Fuck off Keane!

[theghost]

Its starting...

 

[SpeedyG]

Here's an interview Carra gave about Benitez and about Keane's reaction.

 

Today featured a lecture from the gaffer on a technical point of defending. Though Carragher believes the Liverpool reigns of Roy Evans and Gerard Houllier are underrated, Rafael Benitez is “the biggest influence on my career. Even this morning he took me aside after training. Robbie Keane was saying, ‘Jeez, he talked to you like you’re a YTS player . . .’ You get used to it. Rafa is always on your back. Some players can’t handle that. Me, I don’t like it but I’m the sort of person who responds. You’ve always got that thing in the back of your mind with Rafa, ‘Does he actually think I’m any good?’ You’re always wanting to prove yourself. He hasn’t got much good to say about anyone, Rafa. . . even other managers.”

 

Robbie Keane wasn't. Well, I guess he did respond, by getting on the phone to his agent and saying, "get me out of here".

[shanks59]

by the way, I remember Crouch missing loads of sitters and not scoring for almost 20 games. Where was his shitty treatment?

 

Not being funny but Keane's been absolute success at every club he's ever played for. Spot the problem? Sorry, but it certainly isn't Robbie Keane, is it!

 

Inter Milan .. :whistle:

[INTORRESTING]

big fish in a small pond and he has never been clinical and has always missed sitters. He has never played for a team who gets the park the bus treatment and seems like he needs his ego massaged.

 

I have always thought he looks and comes accross as thick as fuck and i hate his whinging and lambasting of other players.

 

I still think he could have been good for us even though he wasnt my first choice

[Catch22]

So how do you explain Rafa playing Kuyt and Voronin ahead of Crouch for the last two years of him being here - did Crouch suddenly lose all his skills? Or even Kuyt ahead of Crouch up front in the CL final? Look mate, you have to call a spade a spade sometimes, you can't just talk one way ALL of the time.

 

When Crouch came on in that CL final he was repeatedly called for fouls, seemingly on the basis of his height.

Exactly the same thing happned for Ingerlund in a couple of '06 WC games

 

So possibly Rafa & our scouting team had done work on the ref & realised his interpretations.

 

It is such attention to detail that makes us the best team in Europe during his tenure

[bossy]

Here's an interview Carra gave about Benitez and about Keane's reaction.

 

 

 

Robbie Keane wasn't. Well, I guess he did respond, by getting on the phone to his agent and saying, "get me out of here".

 

Indeed. Rash and others can get upset on Keane's behalf all they like but it doesn't alter the facts that Keane missed some appalling dead certs and responded badly rather than trying harder.

 

I'm finding it hard to understand why Rafa would persist with Kuyt just to prove some kind of point or because he loves him, if he was ruining Rafa's reputation. If Rafa only cared about himself the way some of you think he does, wouldn't he drop Dirk if he was as shit at whatever job Rafa asks of him? Dirk provides energy and non stop commitment and isn't half, or even more, as bad as some think he is.

[justino]

I thought it was an old Danny Murphy article when I first read it

[Brownie]

I agree with Section and Tom.

 

I also find it interesting that so many people have judged a player to be 'shite' after so few games. It will be interesting to see if they are consistent with that.

[Catch22]

I agree with Section and Tom.

 

I also find it interesting that so many people have judged a player to be 'shite' after so few games. It will be interesting to see if they are consistent with that.

 

 

Not just "a few games"

 

28 is a long career & no CL team had ever bought a man who is not exactly 1-club.

He, like James or Windass, is good at his level.

 

He is, IMO, a man at who can't make the step up.

 

I find it silly to pretend that Rafa didn't sign him (nor Jose, Shevchenko, Philly) but he cant be rationally criticised for signing him AND selling him

[Brownie]

Not just "a few games"

 

28 is a long career & no CL team had ever bought a man who is not exactly 1-club.

He, like James or Windass, is good at his level.

 

He is, IMO, a man at who can't make the step up.

 

I find it silly to pretend that Rafa didn't sign him (nor Jose, Shevchenko, Philly) but he cant be rationally criticised for signing him AND selling him

 

I'm talking about his time in a red shirt.

[SpeedyG]

I'm talking about his time in a red shirt.

 

Depends what your judging, if it was attitude for example......

[23_Carra_Gold]

Not just "a few games"

 

28 is a long career & no CL team had ever bought a man who is not exactly 1-club.

He, like James or Windass, is good at his level.

 

He is, IMO, a man at who can't make the step up.

