Robbie Keane opened his goal account in the Premier league for Liverpool as he scored two goals in his side's 3-0 win over West Bromich Albion at Anfield.
Up til now Keane had scored just two goals for his new club, in the Champions League games against PSV Enidhoven and Athletico Madrid.
In the absence of Fernando Torres for a six game period, Liverpool were relying on Keane to step up to the level we all saw at Tottenham Hotsphur in the absence of the Spaniard.
However without Torres, Keane has looked just as anonymous as he looked when Torres started alongside him.
I had huge reservations about Keane's move to Liverpool on two counts. Firstly because his 'ideal' partner would not be around in the shape of Dirk Kuyt and Torres. Secondly because of the formation Liverpool like to play. Benitez seems to have settled on a 4-5-1 formation after it's success at the back end of last season.
For me Keane doesn't have a place in the side even when they adapt the formation for him. With Torres alongside him, he is overshadowed and deemed useless for the success of the side.
Dirk Kuyt's success while Torres has been out of the side shows clearly how Keane hasn't fitted in well in the team.
The Dutchman had scored four goals in Torres's absence, showing everyone he isn't just a right sided midfielder. This included crucial winners against Manchester City and Wigan Athletic.
Kuyt clearly stepped up, why couldn't Keane? The man with the forward responsibility.
I understand there is a certain amount of bedding in time for a player, things don't just click at a new club like that. But Keane is a quality player, and we haven't even seen a whiff of what he can produce.
Keane just simply hasn't cut the mustard at Liverpool, his two goals yesterday might give him some sort of kick-start. But his form hasn't been good enough to think that he'll keep Torres out of the team after his injury return yesterday.
His 19 million price tag, while I think is accurate is far to much for a player that doesn't fit in your team. He just doesn't make sense, and while at Tottenham he was the focal point, at Liverpool he is nothing more that a bit part player.
Being Cheeky
12 years ago
2 comments:
Benitez's made a shrewd signing in Keane and your claiming his impact has been limited?
The Everton game he was the star of show and that day his partnership with Torres was sublime.
Any player takes a while to fit in and remember Keane has been an injury concern of late.
Dirk Kuyt has 'stepped up' but that fact he has scored all his goals coming in from the right shows what a good asset he is for the team.
Before when Kuyt and Torres played up front they got in each others way, Keane can drop and become ever present in the link up play.
Peter Crouch took a long time to get going and he ended up scoring a few so time will tell. Liverpool are near the top without Torres and a prolific team surely that shows Liverpool have been scoring and just imagine the impact when all these players are firing on all cylinders,
Goals do not necassairaly make a striker. Emile Heskey is a prime example of that.
One of Keane's strengths has always been his intelligence - in either dropping deep and continuing the play, or creating space for others to profit from. He's not an out and out striker and he never will be.
At the same time I agree with the House's point, in that he can't work as a lone striker. But with Torres? The more they play together, the better it'll get in my opinion.
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