Premier League - Keane to stay but must improve

Eurosport - Tue, 27 Jan 19:44:00 2009

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has dismissed reports that striker Robbie Keane could leave the club although admitted that the Ireland international has to improve to keep his place in the team.

FOOTBALL 2008-9 Premier League Arsenal v Liverpool Robbie Keane - 0

Keane, 28, has struggled for form since joining the Reds for £19 million in the summer and is being tipped for a return to former club Tottenham Hostpur this January.

The rumours intensified when he was dropped from the match squad for the 1-1 FA Cup fourth-round draw at home to local rivals Everton, but he was included for the Premier League clash with Wigan.

"Robbie Keane is a good player, maybe he is not playing at his level but he wants to fight for his position," Benitez said the day before the game at the JJB Stadium.

"It doesn't matter about the name or the price I have to think about the best player for the next game."

Keane has scored only five league goals this season.

"Other people are talking too much about this," Benitez added. "Robbie had a day off (for the Cup game) like the other players who were not involved.

"He trained on Monday and today (Tuesday January 27) as normal - he will be in the squad for tomorrow. We are just thinking about using him in tomorrow's game.

"He is working very hard and will be a very important player for the rest of the season."

Second-placed Liverpool could start three points behind champions Manchester United if they beat West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns.

Reda Maher / Eurosport

Comment 45 - 64 of 64

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  1. icu, or is it silent-cream pie.T.W.A.T.S =­ liverfools......D.I.C.K. head.

    From David, on Wed 28 Jan 7:18PM

  2. he should be given more time we all know how good he is

    From John S, on Wed 28 Jan 6:44PM

  3. SAD TO SEE SO-CALLED LIVERPOOL FANS SLATING BENITEZ.
    I­ SUPORT THE TEAM,BUT DONT CONSIDER MYSELF ONE OF­ YOU.
    YOU'RE ALL PATHETIC

    From !, on Wed 28 Jan 6:04PM

  4. ARE ALL MANCS INBRED SCUM ?
    OR JUST THE RED ONES?

    From !, on Wed 28 Jan 6:01PM

  5. Rafa's lost his dummy, he's thrown it out the­ pram.
    Man U and Everton, soon Blackburn and big­ Sam.
    He's spent a lot of money,on a star called­ Robbie Keane.
    £20m to warm the bench, on this sriker­ never seen.
    He does not like his contract,it's all­ the owners fault.
    If they do not offer enough,its gonna­ end in court.
    But the Americans have troubles,and wish­ to sell the club.
    There's plenty of star players­ and one underplayed sub.
    So who would want to buy the­ reds of Liverpool?
    The history and the passion,and­ Manager's lost cool?
    So is everyone against the the­ senor with the moan?
    A man of unique talent or just­ another clone?
    Is he just misguided or a decent sort of­ chap?
    Or is it that he's lost the plot, a complete­ and utter prat?

    From ONZE, on Wed 28 Jan 5:11PM

  6. yes im a true red,but getting fed up with rafa and his­ big mouth,fergie has made him eat his words,im sorry to­ say man u will win the title cause they are best team­ by miles,liverpool will fall by the wayside as usual.­ the club his in turmol with the spanish and the yanks

    From Ken A, on Wed 28 Jan 4:37PM

  7. should rotate rafa on a spit!!...yum yum spanish hog­ roast!!....stuff an orange in im gob!!

    From sean d, on Wed 28 Jan 3:51PM

  8. Keane i support you mate. Your confidence will come­ back soon and you will be banging the GOALS in. I have­ faith in you lad. Its a shame the manager and all these­ plonkers don't. Good luck tonight;-)

    From steven, on Wed 28 Jan 2:15PM

  9. Keane just needs to be more selfish in front of goal­ but only after liverpool are ahead because its all­ about liverpool winning not Torres or Gerrard or Keane­ scoring.1st thing is liverpool winning and they have­ only lost once this season in the PL and they are in a­ very good position to win it.As for Rafa i would like­ to see him play Babble up front with Torres and Riera­ on the left. keane has to improve to fight for that­ spot up front.

