

Simply no need for Masch in those games (as there wasnt last night for instance).

For somewhat tougher games, Masch could replace Alonso or Gerrard. For probably half the ones Gerrard is replaced, he'll take up Keane's spot, with him being dropped.

For really tough games, the 3 CM's all play with Torres up top on his own with Gerrard both supporting, but also spending time when necessary back in CM. For some of these Keane if needed to be used as sub, or else fill the odd game (very few over the course of a season) in Kuyts inside attacking role in the 4-3-3/4-2-3-1

Theres a huge amount of games and plenty of permutations to allow both Torres and Keane to play on the same pitch at the same time.

This becomes even more when you factor in injuries to any of the midfield.

Erin Go Brath

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

But if the boss wasn't letting you do the job you were qualified for and was sending you home early on several occasions then you would merit a good deal of sympathy surely?

His job is a striker for Liverpool, amazingly similiar to his job as striker for Spurs. Anyone would think he's been asked to do the plumbing around Anfield stadium or something!
As for being subbed regularly, if Liverpool needs a goal and the existing formation looks unlikely to produce it then someone needs to make way for a sub. Keane has had loads of great chances to score which he has blown. He often times looks irritable towards his teammates and the ref when something doesnt go his way. Rafa, correctly imo takes him off to make way for another forward in this situation.

Podge2k7

ctrl-alt-delete wrote: »

In my opinion he hasn't played in his best position much for Liverpool,

He is a supporting striker - ideal for Torres - and they havnt had much time with the latter being injured

It doesnt work with kuyt - as kuyt is off doing what keane likes to do, Keane left on his own - and that is not his game

+1

PHB

IMO he was the wrong type striker for the wrong club. Woulda been great for Arsenal maybe. He's a supporting striker, thats his natural role. Even when Torres is fit, its tough for him to develop a partnership because Gerrard is there too. Either him or Gerrard has to be shifted to the wing. If you are going to shift him to the wing, why not just buy a winger in the first place?

Then again, he's done okish so far, despite the circumstances. And he is massively, massively, a second half of the season player, massively. So I wouldn't write him off yet, hes smart enough to adjust his game.

Jazzy

um, wat PHB said

there is a long time till may and if im wrong then c'est la vie - it will all be good anyway. i still dont see why we just didnt get robbie and went for a top class winger instead tho. rafa has an awful habit of playing strikers on the wing for no good reason (cisse, kuyt, babel)

fullstop

IRISHSPORTSGUY wrote: »

Crouch is an entirely different player to Keane mind - he is a true targetman and targetmen improve with age. Just look at Niall Quinn or Chris Illumino as other true examples (just off the top of my head).

Who the **** is Chris Illumino?

~Rebel~

PHB wrote: »

Either him or Gerrard has to be shifted to the wing. If you are going to shift him to the wing, why not just buy a winger in the first place?

not necesssarily, Gerrard can be moved to center midfield with torres and Keane up front. As I said above, there are many many games per season where we would probably be better off going for a 2 man midfield of Gerrard and Alonso, as Mascherano's defensive talents are simply not needed since he tend to have sooo much posession against the weaker teams.

Gerrard absolutely needs to up his game again to how he was earlier in the season though, he's been having mares the past few weeks regardless whether he's been in the hole or in CM.

Bounty Hunter

if all Liverpools players are fully fit i dont see why they dont play the following

.............Mascherano......Alonso..........

Gerrard..............Keane............Riera
.......................Torres.................


really harsh on Kuyt i know but the above is nice and Dirk would def be rotated in a hell of a lot like bable but with more starts.

eirebhoy

Why is Keane's lack of goals in the spotlight so much more than Rooney's? Rooney only has 6. Keane has 4. Jesus Tevez has 1. Keane and Rooney have 4 assists each too.

Bounty Hunter

cos a new signing especially a striker is judged more harshly and always on their goal return be that fair or not in the players case.

newballsplease

why isnt berbatov getting the same bad press as keane? he has only got 2 premier league goals this season.....

Bounty Hunter

because rooney and Tevez are fit, Berbs isnt their only proven prem striker available