Liverpool FC Forum

[Sabre]

Taking him off EVERY GAME and completely destroying his confidence. He has found it hard to settle and Benitez is making it even harder for him by dragging him off every match. As soon as he scored his first goal, he was dropped. He scored two against West Brom then was subbed.

Stu, I agree you about his quality.

I disagree you about blaming others and this bit about confidence. I've seen Keane trying unnecesary things like trying to end a finnish with the heel, or trying to give the ball a soft touch over the keeper to make it beautiful. A player without confidence doesn't try the hardest option, and pretty recently he scored two goals.

So I agree about the quality, but he has to improve.

The player needs the support of every supporter in Anfield, he'll be crucial if we want to survive the new Torres injury

[Rockthekop]

Rafa kept faith with Kuyt even when he was playing cack, surely Keane and Babel deserve the chance to make their mark also.

Kuyt has improved as a result by being played week in, week out and rarely subbed.  Keane and Babel have to get a good run in the team otherwise we will not see the best of them. 

Why did Rafa spend around £31M on both to have them warm the bench?

[Fo Dne]

Taking him off EVERY GAME and completely destroying his confidence. He has found it hard to settle and Benitez is making it even harder for him by dragging him off every match. As soon as he scored his first goal, he was dropped. He scored two against West Brom then was subbed.

Stu, I agree you about his quality.

I disagree you about blaming others and this bit about confidence. I've seen Keane trying unnecesary things like trying to end a finnish with the heel, or trying to give the ball a soft touch over the keeper to make it beautiful. A player without confidence doesn't try the hardest option, and pretty recently he scored two goals.

So I agree about the quality, but he has to improve.

The player needs the support of every supporter in Anfield, he'll be crucial if we want to survive the new Torres injury

You disagree about his confidence being low?

Sabre, its crystal clear mate everytime he comes off the pitch. Look at his face, the lad looks like he's going to cry. 

He knows he's not performing well and he feels like he's being victimised for it. The manager should either play him, or bench him. Whatever he does, he has to make his mind up and stick with it instead of playing him one week, dropping him the next.

How anyone can fail to see this is beyond me. It really is!

[Igor Zidane]

Stu , it's down to keane to find his form NOT RAFA. It's up to keane to make it impossible for rafa to bench him or sub him . Keane is now at a big club ,so he has to step it up . For what it's worth i think he will .

[aCe']

Taking him off EVERY GAME and completely destroying his confidence. He has found it hard to settle and Benitez is making it even harder for him by dragging him off every match. As soon as he scored his first goal, he was dropped. He scored two against West Brom then was subbed.

Stu, I agree you about his quality.

I disagree you about blaming others and this bit about confidence. I've seen Keane trying unnecesary things like trying to end a finnish with the heel, or trying to give the ball a soft touch over the keeper to make it beautiful. A player without confidence doesn't try the hardest option, and pretty recently he scored two goals.

So I agree about the quality, but he has to improve.

The player needs the support of every supporter in Anfield, he'll be crucial if we want to survive the new Torres injury

You disagree about his confidence being low?

Sabre, its crystal clear mate everytime he comes off the pitch. Look at his face, the lad looks like he's going to cry. 

He knows he's not performing well and he feels like he's being victimised for it. The manager should either play him, or bench him. Whatever he does, he has to make his mind up and stick with it instead of playing him one week, dropping him the next.

How anyone can fail to see this is beyond me. It really is!

gotta agree with that...
now with Torres injured im sure he'll be playing more 90 mins from now on.. if not then Rafa has got to be the one to blame if we drop soft points...

Stick him upfront with Kuyt i say... he cant play alone upfront and i dont think Rafa should even consider it with Keanes confidence being so low... all the responsibility with him yet to peform would kill him !

not like Kuyt is doing anything down that right hand side anyways i think he'd make a good 2nd man upfront along with Keane... both work hard and would allow midfielders more time and space on the ball....

Time for him to get 90 mins imo even if we'r 2-0 up at halftime and he's yet to touch the ball.. give him a full 90 mins and see how he goes on from there...

[Bam]

Stu , it's down to keane to find his form NOT RAFA. It's up to keane to make it impossible for rafa to bench him or sub him . Keane is now at a big club ,so he has to step it up . For what it's worth i think he will .

Exactly.

[Redman in wales]

Stu , it's down to keane to find his form NOT RAFA. It's up to keane to make it impossible for rafa to bench him or sub him . Keane is now at a big club ,so he has to step it up . For what it's worth i think he will .