 

I find it silly to pretend that Rafa didn't sign him (nor Jose, Shevchenko, Philly) but he cant be rationally criticised for signing him AND selling him

 

Inter Milan and Leeds were both CL clubs when they signed Robbie Keane. Not that I disagree with you that he isn't good enough.

[Unrighteous]

I don't have an issue with what he has said... He did get some odd treatment.

 

Still wish him well, except I hope Tottenham go down.

[RoboRiise]

I have no problem with what he said, and the treatment of Keane really had me questioning Rafa.

 

Several times Rafa have mentioned that he has`nt the resources of Man U and Chelsea. Fair enough, but then you should not treat a £20m signing that way.

 

No matter how we or he played, he was always the one beeing dragged off early. Scored 2 against West brom, and was taken off early. I remember beeing astonished when Rafa took off Kuyt against Bolton and playing Keane ( for once, even though he struggled ) the full match. Then I remembered we had Newcastle in the next 48 hours and knew Rafa would use that as an excuse to play Kuyt and "rest" Keane against Newcastle. So he did.

 

It`s hard enough adapting to a new team, but when a manager from the get go clearly dont want to play him, it`s impossible. The way rafa treated him was a disgrace, draining every bit of confidence out of him. It was really embarassing, and even though I like Rafa and want him to stay, he did not cover himself in glory regarding Keane.

 

People go on about the chances missed ( even though Kuyt misses just as many and still only scored 2 more than Keane this season ) but strikers are all about confidence. Keane knew that to survive 60 min he needed to put away every chance, ane even that did not prove to be good enough ). Having that in the back of your mind cant possibly help a striker, and rafa has to share some of the blame of Keane`s misfortune. And when you compare the treatment of Keane with how Rafa treats Kuyt and treated Crouch ( in his first season ) he has every right to be dissapointed.

 

 

Comparing their attitudes would seem to provide many answers.

 

You probably couldn't have highlighted it better using those three examples:

 

Kuyt gets his head down and gets on with it, he's had the longest spell here despite the fact that I for one don't think he's good enough.

 

Crouch did that during his initial barren spell, but then in Rafa's eyes he became distracted by the England situation, the book and clubbing with his slapper, Sun-whore girlfriend, he fell out of favour and was gone.

 

Keane looked to me as if he thought it was job done when he signed for us, regardless of how he played and regardless of his general demeanour - the one person that he still never seems to have considered may have any meaningful responsibility for his failure here is Robbie Keane. To be honest, I find the refusal to accept any kind of personal responsibility quite pathetic coming from a pro of Robbie's standing with 10+ years of top-flight football behind him.

 

Regardless of his performances, the thing that never sat well with me was his playing to the gallery when he was being taken off, looking round with that look of manufactured astonishment on his face, gurning away as if to say "Look! Look at what the daft cunt's doing now! He's taking me off ! ME! The mighty Robbie Keane!". Perhaps if Robbie had a look at what the daft cunt has won in his career compared to his own meagre haul, he might have realised just how arrogant that made him look.

 

The fact that he chose to return to Spurs rather than trying to understand what he needed to do to impress Rafa (as Michael Owen could have told him it's more than scoring goals, although that would have been a start) speaks volumes about both his attitude and his ambition.

 

For all those people asking why Rafa didn't give Keane more of a chance, I would suggest that in view of the fact he's now back playing for a side managed by a journeyman and sitting in mid-table, the real question should be why didn't Keane give Rafa more of a chance?

[lifetime fan]

A couple of points.

 

Keane didn't make it here because he isn't good enough, simple as.

 

And I still don't get how people think he was treated badly? I'd bet my house on it Rafa didn't promise him he'd start every game did he? Maybe if he put some effort in he wouls have got more playing time.

[zigackly]

RoboRiise is spot on. Didn't Keane start something like 16 of the first 19 games of the season, averaging nearly 80 minutes on the pitch? Think that's about right, but I'm working from memory and very possibly drunk (although I can still spellcheck, whores). I think he got a chance but never consistently showed the ability, workrate or attitude required. Two out of the three might have got him longer.

[lifetime fan]

RoboRiise is spot on. Didn't Keane start something like 16 of the first 19 games of the season, averaging nearly 80 minutes on the pitch? Think that's about right, but I'm working from memory and very possibly drunk (although I can still spellcheck, whores). I think he got a chance but never consistently showed the ability, workrate or attitude required. Two out of the three might have got him longer.

 

Very good points. Also any true red fortunate enough to be living their dream and playing for us would work their bollocks every secong they're on the pitch.

[Superfly]

Did make me laugh when he had a pop at Benitez but then in the same interview started eulogizing Gordon Strachan.

 

Whatever Rafa does here he'll do a better job than Strachan ever would have.

