The myth that surrounds Robbie Keane

[ILS]

Since the summer all i have heard is how Robbie Keane would be the ideal player to partner with Torres as he drops of deep, links play and makes intelligent passes.

Those words have been said by every pundit from the BBC to Sky.

Now is it me or have they ever watched a game that Robbie Keane has played in the last two seasons?

Berbatov was everything mentioned above. Like's to drop deep, link play bring others into the game and create chances for others. Keane played off the last shoulder of the defender, drifts out wide and was always trying to get on the end of Berbatov's flick on or touches.

How many times have any of us seen Keane play a sublime ball to his strike partner to run on to... hardly ever.

So can someone please explain where this myth that Keane is some sort of playmaker has come from?

 

[Maske2g]

Since the summer all i have heard is how Robbie Keane would be the ideal player to partner with Torres as he drops of deep, links play and makes intelligent passes.

Those words have been said by every pundit from the BBC to Sky.

Now is it me or have they ever watched a game that Robbie Keane has played in the last two seasons?

Berbatov was everything mentioned above. Like's to drop deep, link play bring others into the game and create chances for others. Keane played off the last shoulder of the defender, drifts out wide and was always trying to get on the end of Berbatov's flick on or touches.

How many times have any of us seen Keane play a sublime ball to his strike partner to run on to... hardly ever.

So can someone please explain where this myth that Keane is some sort of playmaker has come from?

100% agree. When he was the "number ten" at spurs, he had a terrbile touch with his back to goal, he held onto the ball for two long, and he ran down blind alleys all the time.

When he was the centre forward next to Berbs he relied on his instinctive play which is when he is at his best, and it was a great two seasons.

 

[idlepete]

I dunno. When we signed him Pleaty compared him to Zola/Bergkamp. Hoddle said he didn't like playing him with Teddy cos Teddy was the link man. It just seems to have stuck.

 

[hybridsoldier]

I think he played deeper and more creative before Beratov joined, no coincidence his best form came when his main job was scoring the goals.

I feel he is a better link up player than all our strikers so he will occupy this role.

Also I dont think this was the problem at Lpool, I think he simply didnt fit in the system, they are used to that 4-2-3-1 system with gerrard in that central role pushing on to support torres.

Keane just couldn't fit in that system he is a different type of player. Also he couldn't be that 1 up front, he needs a partner to feed off.

To be honest I can't quite undersand why they bought him

 

[markie]

keane will relish playing with Modric just behind

 

[werty]

The thing was, Berbatov and Keane's movement and understanding meant one was deep at times while the other was on the defenders shoulder and they constantly swapped. They were hard to mark because of this because defenders didn't know who would be dropping deep. Torres however doen't like to drop deep and rotate the deeper role and defenders found Keane easier to mark. That's my theory anyway. That and Keane and Torres never really played much together to get a rhythm(I don't have stats saying how often they played together but it can't be alot)

Oh, and you say you don't remember Keane playing any good through balls. Just a few examples. Berbatovs goal at Fulham last year. He also played a lovely ball for Steed, against Arsenal in the 5-1 game last year, that set him through one on one. Berbatov's first goal against Reading in the 6-4 game where he played a lovely ball across the box for Berbatov. Just a few examples. I could give more but it's late

 

[spurs4europe]

I don't think he is the creative playmaker, but he is an intelligent player, of that there is no doubt, and he is quite good in the hole.

But he does seem to do well when he plays with a strike partner who he can interchange with, and that is what made his partnership with Berba so hard to deal with.

When both strikers have fixed roles, like Defoe ahead of Pavluychenko, I think it does become a tad predictable, but if we have two strikers, both of whom can come short in to the hole between midfield and attack as well as play off of the last defender it makes us a lot more unpredictable. Consequently, I think Pavluychenko and Keane has the potential for a successful partnership.

Another reason why Keane is highly rated is because he gets involved in the play a lot more than some of our other strikers. Vedi (?) showed some stats earlier about the amount of passes our strikers made/number of passes per minute (or was it minutes per pass?).