Exactly.

you mean like dropping him after scoring his 1st goal or subbing off when he's on a hatrick?

[tubby]

Then he need to keep scoring until Rafa wont take him off.

[Quadrophenia]

Keane scored twice against West Brom, was absoloutely flying and still got took off. It doesn't matter what he does, it looks like he'll be brought off anyway. What was his reward for scoring his first goal? A place on the bench against Man City.

He hasn't done himself any favours by missing easy chances but when he has got himself on the scoresheet he's been treated unfairly.

[Bad Bob]

Taking him off EVERY GAME and completely destroying his confidence. He has found it hard to settle and Benitez is making it even harder for him by dragging him off every match. As soon as he scored his first goal, he was dropped. He scored two against West Brom then was subbed.

Stu, I agree you about his quality.

I disagree you about blaming others and this bit about confidence. I've seen Keane trying unnecesary things like trying to end a finnish with the heel, or trying to give the ball a soft touch over the keeper to make it beautiful. A player without confidence doesn't try the hardest option, and pretty recently he scored two goals.

So I agree about the quality, but he has to improve.

The player needs the support of every supporter in Anfield, he'll be crucial if we want to survive the new Torres injury

You disagree about his confidence being low?

Sabre, its crystal clear mate everytime he comes off the pitch. Look at his face, the lad looks like he's going to cry. 

He knows he's not performing well and he feels like he's being victimised for it. The manager should either play him, or bench him. Whatever he does, he has to make his mind up and stick with it instead of playing him one week, dropping him the next.

How anyone can fail to see this is beyond me. It really is!

gotta agree with that...
now with Torres injured im sure he'll be playing more 90 mins from now on.. if not then Rafa has got to be the one to blame if we drop soft points...

Stick him upfront with Kuyt i say... he cant play alone upfront and i dont think Rafa should even consider it with Keanes confidence being so low... all the responsibility with him yet to peform would kill him !

not like Kuyt is doing anything down that right hand side anyways i think he'd make a good 2nd man upfront along with Keane... both work hard and would allow midfielders more time and space on the ball....

Time for him to get 90 mins imo even if we'r 2-0 up at halftime and he's yet to touch the ball.. give him a full 90 mins and see how he goes on from there...

Agree that it's time to see Kuyt and Keane up front as a pair while Torres is out.  Torres is our only striker able to play on his own up top and we need to rework the formation now that he's out.  Unfortunately, that means doing something about RM.  I sincerely doubt that Rafa will move Stevie over and the idea of either Masch or Alonso out there is a non-starter.  That means one of Pennant, Benayoun, Babel or El Zhar down the right, with Gerrard partnering Alonso or Masch in the middle.  On present form, it's Alonso for me but with the opportunity for some mild rotating to keep the CMs fresh during the hectic festive period (meaning Masch coming in, of course, not Lucas).

[Bam]

Stu , it's down to keane to find his form NOT RAFA. It's up to keane to make it impossible for rafa to bench him or sub him . Keane is now at a big club ,so he has to step it up . For what it's worth i think he will .

Exactly.

you mean like dropping him after scoring his 1st goal or subbing off when he's on a hatrick?

No, I didnt agree with Keane being taken off after he scored two goals against West Brom. But overall now he has been given the opportunities to produce the goods. He has missed some absolute sitters also lets not forget that.

I like Keane as a player and was glad we signed him, but like wise with Kuyt, Alonso or any other player. If they're not producing the goods we cant be expected to wait around forever until they hit form. It could be of detriment to the team at the end of the day and nobody wants that. TBH I was glad to see Rafa revert back to one upfront against Marseille.

Like I said I didnt personally agree with Keane being brought off against West Brom or any games before that, I felt the same as you, but Rafa must have his reasons and its not to knock Keanes confidence there is more to it than that. Keane hasnt been on form FACT he now gets subbed or starts as sub and thats fair enough until he proves otherwise.

[JBG]

Sitting on the bench is nothing new for Robbie Keane, he had loads of bench time for Leeds and Inter.

Remember as well that he went through long periods at Spurs, both under Jol and Ramos, of being third choice behind Berbatov and Defoe, but won back his place and was the main reason for Defoe leaving.

I can't remember exactly when it was but I recollect that it may have been two seasons ago that Robbie didn't start much for Spurs before Xmas before winning back his place and scoring loads of goals after Xmas.

