The OFFICIAL Liverpool Supporters thread

[GalwayBayBoy]

By the way I do think he is a tad overpriced but that is the going rate these days unfortunately when you look at Darren Bent going for 17 million. Andy Johnson going for 12. Carrick and Hargreaves going for 17 or 18 million apiece. Tevez looking like he'll cost Man U 30+ million and Spurs looking for 30 million for Berbatov.

[Norf Tyrone]

Oh...and another thing.

Tottenham have also agreed to drop their official complaint to the Premier League after Liverpool apologised for their conduct in pursuing the Irishman.

So Liverpool have admitted that their conduct was not what it should've been. So how come when Chelsea were guilty of the same offence the FA were over them (rightly so) like a rash with fines totalling £600,000! It looks like on this occasion the FA are not going to even bother with the charge!

It's not as if Liverpool don't have previous as well. The Ziege transfer IIRC was also a case of Liverpool being found guilty of an illigal approach. However the fines here ammounted to £30,000 in total.

[stevo-08]

delighted with the Keane signing. reckon he'll form a superb partnership with Torres.

for the people who are questioning his goal scoring record, i think im right in saying that last season he became the first spurs player ever to score double digit league goals for 6 consecutive seasons - 13, 14, 11, 16, 11, 15. Torres is Liverpools no.1 striker so if keane can chip in with 15 league goals a season plus a few assists, then he'll be a big addition to the side.

And as for comparing him to crouch, the bottom line is that he just didnt feature in Rafa's plans, having made only 9 lge starts last season. And I think we can all expect Keane to be one of the first players on Rafa's starting 11 every week so there's no question that the side will be stronger as a result of bringing in keane for crouch. Finally regarding the fee, probably overpriced but again knowing that crouch could have went for free in 6mths, i think Crouch (+11) & Keane (-20) represents very good business.

Keane wont bridge the gap between Liverpool & Utd but it should certainly see them put up a more realistic challenge.

[AZOffaly]

This comparison of Keane and Crouch is a red herring. I'll wait and see how Robbie Keane fits in at Liverpool and that will determine whether he is a good signing or not, but comparisons with Crouch are missing the point. Obviously Crouchy was a good man to do a job in certain circumstances, but Rafa Benitez's Liverpool were never going to play Crouch regularly. That's Rafa's call, for good or bad, and we have to respect his decision.

What Keane will add is a bit of cuteness around the box. He has the ability to drop off the front man, link up play, and play neat 1-2s around the edge of the box. I can see what Rafa is thinking in terms of a partnership with Torres. Torres would thrive off little dink passes in behind, and Keane can do that. Of course, as a second strker, he will also be required to chip in with a few goals, but if he can add 10 league goals or so, I think that would be enough.

With Robbie Keane, I think Liverpool are back to the Keegan/Toshack, Dalglish/Rush or Beardsley/Aldridge type partnerships, and if Keane/Torres works nearly as well as those two, then we'll be happy.

It's crazy money, but if you remember I posted an article from the Kop about the new regulations for 'foreigners' as opposed to 'home grown' players, and Keane is another of those which can be counted as home grown. If the regulations do get stricter again, then Keane's price would go up even further.

[brokencrossbar1]

If there was a situation in the new season where Torres scored 25 league goals, Keane 12-15 and Gerard 10-12 that would give a nice basis of 50 odd goals. These are not unreasonable expectations for the palyers involved.  Then you have Babel chipping in with 8-10 goals, hopefully Kuyt will score a few and then a maybe 20-25 from the rest of the squad this will be a good return.  Last season outside of Torres and Gerard the rest of the squad scored 29 league goals and if there was that sort of return from the squad apart from Keane, Torres and Gerard Liverpool would go a long way to having a serious shot at the title.

I think AZ is right in that Keane and Torres could work well with Keane lying deep.  I would nearly go back to the time of St John for a comparison.  he is not as clever as Beardsley or the King but he is more like Keegan and from what I saw of St John in older footage.  Crouch can only play as a central number 1 striker and this was never going to happen with Torres there.  He did a good job when he was at Liverpool but had become somewhat redundant.  The good thing about him leaving and Keane coing in is that Liverpool will now have to play more to feet and not just be like Ireland under Charlton whenever they stuck on Crouch

[Over the Bar]

One thing about Keane is that he's a big-time confidence player.  Gets an early goal and has a blinder but if he misses an early chance he'll have a stinker and put sitters wide.  It visibly gets to him as well making him a target for opposing players and then he becomes like a spoilt kid and gets booked.