Anyway, naturally it proved that Keane got involved a lot more in the team's play than someone like Bent, and I think that having Keane will therefore also help us as it will help us retain possession further up the field and sustain pressure on our opponents.

Keane is no playmaker, but he is without a doubt an intelligent player and a team player too. He will stretch any defense and he is aware of his teammates. I think those are traits we have been lacking a little bit recently (if not individually then certainly together) and we will be better off for that.

 

[coldasice199]

the guy got over 100 goals in six years. And got better as scoring as he's aged. With Defoe out, I'm a lot more relieved its Keane up front with Pav and not Bent.

I think he will connect well with Modric and Pav

 

[nicdic]

Keane does tend to drift into those deeper areas, but isn't always the best in them. He's much better playing further up the pitch. I'm hoping he won't drop too deep and get in Modric's way and slow things down as he sometimes had the tendency to do.

 

[danielneeds]

The best way to describe Keane and Berbs was that Berbatov dictated the movement of both of them and Robbie followed him like there was a piece of elastic that attached them. It was due to both their intelligence that the partnership worked so well.

But, yes he has never been a "link man", I'm not entirely sure how him and Pav will play together. Redknapp was trying to make Pav come deeper and get Defoe feed off him before the injury, but I am not sure Pav's instincts are to come short, it seems like he prefers to move into the channnels.

 

[simyid]

i 100% agree thats this myth is untrue and i don't understand why it has come to pass or why benitez is listening to it and i whole heartedly belive this could be the reason for keane's failings on mersyside because of this ridiculous rumour which benitez listens to. i hear pundits saying liverpools best lie up is keane in the gerrard role just behing torres however i is clear and keane also should be crying out to be played up top with torres. i believe harry will obviously play him up top and i have a feeling the keane berbatov partnership could be similair to keane pav one

 

[Ossie85]

Keane will bring the leadership we've been missing

 

[stevenqoz]

I'm a bit embarassed now. When asked about Keane going to Liverpool I rejoiced at the 'sting' that had convinced the scousers to pay 20m for him. I smugly related that Keane was held in higher regard by the supporters of other sides than half of our own. His abject failure to convince anyone up there seemed to be proving what I had said about him. I had conceded that the bloke knocked in goals quite regularly but somehow there was something not quite right about him....he moaned at the youngsters in the side...appeared to work hard but never made an interception or quite got there. He was in fact a bit of a faker. True at one point in his Spurs career he was my main hope for 'something' from the side but eventually my belief in him waned. His move to Liverpool was, when seen in isolation, great business for THFC. I'm now asked what I think of him coming back and answer I have no great expectations of Robbie Keane other than him having something immense to prove....and this may spark him to be our hope once again.

 

[adzsim]

he's a proper centre forward not a playmaker!

 

[InOffMeLeftShin]

It is definately true that he isn't directly creative for others. However there are features of his game which are going to be very useful for us.

1. He can create for himself and score goals from nothing. He tends to pop up with something out of nowhere and those kind of things can change games.

2. He works hard, he will run and put pressure on the opposition defence when they have the ball. OK, we all know he isn't going to do anything once he gets there, but by putting pressure on he slows down the opposition break and allows are team to get into better defensive positions.

3. Maybe the most important thing we will get from Robbie is his movement up front. When he played with Berbatov, a lot of the time they didn't create for each other, but the combination of their movement resulted in spaces being created in the back line and around the box. Robbie loves to drift into wide positions and will drop off the front man, with the defender either following him, or allowing him to move into the space. This results in one of two things, either a space is created behind for Pavlyuchenko to attack and Modric to expose or an extra outlet ball for Modric is created. In fact Keane is a very good indirect creator. Pavlyuchenko actually seems to play far better when he has a partner as he isn't a dominating striker and so can't create his own space, but he does do a good job with his movement also and so hopefully he and Robbie can stretch the opposition defences.

