HE’S IRELAND’S RECORD goal-scorer, the national team skipper and a player who travels further than most to line out in green.
But Robbie Keane has long been a much-maligned member of the Boys in Green squad, amongst a section of Irish football fans.
Ahead of the crucial World Cup qualification double header with Sweden and Austria in the coming weeks, John O’Shea says we’ll keenly feel Keane’s absence when he finally hangs up his cartwheel celebration.
“That’s one of those things but believe me the players adore Robbie because we know when gets a chance nine times out of 10 it’s a goal for us.
“And that’s so important at international level especially in tight games. Yeah we know he’s not 22 any more — it’s obvious — but he’s still got that ability to score a winning goal for us and at international level in a tight game when you know there might only be one or two chances, we know if one of those fall to Robbie, generally we’re going to be celebrating.
“To have that asset in the team — whether it be penalties and the confidence he shows, experience, winning free-kicks at vital times — there’s lots more goes into it. And also around the camp he’s brilliant for everyone and obviously as the captain he shows by example what it means to play for Ireland.”
Ireland welcome Sweden to Dublin on Friday night before they face Austria away the following Tuesday. The Waterford man hopes it will be two more steps towards another elusive career milestone: a World Cup appearance.
“We’ve come so close a few time but look it’s one of those things, when you look at some of the players who play for their country and the quality of player that they are and they never get to play in a European Championship or World Cup or never even get close to it.
“We’re close at this stage and we know it’s in our own hands as well. If we win our matches we can get to the play-offs ; Germany, we’re fairly certain, are out of reach for first. There will be regret if you never get there but I think I can’t complain with the career I’ve had,” he added.
Robbie Keane scored once in the entirety of 2012, a penalty against Kazakhstan. You have to go all the way back to the 18/11/09 to find the last time Keane scored a goal from open play against half-decent opposition, when he scored against an awful France team in the World Cup ’10 Playoff. Before that, he scored a scruffy goal that Noel Hunt just missed out on claiming, against Italy in World Cup Qualification. Before that, you have to go all the way back to the World Cup in 2002 to find the last time Keane scored from open play against top opposition, in competitive games.
No disrespect to Robbie Keane. He has a fantastic goalscoring record at this level of football. It will never be equalled or surpassed. But let’s call a spade a spade. He scores plenty of goals against a standard of poor teams. He has a commendable goalscoring record against decent opposition in friendlies. But, he doesn’t score competitive goals against the big teams.
He scored a brace in a friendly against Georgia and a hat-trick against Faroe Islands but people must have extremely short memories if they can’t remember how anonymous he was in the European Championships and how he has struggled through the last two qualifying campaigns.
We are playing Sweden and Austria in September. Keane’s record against crap teams does not factor into the equation. It’s blindingly obvious that he is guaranteed his place in the team, regardless of form. It is clear as daylight that Wes Hoolahan, Shane Long and several other players are being held back by his continued guaranteed presence in the team. We are in thrall to a 4-4-2 formation that every other country has abandoned, because the implication of a modern formation, one that would ease the burden on our midfield and help to maintain possession would mean dropping Keane out of necessity.
Rooney’s record is very similar for England, over 30 goals and will probably go on to beat Bobby Charlton’s record but he only scores against shite opposition and has one tap in goal since 2004 in major finals. Because he is English, the media like to blow him up in the same bracket as messi and ronaldo. Can’t even make the united team now.
I hope Rooney does start as his record against Liverpool in over 10 years is embarrassing. Think he has only ever scored 2/3 in over 20 games. Van persie is the big danger, not overrated Rooney.
Yeah, doesn’t score against big teams in competitive games; only Germany, France, Italy, Holland, Spain, Russia……
Only scored one goal in 2012; how many competitive games did we have? Three. How many did he play in? Two. How many did he score in? One of those two competitive games.
You don’t have to like him, but why bother making up silly reasons that don’t stack up?
Billy, his stats are on Wikipedia for all to see. He didn’t score in a competitive fixture against a decent team between 2002 and 2010 campaigns, when we floundered.
He played in 5 competitive games in 2012 and scored a penalty against Kazakshtan for his troubles.
He is playing in the MLS for a mickey mouse team. He should have to earn his place in the team. His performances haven’t been good enough.
I’ve given you a thumbs up for reminding me that we did play 3 competitive games in June 2012 that he didn’t score in – had erased that from my memory!
I’m not saying he should be a starter now (September 2013), but I don’t think we should try justify that by diminishing his past achievements.