[The Dude Abides]

loving life again now he's back in his small pond with all the little fishies.

 

The mistake was buying him in the first place. I'm just delighted the small time fuck is gone, that way he won't be sharing in the success Rafa and the team will go on to, he can console himself with the odd Carling Cup final here and there, where Harry Redknapp is the kind of manager only too happy to give his mollycoddled players a quick reach-around.

 

It makes me appreciate and love Rafa all the more, he's building a squad of men, not little boys that go crying to their agents when things get a bit tough or they feel like their not "getting the respect they deserve"(what in the fuck has Keane accomplished exactly??).

 

And i love how not one player in the squad has come out and had anything resembling any sort of regret about him going either.

Edited March 19, 2009 by The Dude Abides

[Benitaur]

A lot of good points in this thread, and a lot of bad ones as well.

 

For starters, I dont agree comparing Kuyt with Heskey. Kuyt does not stop running and although he does not chip in the goals, his work rate at tracking back and even holding up the ball is second to none. Also I cannot count the amount of times that our defence has been saved from a counter attack by a Kuyt last ditch tackle. Talk about the man all you about his lack of goal prowess (however his goal againt Portsmouth begs to differ) but he contributes so much more than Heskey.

 

Unfair to say the least, give credit where credit is due man.

 

 

Agreed. Kuyt is all about character and heart, although he is limited physically (pace and perhaps size). Heskey had the attributes but no heart

 

If Kuyt had Heskey's size, strength and pace but retained his stamina and heart he would be an absolute world class monster striker.

[neopulian]

Inter Milan and Leeds were both CL clubs when they signed Robbie Keane. Not that I disagree with you that he isn't good enough.

 

Inter flogged him off after a season. Leeds' delusion of Youroopean greatness lasted 2 seasons. I think Keane only played in 1. Anyway, the key offensive players for Leeds those days were Kewell, Viduka, and Lee Bowyer. Keane was behind Alan Smith.

 

Also consider his time with us, Keane is simply out of his depth at the top level. he made 28 appearances in half a season, what more could he ask?

Edited March 19, 2009 by neopulian

[sh#t waffle]

I agree with Section and Tom. I also find it interesting that so many people have judged a player to be 'shite' after so few games. It will be interesting to see if they are consistent with that.

There are inconsistencies on both sides though. Certain players who rarely play apart from when Rafa rotates the squad are written off as shit, even though they never play two games in succession. I think that people had and continue to have pretty entrenched views on Keane: if you thought he was an odd buy all along then his attitude stunk and he was rubbish. If his signing excited you then his failure here is all Rafa's fault. You seem to be hinting at those damn rafapologists again, and I don't think that's fair. £20million should have bought a whole lot more, both in ability and attitude.

[ToxtethTerror]

Agreed. Kuyt is all about character and heart, although he is limited physically (pace and perhaps size). Heskey had the attributes but no heart

 

If Kuyt had Heskey's size, strength and pace but retained his stamina and heart he would be an absolute world class monster striker.

 

Heskey had pace which Kuyt hasn't, and if Kuyt had Heskey's pace etc you would have a top player.....

 

However what neither player has is skill and flair - and you need that in attack and on the wing.. neither are good enough to be 1st choice for a club like ours and they should thank their lucky stars for Houllier and Benitez respectively.

[zigackly]

I think that people had and continue to have pretty entrenched views on Keane: if you thought he was an odd buy all along then his attitude stunk and he was rubbish. If his signing excited you then his failure here is all Rafa's fault.

 

Personally his signing excited me but then his attitude stunk and he was rubbish.

[Brownie]

There are inconsistencies on both sides though. Certain players who rarely play apart from when Rafa rotates the squad are written off as shit, even though they never play two games in succession. I think that people had and continue to have pretty entrenched views on Keane: if you thought he was an odd buy all along then his attitude stunk and he was rubbish. If his signing excited you then his failure here is all Rafa's fault. You seem to be hinting at those damn rafapologists again, and I don't think that's fair. £20million should have bought a whole lot more, both in ability and attitude.

 

Mate it's been done to death. You can say that £20M should have bought more, but then I could counter it with the fact that he was used out of position at times, was asked to play in a manner which he just never has done and was out of the side even after scoring goals.

 

You're probably right about the first bit. People who didn't want him think he's shite and those who thought he was good blame Rafa for ruining him. The one thing I don't get is how Rafa just gets off scot-free in some people's eyes. They blame Keane or Parry despite the fact that Rafa wanted him.

 

Anyway, done to death as I say. I have no problem with Robbie Keane and hope he does really well in the rest of his career.