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Kop This: £40m strike force to take the Prem by storm ROBBIE WILL DO A GREAT JOBBIE! 3rd August 2008 By Harry Pratt Former Spurs manager David Pleat insists ‘everybody was a winner’ in Robbie Keane’s controversial big-money move to Liverpool. Forget Tottenham moaning about Liverpool’s underhand wheeling and dealing. Forget about the critics questioning Rafa Benitez blowing £20.3million on the 28-year-old forward. According to Pleat, his old club should be laughing all the way to the bank, having pocketed a bumper £12m profit, while Anfield should celebrate landing a world-class striker. Few have monitored well-travelled Keane’s rollercoaster career more closely than Pleat, the one-time Spurs technical director who was responsible for the player's £6m arrival from Leeds back in 2002. And, despite Spurs chairman Daniel Levy claiming otherwise last week, Pleat reckons nobody could deny the Republic of Ireland skipper deserved his dream move to Anfield, after six seasons of unwavering loyalty and quality at White Hart Lane. Pleat, who had three spells in charge of the north Londoners, said: “Spurs supporters will be disappointed because Robbie was such a fine servant and talent. He rarely missed games, he was rarely injured. “And he was a regular goal scorer – someone the supporters could always hang their hat on. “He’d done brilliantly for Spurs and now they’ve done brilliantly by him. They bought him for £6m – I was prominent in the deal – and they’ve sold him for a good profit after he’s played consistently over a number of seasons. That’s good business. Tottenham have done okay. “It was the sensible thing to do. The boy’s 28, wanted to go and they’ve got a good price. “He could have played there for another three years but maybe it was right for him to move. It's good for him – and for both clubs.” As for what he can do for Liverpool’s bid to end an 18-year league title drought, Pleat is backing Keane to handle the pressure and make a huge difference. And he is certain that with Keane, who will wear the No.7 shirt, alongside Spanish sensation Fernando Torres, Rafa’s Reds possess a lethal attacking force. Pleat added: “Robbie is completely unflappable. Nerveless. Apart from wonderful skill, drifting behind centre-halves and dragging them into false positions, he has – as Rafa says – football intelligence. “The potential of his partnership with Torres is absolutely stunning. Torres and Keane will give a superb boost to Liverpool’s chances.” Daily Star: Simply The Best 7 Days A Week :: Football :: Robbie will do a great jobbie!

whatever people think about Keane and the possible signing of Barry, one thing I am happy about is that they're both captains of their country and club respectively. And one thing we've lacked these last few years is grit, and for want of a better word - balls. Now you're looking at two British players who know the premiership and will lead from the front, so that hopefully next season when we come under the kosh, we'll have people like Gerrard, Carra, Keane and Barry leading from the front while Torres does the business. Bodes well IMO.