For any striker to get nearly a goal every other game is phenomenal, particularly over a career as long as Robbie Keane’s has been. You can chip away at his achievements by discounting penalties, goals in friendlies and goals against weaker opposition, but I’m quite sure you could do the same with any high scoring international striker. If you applied the same scepticism to Thierry Henry’s international career as Robbie Keane’s you might reach the same conclusions.
Well said Rupert, to be honest, i admire his graft when he does play but Long should be starting, every time. Sit Keane behind the main striker or behind two and let him feed them, he no longer has the pace, but his passing is tremendous and underrated.
Anybody who misses Robbie Keane knows nothing about football amd could probably write all they know about the sport on the back of a stamp using a permanent marker.
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Robbie Keane scored once in the entirety of 2012, a penalty against Kazakhstan. You have to go all the way back to the 18/11/09 to find the last time Keane scored a goal from open play against half-decent opposition, when he scored against an awful France team in the World Cup ’10 Playoff. Before that, he scored a scruffy goal that Noel Hunt just missed out on claiming, against Italy in World Cup Qualification. Before that, you have to go all the way back to the World Cup in 2002 to find the last time Keane scored from open play against top opposition, in competitive games.
No disrespect to Robbie Keane. He has a fantastic goalscoring record at this level of football. It will never be equalled or surpassed. But let’s call a spade a spade. He scores plenty of goals against a standard of poor teams. He has a commendable goalscoring record against decent opposition in friendlies. But, he doesn’t score competitive goals against the big teams.
He scored a brace in a friendly against Georgia and a hat-trick against Faroe Islands but people must have extremely short memories if they can’t remember how anonymous he was in the European Championships and how he has struggled through the last two qualifying campaigns.
We are playing Sweden and Austria in September. Keane’s record against crap teams does not factor into the equation. It’s blindingly obvious that he is guaranteed his place in the team, regardless of form. It is clear as daylight that Wes Hoolahan, Shane Long and several other players are being held back by his continued guaranteed presence in the team. We are in thrall to a 4-4-2 formation that every other country has abandoned, because the implication of a modern formation, one that would ease the burden on our midfield and help to maintain possession would mean dropping Keane out of necessity.
Rooney’s record is very similar for England, over 30 goals and will probably go on to beat Bobby Charlton’s record but he only scores against shite opposition and has one tap in goal since 2004 in major finals. Because he is English, the media like to blow him up in the same bracket as messi and ronaldo. Can’t even make the united team now.
Rooney will start tomorrow James thats all you need to worry about …..
I hope Rooney does start as his record against Liverpool in over 10 years is embarrassing. Think he has only ever scored 2/3 in over 20 games. Van persie is the big danger, not overrated Rooney.
Yeah, doesn’t score against big teams in competitive games; only Germany, France, Italy, Holland, Spain, Russia……
Only scored one goal in 2012; how many competitive games did we have? Three. How many did he play in? Two. How many did he score in? One of those two competitive games.
You don’t have to like him, but why bother making up silly reasons that don’t stack up?
Billy, his stats are on Wikipedia for all to see. He didn’t score in a competitive fixture against a decent team between 2002 and 2010 campaigns, when we floundered.
He played in 5 competitive games in 2012 and scored a penalty against Kazakshtan for his troubles.
He is playing in the MLS for a mickey mouse team. He should have to earn his place in the team. His performances haven’t been good enough.
I’ve given you a thumbs up for reminding me that we did play 3 competitive games in June 2012 that he didn’t score in – had erased that from my memory!
I’m not saying he should be a starter now (September 2013), but I don’t think we should try justify that by diminishing his past achievements.
For any striker to get nearly a goal every other game is phenomenal, particularly over a career as long as Robbie Keane’s has been. You can chip away at his achievements by discounting penalties, goals in friendlies and goals against weaker opposition, but I’m quite sure you could do the same with any high scoring international striker. If you applied the same scepticism to Thierry Henry’s international career as Robbie Keane’s you might reach the same conclusions.
Well said Rupert, to be honest, i admire his graft when he does play but Long should be starting, every time. Sit Keane behind the main striker or behind two and let him feed them, he no longer has the pace, but his passing is tremendous and underrated.
No I won’t…can’t wait till the overated Pratt retires
Idiotic comment….Liverpool fan I’m guessing
Even worse an unira one.
Robbie “55 goals for Ireland” Keane overrated.
Hahahahaha.
Anybody who misses Robbie Keane knows nothing about football amd could probably write all they know about the sport on the back of a stamp using a permanent marker.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!
Won’t miss you though!!!