    From chris f, on Wed 28 Jan 12:05PM

  10. the thing is wot i carnt understand 4-5-1 we [play this­ formation it dont suite liverpools game and when­ benitez opened his big mouth abouy furgy(i hate man­ u),he must be rubbing his hands together give keano a­ chance (played in two games the other week scored 3­ goals not played him since),im a big liverpool fan from­ a little boy we all can see somethings not right but­ benitez carnt go to spec savers.we draw one and lose­ the other next games we slip to 4th we should be 12 or­ even 15 points clear at the top give the manager­ another mth if he dont deliver get rid of him

    From dean.thomas5317, on Wed 28 Jan 12:02PM

  11. If you've got Torres and Keane with only 5 goals­ each all season.. then a midfielder with 9 goals....­ that's got to have something to do with the manager­ hasn't it? great team, great players, great­ support....@#$%, cowardly and uninspiring manager.

    From mikey, on Wed 28 Jan 11:33AM

  12. im not a man u fan, i didnt write comment 37

    From tunny87, on Wed 28 Jan 10:19AM

  13. anthony h.........Bigger than Spurs, we've roled­ you over twice this year. And thats without Keano.

    From OMG WTF, on Wed 28 Jan 10:16AM

  14. Dhinesh_reds........ Total kak, Liverpool were never­ contenders for the championship while Manure were on­ the verge of picking up form. If Chelski pick up form,­ you won't finish in the top 2.
    Now you can't­ blame Keano for that.

    From OMG WTF, on Wed 28 Jan 10:14AM

  15. RUBBISH!!!!!!!!!! KEANE ...... NO MATTER WHERE U GO U­ CANT DO ANY @#$%. 19 MILLION FOR U.OH GOSH.TORRES WORTH­ 25 MILLION N U 19 MILLION .TORRES IS VALUABLE AS HE­ SCORES 30 OVER GOALS IN HIS FIRST SEASON N WTF U DOIN 5­ GOALS. MY GOD.I THINK ITS BETTER U GO BCK TO­ SPURS.EVENTOUGH I M A LIFELONG LIVERPOOL FAN, BUT WAT­ BENITEZ IS DOING IS NOT RIGHT..INSTEAD OF BUYING KEANE­ U CAN BUY { HESKEY , SANTA CRUZ , RAFINHA , FERNANDO­ CAVENEGHI } WITH BUYING ANY TWO OF THEM LIVERPOOL MAY­ GO WAY AT THE TOP OF TABLE FAR AT THE FRONT OF MAN U BY­ NOW.
    OK IF U DONT WANT TO SELL KEANE THEN BETTER CHANGE­ UR @#$% USELESS TACTICS.SCORE 1 goal and back to­ defending.liverpool is always an attacking team.oh CMN­ LIVERPOOL THIS IS UR BESTCHANCE. DO SOMETHING BOUT IT ­ MAN U IS AT THE TOP NOW AND U HAVE TO VISIT THEM SOON.­ I DUN WAT MAY HAPPEN.U F CHELSEA COMING UP AND I HOPE U­ KICK THEIR @#$% OUT OF THE TITLE.
    LIVERPOOL 4 EVER­ .YOULL NEVER WALK ALONE.

    From Dhinesh_reds, on Wed 28 Jan 5:47AM

  16. he had poor games at spurs but now he is in the­ spotlight and there ain't no hide'n place big­ club, bigger than spurs but not bigger than utd

    From anthony h, on Tue 27 Jan 10:24PM

  17. liverpool dont play like liverpool anymore, theres no­ guts or passion.. only from gerrard and he's prolly­ goin away for at least 12 months, Rafa needs to go..­ the man knows nothing about attacking football, torres­ is a fat useless one hit wonder.. and keane is about as­ usful as a chocolate teapot...
    yet despite all of­ this.. i'll always love them.. but as a lifelong­ fan im losing my patience

    From SHANE G, on Tue 27 Jan 10:07PM

  18. the problem with keane is he doesn't finish off the­ easy chances... how many times has he been right in­ front of goal a cross comes to his feet and he scuffs­ it... score those and he's good.

    From Moagise, on Tue 27 Jan 10:03PM

  19. It's just as well we don't have Scott Carson­ anymore!!

    From Connie, on Tue 27 Jan 9:57PM

  20. Babel and Keane-nice forwards.. Babel wanna be a new­ Henry,why not..? He can play good in the fist 11 with­ Keane,Gerrard,Xabi and Masch support......

    From abdubambucha, on Tue 27 Jan 9:04PM
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