Should Robbie Keane retire from ROI squad?

Jarrod

weldoninhio wrote: »

John Walters has the same amount of goals as Keane and he's been on the wing all campaign.

Walters scored 2 against Austria and one away to the Faroes. Keane scored against Sweden, Kazakhstan and a hat trick against the Faroes.

Wilberto

I have no idea how Jonathon Walters got drafted into this debate. It seems to me like they are effectively like "chalk and cheese". Personally, I'd have Walters up front as any time I've seen him play up there for Ireland he has done exceptionally well at bringing the ball down and holding it up, albeit usually after coming on as a sub.

I was actually somewhat surprised that Trappatoni didn't play him up there a lot more, alongside Robbie Keane. I know that would mean that Shane Long might have had to settle for a bench though but if it worked then what harm.

Coutinho 10

Retire no. But he should not in anyway be a guaranteed first team starter! He would the kind of player with fresh legs to bring on for the last twenty mins of a match. If he is not happy with that role then maybe he should have a long look at himself about his future in the Irish squad.

devotional1993

Coutinho 10 wrote: »

Retire no. But he should not in anyway be a guaranteed first team starter! He would the kind of player with fresh legs to bring on for the last twenty mins of a match. If he is not happy with that role then maybe he should have a long look at himself about his future in the Irish squad.

A long look at himself? Making it up as you go lad.. The guy would walk on broken glass for his country. He's the last player to have a strop. Leave that to Darron Gibson or that other moron Stephen Ireland.
Keane is the last person to "have a long look at himself":rolleyes: in my book

DeanAustin

devotional1993 wrote: »

A long look at himself? Making it up as you go lad.. The guy would walk on broken glass for his country. He's the last player to have a strop. Leave that to Darron Gibson or that other moron Stephen Ireland.
Keane is the last person to "have a long look at himself":rolleyes: in my book

Absolutely right. The lad turned up the week after his dad died. He's turned up pretty much anytime he can for every game. He travels from California now to do that. He's our record goalscorer by a distance so great that I seriously doubt his achievements will ever be even threatened. More importantly, he's still, clearly, our greatest goalscoring threat.

The opinion that he should be on the bench or that he should look at himself really is beneath contempt.

The easiest thing for him to do would be to stay in California in his nice mansion with his stunning missus and his celebrity mates. Yet, he'll be back in the wind and rain for our next game, which is essentially meaningless. How many people can say they'd do the same?

LuckyLloyd

It's a sad commentary on elements of the current fanbase that they would call for Robbie Keane's dropping yet welcome back contemptible individuals like Darren Gibson or Stephen Ireland to the team.

Quazzie

devotional1993 wrote: »

A long look at himself? Making it up as you go lad.. The guy would walk on broken glass for his country. He's the last player to have a strop. Leave that to Darron Gibson or that other moron Stephen Ireland.
Keane is the last person to "have a long look at himself":rolleyes: in my book

It's his ability he should look at and realise that he's just not good enough at international level anymore. He should do the decent thing by retiring rather than forcing a manager to make the decision for him.

DeanAustin

Quazzie wrote: »

It's his ability he should look at and realise that he's just not good enough at international level anymore. He should do the decent thing by retiring rather than forcing a manager to make the decision for him.

How is he not good enough at international level?

He's been our top scorer in the last few campaigns including this one.

LuckyLloyd

Quazzie wrote: »

It's his ability he should look at and realise that he's just not good enough at international level anymore. He should do the decent thing by retiring rather than forcing a manager to make the decision for him.

Not good enough? Five goals this campaign. What are you on about?

SantryRed

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

It's a sad commentary on elements of the current fanbase that they would call for Robbie Keane's dropping yet welcome back contemptible individuals like Darren Gibson or Stephen Ireland to the team.

Lloyd,

It's blatantly obvious we need to go 4-5-1 in the big games from now on. Do you think Keane can fit into that side? I don't think there's a position for him.

However, he should definitely be played when we are playing the weak teams and can afford two up top.

LuckyLloyd

SantryRed wrote: »

Lloyd,

It's blatantly obvious we need to go 4-5-1 in the big games from now on. Do you think Keane can fit into that side? I don't think there's a position for him.

However, he should definitely be played when we are playing the weak teams and can afford two up top.

The formation has to be amended to have him on the pitch. Long doesn't score goals regularly at the top level, we don't have any other players available for selection right now who do other than Keane.

TheDoc

Not sure on the retirment. I think at international level you come up against some gross that a 30+ year old can easily handle.

I would however remove captaincy from him effective immediately. I find that while he still scores, he could be scoring more. Since made captain he very obviously feels the need to get involved deeper in the pitch and try receive the ball and create things. Unfortunately for Robbie he is pretty poor at this, and while he might play a nice little linkup, when the cross or pass comes in, he's not in the box.

Noticeably feels the need to get involved deeper and deeper. His one responsibility should be sitting in the opposition box, or on the last defender. Nothing else. Captaincy has for some reason made him feel he needs to get more involved and that is a bad thing. He is a goalscorer, a finisher, a decent one, but that it. He isn't a linkup player, he doesn't run channels. He just finishes. And that should be all that is required.

Although I'd be at a loss to even name someone worthy of being captain, while it's mostly completely inept in the modern game, it's still a strong figurehead you look to when things go south. Keane hasn't in my view been a good captain at all, very uninspiring.


I guess you could say Dunne based on some of his heroic performances, and I always feel a captain should be in CM or CB, but even Dunne doesn't really fit the bill.

Wilberto

Oat23 wrote: »

Every time this thread is bumped I know he has scored.

He scored again. I'm watching the LA Galaxy Vs Chivas USA match.

Mind you, it was from about 6 yards out, at best. Also, he missed a very similar chance about a minute or two earlier!!

Dempsey

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpIJz8S-2LU

Keane practising his finishing for ze Germans! :pac:

Hammer Archer

:pac:

Essien

For the sake of our hero Robbie, I hope this match lasts 5 hours.

COYVB

another 2 goals puts him into the top 10 international scorers of all time

Fr Tod Umptious

No goals after Robbie leaves the field

Hmmmmm

nice_guy80

Doyle and Murphy were atrocious when they came on

jacool

Hopefully some doubters are silenced.
Regardless of the opposition, he was still the one making the runs to create and/or finish the moves.
Legend.

Oat23

jacool wrote: »

Hopefully some doubters are silenced.
Regardless of the opposition, he was still the one making the runs to create and/or finish the moves.
Legend.

That says more about the other players on the pitch. A LOI XI would have beaten Gibraltar.

Rikand

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

It's a sad commentary on elements of the current fanbase that they would call for Robbie Keane's dropping yet welcome back contemptible individuals like Darren Gibson or Stephen Ireland to the team.

Gibson looked out of his depth even against Gibraltar.

Keane is a total legend. You cant buy that kind of natural talent.