robbie keane

Robbie Keane: Spurs top scorer?

It can`t have not crossed your minds as least once, that if he played as many games as Peter Crouch, Robbie Keane would have been our leading Premiership scorer this season.

Now that isn`t to say Spurs are not 100% correct in wanting to move him on this summer or even last, in generally trying to improve our misfiring strike force, but such was the failings of Crouch and Defoe in particular, can we really imagine Robbie Keane doing worse in terms of scoring goals?

One goal (Arsenal in the Carling Cup) in thirteen total appearances perhaps weakens my argument, but how often was he played as an out and out striker, other than a late sub or in a deeper role behind the striker?

It has frustrated me hugely that Robbie has played so deep since his return from Liverpool and effectively played as a midfielder as opposed to being a threat in and around the box, as he is for Ireland. Is this the fault of the player or the manager? You decide, but was Harry asking him to drop deeper and get the ball because he knew he was no longer a threat in the opposing box or was it merely a player chasing the ball to impress and make a point?

Now I have to blame Harry to some degree, as he is the man to give the team orders. Was he already convinced that Robbie wasn`t up to the task at Premiership level after trying him higher up the pitch in pre season? Question is, would Robbie have nicked more that Crouch (4 in 34) or Defoe (4 in 22) this season?

Obviously we have to look at the playing style and who else is in the team, and if we play Rafael Van der Vaart, you cannot truly see him and Robbie being a partnership made in heaven, but even if he didn`t do better, would he have done worse if he was given strict orders to play the main striking role?

I won`t even ask this question over Roman Pavlyuchenko, as he scored as many Prem goals as Keane, Defoe and Crouch combined, so perhaps we should wonder why he wasn`t the first attacking name on the team sheet as well...