[lynchbhoy]

While I am always cautious of prasing Irish footballers - in case its a bit of green tinted glasses on their merits and performances - I think Keane is a good striker in the same mould as Henrik Larsson.
He has a bit to go yet and is still a bit of a poor mans larsson, but I think people are not keying in on Keanes biggest asset, his goal assists and chance creation ability.
That the lad has scored so many is admirable, esp when you take into consideration the amount of goals he sets up for fellow strikers or team mates.

Like Larsson , Keane is not an out and out striker (like torres) and like Henrik, is brutal at the key things a great striker can do - as in finish off one on ones - Larsson was rubbish at that kind of thing.
However I dont think people reckon Larsson was too bad, and I believe that Keane only has a bit to go to be up there along with him, though I think in his assists ratio, he is there already.

Hope this doesnt affet Keanes playing with Ireland, but if it doesnt, he will be a far better player for joining Liverpool.
Crouch was ok, but not the top level striker (assist creator) that Keane is.
Good signing for Liverpool imo. Great move for Keane and hopefully Ireland.

[AZOffaly]

I agree Lynchbhoy, that's what I meant...

What Keane will add is a bit of cuteness around the box. He has the ability to drop off the front man, link up play, and play neat 1-2s around the edge of the box. I can see what Rafa is thinking in terms of a partnership with Torres. Torres would thrive off little dink passes in behind, and Keane can do that. Of course, as a second strker, he will also be required to chip in with a few goals, but if he can add 10 league goals or so, I think that would be enough.

[stevo-08]

The good thing about him leaving and Keane coing in is that Liverpool will now have to play more to feet and not just be like Ireland under Charlton whenever they stuck on Crouch

Thats a good point brokencrossbar. Anytime crouch came on, it seemed to automatically send a signal to carragher to start entering the "long kick" competition - hit the ball as high in the air and as far down the pitch as possible. Hopefully, those days will be over now.

That said, I wont mind if Reina continues his trend of getting a few goal assists from his long passes down to Torres. 

[magpie seanie]

Sorry to piss on yer bonfire over here but I just wonder how many times Robbie, Torres and Gerrard will all start in the same team? Will he play Robbie through the middle as a second striker or on the wing a la Kuyt? Is Benitez going to play Torres every week early in the season rather than rest him for the Champions League later in the year?

[AZOffaly]

That's the question Seanie. It will be interesting to see what he does, but I'd be thinking Kuyt mightn't play as much this year. Keane and Torres up front. Gerrard the head of a 'diamond' with Mascherano anchoring it.

Alonso and maybe Barry the other 2 in the diamond.

[under the bar]

I think Keane is a good striker in the same mould as Henrik Larsson.

I take it you mean he is an all-rounder like Larsson as opposed to equally skilled as Larsson? He will never equal Larssons skill or vision.   I think Keane's not unlike Shearer as an all rounder but again not in the same bracket.

[stevo-08]

That's the question Seanie. It will be interesting to see what he does, but I'd be thinking Kuyt mightn't play as much this year. Keane and Torres up front. Gerrard the head of a 'diamond' with Mascherano anchoring it.

Alonso and maybe Barry the other 2 in the diamond.

I'd agree with that AZ. In fairness Torres was only rested for 2 games last season (apart from a few games at end of season when we were out of the running) so despite what the media like to portray, he was an ever present in the team. So too Gerrard. Thats not going to change next season. Rafa's "rotation" involved using Kuyt on the wing (his preferred option) or else voronin/crouch up front with Torres (this was used less often).

So I would think that Robbie will effectively take the place of crouch, kuyt & voronin with the latter 2 playing much less frequently. Actually maybe Rafa can produce the miracle of the summer and get rid of voronin altogether.

[lynchbhoy]

I think Keane is a good striker in the same mould as Henrik Larsson.

I take it you mean he is an all-rounder like Larsson as opposed to equally skilled as Larsson? He will never equal Larssons skill or vision.   I think Keane's not unlike Shearer as an all rounder but again not in the same bracket.

hes not as good as Larsson, and may never be quite as good, but Larsson was not a prolific scorer and as I said was rubbish at one on ones etc a bit like Keane.
Keanes vision and skill are not far off Larssons.
imo
and this opinion I have held for about three or four years now - between keane and henrik

[nifan]

I reckon Larson was much stronger in the air.

Benitez has said "He can play with Torres up front and also on the right" - I hope that doesnt mean he will nearly always be out on the right.