Join NowRobbie Keane Helps Liverpool, But Did He Help Himself?
Robbie Keane scored a cracker of a goal in Liverpool’s tie against Arsenal, but what is the long-term future of the Irish international at the Merseyside club?
Keane started the game in place of injured/still recovering Fernando Torres. If Torres were fit to play then the strikers’ role would go to him.
In the absence of Torres, Keane fits in magnificently as a #2 striker, but in the grand scheme of things, Keane doesn’t really have a fit in Rafael Benitez’s side.
Look at his situation position-by-position. In the current formation of Liverpool’s 4-4-1-1, Keane cannot fit.
He is not a defender, so the back four is out. When Torres is healthy, he is the lone striker with Steven Gerrard in support, just in front of the midfield, but just behind the striker.
In the midfield, starting with the wide players, Dirk Kuyt (former striker, turned wide midfielder, has his place cemented on the wide with his workmen like pursuit of the ball. Kuyt is the Flying Dutchman. As Benitez said many times to reporters, “No one works harder.” On the other side of midfield Albert Riera (transfer from Manchester City) revitalized his career and has become an exceptional playmaker. No room for Keane on the wide sides of midfield.
In the middle of midfield, Xabi Alonso (heavily rumored for a summer switch to Italian giants, Juventus) regained his form of 2004-2005 and played his way into a starting role. His partner, Javier Mascherano (captain of Argentina) holds down the fort, the controls the midfield with a rough style and timely challenges. As Fox Soccer Channel’s analyst Bobby McMahan said, “Mascherano is really the only player of his kind in England.”
This leaves Keane with no place in the midfield. This doesn’t mean he isn’t a good player because he is. The top shelf goal proves he is. This is just due to Benitez’s formation and nothing to do with Keane and his ability on the pitch to score.
Benitez’s style of play and formation has seen many strikers come and go since he took charge of The Reds in 2004. Starting with Michael Owen, strikers that have come and gone are Djibril Cisse, Peter Crouch, Craig Bellamy,Andriy Voronin and Antonio Nunez.
Benitez juggled the team formation, personnel and style since 2004 until he finally found a team he liked, with players he liked, playing a formation that he instituted.
Unfortunately for Keane, Benitez has no room for him in a starting role. This leaves Keane with two options, be comfortable with a backup role to Torres or transfer out in January or at the end of the season.
As much as Keane loves, (so he says) life on the merseyside and playing for his boyhood club, he is a player, he was bought by Benitez in the summer to play, but, Benitez, after trying 4-4-2, with Torres alongside Keane, realized it wasn’t working and because of that, Keane was dropped for the 4-4-1-1, which has Liverpool top of the English table.
Benitez has no made clear his plans for Keane, but if he were to transfer him out in January, he would have to take a loss. £20million for Keane in the summer, but now the situation has changed, Keane is cup tied (he cannot play for another team in Champions League or U.E.F.A Cup.) So, a transfer to another country’s big clubs is out. He is also cup tied nationally, (he cannot play for another team in the English F.A. Cup) which means no big team from England, if interested will pay anywhere close to £20million, even if Keane stays at the new club next year.
For now Keane has to be patient and make the best of every opportunity he gets. He will not get that many. He must shine in his substitution appearance because he must make a lasting impression on his next possible suitors. Plus Benitez must help Keane score and play as much as he can because he wants to limit the damage once he or if he decides to sell him. He will not get £20million, but he wants an offer close to that amount.
All and all, wonderful performance by the Irishman, but no matter how many goals he scores, he will not have a place in a Liverpool 4-4-1-1 formation, not with a healthy Torres on the pitch.
Keane started the game in place of injured/still recovering Fernando Torres. If Torres were fit to play then the strikers’ role would go to him.
In the absence of Torres, Keane fits in magnificently as a #2 striker, but in the grand scheme of things, Keane doesn’t really have a fit in Rafael Benitez’s side.
Look at his situation position-by-position. In the current formation of Liverpool’s 4-4-1-1, Keane cannot fit.
He is not a defender, so the back four is out. When Torres is healthy, he is the lone striker with Steven Gerrard in support, just in front of the midfield, but just behind the striker.
In the midfield, starting with the wide players, Dirk Kuyt (former striker, turned wide midfielder, has his place cemented on the wide with his workmen like pursuit of the ball. Kuyt is the Flying Dutchman. As Benitez said many times to reporters, “No one works harder.” On the other side of midfield Albert Riera (transfer from Manchester City) revitalized his career and has become an exceptional playmaker. No room for Keane on the wide sides of midfield.
In the middle of midfield, Xabi Alonso (heavily rumored for a summer switch to Italian giants, Juventus) regained his form of 2004-2005 and played his way into a starting role. His partner, Javier Mascherano (captain of Argentina) holds down the fort, the controls the midfield with a rough style and timely challenges. As Fox Soccer Channel’s analyst Bobby McMahan said, “Mascherano is really the only player of his kind in England.”
This leaves Keane with no place in the midfield. This doesn’t mean he isn’t a good player because he is. The top shelf goal proves he is. This is just due to Benitez’s formation and nothing to do with Keane and his ability on the pitch to score.
Benitez’s style of play and formation has seen many strikers come and go since he took charge of The Reds in 2004. Starting with Michael Owen, strikers that have come and gone are Djibril Cisse, Peter Crouch, Craig Bellamy,Andriy Voronin and Antonio Nunez.
Benitez juggled the team formation, personnel and style since 2004 until he finally found a team he liked, with players he liked, playing a formation that he instituted.
Unfortunately for Keane, Benitez has no room for him in a starting role. This leaves Keane with two options, be comfortable with a backup role to Torres or transfer out in January or at the end of the season.
As much as Keane loves, (so he says) life on the merseyside and playing for his boyhood club, he is a player, he was bought by Benitez in the summer to play, but, Benitez, after trying 4-4-2, with Torres alongside Keane, realized it wasn’t working and because of that, Keane was dropped for the 4-4-1-1, which has Liverpool top of the English table.
Benitez has no made clear his plans for Keane, but if he were to transfer him out in January, he would have to take a loss. £20million for Keane in the summer, but now the situation has changed, Keane is cup tied (he cannot play for another team in Champions League or U.E.F.A Cup.) So, a transfer to another country’s big clubs is out. He is also cup tied nationally, (he cannot play for another team in the English F.A. Cup) which means no big team from England, if interested will pay anywhere close to £20million, even if Keane stays at the new club next year.
For now Keane has to be patient and make the best of every opportunity he gets. He will not get that many. He must shine in his substitution appearance because he must make a lasting impression on his next possible suitors. Plus Benitez must help Keane score and play as much as he can because he wants to limit the damage once he or if he decides to sell him. He will not get £20million, but he wants an offer close to that amount.
All and all, wonderful performance by the Irishman, but no matter how many goals he scores, he will not have a place in a Liverpool 4-4-1-1 formation, not with a healthy Torres on the pitch.
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