Welcome to Robbie Keane .com's Coventry match reports. Here you will find reports on games Robbie has scored in and here what people have to say about him.
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Spurs hung on for all three points after a spirited fightback by Coventry City at White Hart Lane. But after going three goals down Robbie Keane and Youssef Chippo threw them a lifeline and the Spurs fans were grateful for the final whistle. George Graham's side were in total command once Steffen Iversen had put them ahead after only seven minutes. Soon after the break the second came when Armstrong stabbed home and the game looked out of Coventry's reach when Leonhardsen cleverly slotted home two minutes later. However, the tide turned when Keane turned brilliantly and lofted the ball over Ian Walker. The Sky Blues then reduced the deficit further on 74 minutes when Moroccans Chippo and Hadji exchanged a one-two and Chippo's shot was easily put away. That left the fans with 16 agonising minutes to endure and despite a valiant effort, Coventry could not muster up an equaliser.

After two consecutive three goal defeats, Coventry manager Gordon Strachan dragged his players into a crisis meeting, telling them to fight for their pride to the end of the season. One note of consolation after a poor run is that Republic of Ireland striker Robbie Keane is finally back to the fitness and form that made him a Highfield Road hero earlier in the season after a series of niggling injuries. Keane was set free after a neat one-two with Noel Whelan and, although his shot was saved by Australian goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, the ball rebounded off the unfortunate chest of Paul Ince and - almost apologetically - flew into the back of the net. The young star finally got on the scoresheet, his first goal since February, on the hour. The transfer-listed Noel Whelan's cleverly weighted pass saw Keane streaking through the middle while Boro defenders stopped with their arms in the air a la Full Monty. The Irishman slotted the ball coolly to Schwarzer’s right.

BURROWS ON KEANE

Coventry City’s left back David Burrows, one of the most experienced players around the Premiership scene, believes striker Robbie Keane is the best player for his age he has ever seen. Keane has taken the Premiership by storm since Coventry paid out £6 million to buy the young Irishman from Wolverhampton Wanderers in August. "A wonderful investment by the club," declares Burrows. "Robbie is without doubt the best player of his age I have ever seen. I was at Liverpool with Robbie Fowler and good though he was, he was not in Keane’s class. He is already worth £2 to £3 million more in the transfer market, and if he keeps improving at the present rate he will prove to be a magnificent investment by this club." Keane was also watched by former Coventry City and Wales manager Bobby Gould at Highfield Road last weekend when the club beat Watford and he declared later than he thought Keane was better than Michael Owen. He scored eleven goals in each of his two seasons at Wolves, but already he has scored six goals in just ten Premiership matches for Coventry, as well as hitting the net for the Republic of Ireland in the Euro 2000 qualifiers.

ROBBIE TO PLAY IN FA CUP

Coventry striker Robbie Keane is hoping that lightening will strike twice next Saturday as the Sky Blues travel to Norwich in the FA Cup. It was at Carrow Road that Keane made his debut for Wolves two years ago. It was a debut to remember as he scored twice in a fine away win. He said: "I was 17 years old and making my debut so to score twice was an absolute dream and I do remember the goals very well."He added: "It would be great if I could do that again but the main thing is that Coventry go to Norwich, win the match and progress in the competition."

ROBBIE SCORES AGAINST WATFORD

Coventry City gave Watford a lesson in finishing that they would do well to heed, as the Sky Blues coasted to a 4-0 victory courtesy of strikes from Robbie Keane, Stephen Froggatt, Mustapha Hadji and a Gary McAllister penalty. Coventry broke the deadlock after 17 minutes. A corner from Mustapha Hadji was only half cleared and Froggatt headed on to Keane. The six million pound man volleyed it brilliantly first time past the despairing dive of Alec Chamberlain from 12 yards out. But in the 34th minute it was Keane's turn to set Froggatt up. He laid on a simple ball for the former Aston Villa player but he still had a lot to do He burst into the box, evading challenges before clipping a right foot shot over Alec Chamberlain.Coventry put any points out of reach of the visitors two minutes into the second-half with Mustapha Hadli's fine strike. Froggatt was again the creator with a cross into the box which was controlled by the Moroccan who struck it like lightening to hammer a rising shot past Chamberlain from a narrow angle. Coventry were now completely dominant, so it was hardly an eye-opener when Sky Blues skipper Gary McAllister added to Watford's misery from the penalty spot. A long clearance from Telfer was handled by Steve Palmer inside the area when under pressure from Keane, to leave the referee no option but to point to the penalty spot. Up stepped McAllister and he calmly sent Chamberlain the wrong way to put the Sky blues 4-0 in front.