While I think Robbie is a good player and has goals in him yet for Liverpool ultimately I think he was the wrong choice for our £20million and if it wasn't for our lack of funds I think Benitez would go out and buy another top class forward. I don't ever see him clicking with Torres and ultimately I have my doubts whether Torres can play at his best with a partner.

Torres seems to like having the front line all to himself with a very advanced midfielder just behind, like Gerrard last year. Keane is not an "in the hole" forward and never has been so by buying him Benitez has identified the wrong type of player (Benitez specifically said he saw Robbie as a behind the front man type player). I've always followed Robbie's career closely and he has been at his most effective as a box player playing off a big man, with the big man dropping off him and allowing Robbie in on goal. He had an excellent partnership with Quinn for Ireland in his early years and formed a great partnership with Berbatov at Spurs. Even at his time at Leeds he looked his best when he played alongside Viduka. When he has played beside a smaller, fast player, like Defoe at Spurs, the two of them tend to make the same runs.

Torres is not really a target man and is far more mobile than Berbatov or Viduka and I just don't see Robbie gelling. Robbie's best game for us was when he played against West Brom up front largely on his own with Torres on the bench.

My own feeling is that we need either a forward who lies deep or an advanced midfielder who supports Torres. Keane doesn't fit the bill.

[roberto green]

Sitting on the bench is nothing new for Robbie Keane, he had loads of bench time for Leeds and Inter.

Remember as well that he went through long periods at Spurs, both under Jol and Ramos, of being third choice behind Berbatov and Defoe, but won back his place and was the main reason for Defoe leaving.

I can't remember exactly when it was but I recollect that it may have been two seasons ago that Robbie didn't start much for Spurs before Xmas before winning back his place and scoring loads of goals after Xmas.

While I think Robbie is a good player and has goals in him yet for Liverpool ultimately I think he was the wrong choice for our £20million and if it wasn't for our lack of funds I think Benitez would go out and buy another top class forward. I don't ever see him clicking with Torres and ultimately I have my doubts whether Torres can play at his best with a partner.

Torres seems to like having the front line all to himself with a very advanced midfielder just behind, like Gerrard last year. Keane is not an "in the hole" forward and never has been so by buying him Benitez has identified the wrong type of player (Benitez specifically said he saw Robbie as a behind the front man type player). I've always followed Robbie's career closely and he has been at his most effective as a box player playing off a big man, with the big man dropping off him and allowing Robbie in on goal. He had an excellent partnership with Quinn for Ireland in his early years and formed a great partnership with Berbatov at Spurs. Even at his time at Leeds he looked his best when he played alongside Viduka. When he has played beside a smaller, fast player, like Defoe at Spurs, the two of them tend to make the same runs.

Torres is not really a target man and is far more mobile than Berbatov or Viduka and I just don't see Robbie gelling. Robbie's best game for us was when he played against West Brom up front largely on his own with Torres on the bench.

My own feeling is that we need either a forward who lies deep or an advanced midfielder who supports Torres. Keane doesn't fit the bill.

Yep spot on.It's a pity we didn't have Jari Litmanan in his prime with Torres cos i think he was the type of forward Torres would benifit from

[Judge]

Then he need to keep scoring until Rafa wont take him off.

he was doing that on his hat-trick, but was subbed !!

[tonyeh]

He's playing like he has zero confidence. If you can't see that then I'm wasting my time talking to you. He's trying to hard and he's taking everything to heart. He is struggling big time and putting himself under enormous pressure.

For me this is the difference between a Liverpool player and an average one. And this is where Kuyt stands out head and shoulders. Kuyt also went through a difficult time, but unlike Keane he put in the effort to look like he is interested. Keane has played out of position once, Kuyt has played out of position continuously. But im diverting from the point. Keane has the advantage of knowing the english league inside and out. We know on form he is a great player, but my earlier point about his Tottenham days must surely held some weight.  He was left on the bench many times at tottenham because he has his off days, more often than his good days. It could be confidence. It could also be the fact that he is carrying a £20 million price tag. All I know is, as do many of us, he doesnt have the consistency to be labelled a top class player.

For me this is the difference between a Liverpool player and an average one. And this is where Kuyt stands out head and shoulders. Kuyt also went through a difficult time, but unlike Keane he put in the effort to look like he is interested.

Kuyt didn't get subbed every game and was played regardless of how he was.

If your saying that Keane isn't "interested", you're not watching the games.