As Kendall said Keane is going to benefit from playing with Modric, as Modric will find his runs and play into him (where as when he was at Liverpool he was feeding off the scraps of Torres and Gerrard and he just isn't that instinctive type). Not only that, but Modric and Pavlyuchenko will benefit greatly from having Keane as the movement and workrate will create space and options for both of them.

In addition to all of that he brings his character back to the club. He will be a lift to everyone associated with the club and hopefully we will see the positive effects of that in the next few weeks.

 

[Rackybear]

Whilst Keane isnt primarily a playmaker or creative striker, its well within his capabalities to do so naturally.

When he is not seeing the ball, he loves falling deep, collecting the ball from a midfielder and then turning around to make something happen.

I can remember numerous occasions when he helped send Berbatov through on goal 1on1. But it is true that he was more often on the end of a Berbatov pass.

Him and Berba just had a great understanding, if one dropped deep - the other was a predator waiting to grasp an oppurtunity / flick on / ball over the top, and vice versa. Some of their play together really was magical, they just knew where to run and that the other would play an inch perfect ball to set them up with a shot on a plate directly in front of goal.

I doubt Pav and Keane will strike such a combo, because Pav doesn't particularly have the ball skills of Berba and ability to pick out passes not aware to 90% of players. It will be a different partnership, but one that could work nevertheless. Rather then be focused on link up play and off the ball running, it might have more to do with creating space for one another to open up the defence, or having defined roles. I.E. Pav - you drop deep, I want you to flick on anything that comes your way. Keane - stay on the shoulder off the last defender and try to get on the end of whatever you can.

Both of you, get into the box when the ball is played out to the wings - those kinda instructions.

Whereas with Berbatov / Keane - I felt they just did what felt right at the time, played football as if it was a kickabout in the park.

 

[soup]

If I remember rightly, I think it was Dougal who said when Robbie first joined Liverpool that they had all the wrong plans for him by playing him specifically 'in the hole', and that Keane does this as a natural part of his game by dropping back/out wide when needed to, but to restrict him to solely that role without asking him to get amongst things upfront is taking away most of his game.

It seems to have been a bit of a spot-on analysis anyway, whoever it was.

 

[Rackybear]

If I remember rightly, I think it was Dougal who said when Robbie first joined Liverpool that they had all the wrong plans for him by playing him specifically 'in the hole', and that Keane does this as a natural part of his game by dropping back/out wide when needed to, but to restrict him to solely that role without asking him to get amongst things upfront is taking away most of his game.

It seems to have been a bit of a spot-on analysis anyway, whoever it was.

:hello: It was me :grin:

Hmm, were you reffering to this post?

I see it like this..

Keane and Torres are both striker who like to finish a move off, and as a result when they have played together they have been found getting in each others way / making the same runs. Benitez has tried deploying keane in a deeper role on purpose as a result in which he drops deep and helps to supply the artillery for torres to finish a move - the problem is, you dont need to ASK keano to do this, play him as a striker and this part of his game will come naturally. Asking him to do it makes him think about his task a little too much, he tries too hard to impress as a result only leading to him being a massive disapointment.

I wouldn't say Berbatov made Keane look good, but I would say that both complimented each others abilities extremely well. Their link up play was exceptional and that was down to them having variable abilities with a football.

Liverpool bought the wrong spurs striker to partner Torres. Berbatov / Torres would quite frankly be one of the best strike partnerships in the world.

Spurs wouldn't be that bad off with Pavlyuchenko/Keane either.

Funny that we do actually have Pav/Keane as a partnership now - will be funny to see if I eat my words :think:

 

[Kendall]

They both did it. That's why they were so difficult to pick up.

It's why I think Bent and Keane probably could play together, because they both move about and stretch defences.

 

[idlepete]

It's actually the only reservation I have about Keane coming back... some of our own managers have bought into the myth and they've had to learn for themselves that it ain't true. We don't have time to wait for Harry to figure it out. I hope he already knows.