STRACHAN HEAPS PRAISE ON KEANE

Coventry City manager Gordon Strachan has heaped praise on striker Robbie Keane after the £6 million man tormented lowly Watford. The 19-year-old’s 17th minute strike was his sixth for the club in ten Premiership games, but it was his all round game that has most impressed the City boss. Strachan described Keane’s precocious talent as "among the best in Europe" and is convinced that the player would be a hit in any team in the world. "I've wanted Robbie since I first watched him as a kid. I watched his progress with envy. I wanted someone with his ability, but didn't realise we had the money. "However, Keane is keeping his feet firmly on the ground and admits he is just grateful to Coventry for giving his a Premiership stage to showcase his talents. He said: "It is flattering to have Gordon say that but I am just happy to be in the Premiership. I have always believed in my own ability. I know that people said could I do it at a higher level but by the time I came here I had played for the Republic nine times against the likes of Argentina and I had done the business. I am always striving to be a better player and I believe that Gordon Strachan can help me achieve that aim." Gordon Strachan told the gathered media, and anyone else who cared to listen. "Robbie Keane is definitely one of the greatest talents in British football. He is better than I realised when I bought him and he can go right to the top. Every manager we play against says he would love to have him in his side. He is doing things not many British players are capable of doing. It might sound crazy to outsiders, but I say people should watch Coventry just to see Robbie play."

ROBBIE ON RICH VEIN OF FORM

Sharpshooter Robbie Keane is restored to Coventry’s team for the premiership match against West Ham United at Highfield Road. The Irishman has scored eight goals in nine games for club and country and Coventry will be hoping he can maintain his rich vein of form. Keane scored two goals in two matches for Wolverhampton Wanderers, two in two for the Republic of Ireland and has four in five games for Coventry.

ROBBIE WINS YOUNG PLAYER OF THE MONTH

Coventrys citys £6 million striker Robbie Keane has been awarded the Cisco young player of the month Following his £6 million move from Wolverhampton Wanderers to Coventry City, Robbie Keane has topped off an amazing August by winning the first Cisco Young Player of the Month Award. The award was voted for by newly appointed Newcastle United manager Bobby Robson and the current England, Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland national team coaches, and is presented to the player with the best performances over the month. The 19 year old Keane has responded to critics by scoring three times in two weeks for the Sky Blues and winning the Man of the Match award in this week's Republic of Ireland game against Yugoslavia. Chairman of the judges, Bobby Robson, yesterday appointed as the new Newcastle United manager, said: "Keane scored two goals on his debut for Coventry and then went up to Sunderland and scored there. It is a major leap from the Nationwide First Division to the Premiership but young Robbie seems to have handled it extremely well. There is no sign that he is in any way overawed and his approach has been very mature. He seems to be a level-headed lad and I cannot think of a more suitable nomination." Robbie Keane was a choice that Republic of Ireland boss, Mick McCarthy, was more than happy to endorse: "There is always a danger I might be accused of bias since Robbie is already a valued member of my squad. However, I would say that Robbie's form since he made his move up to the top division has been outstanding and I believe he is now playing at the level that suits his talents." Kevin Keegan described some of the goals Keane has scored in August as "breathtaking." He added: "I believe the choice was between Robbie and Emile Heskey but I think Robbie just shaded it because of the way he has handled his £6 million transfer. He has fitted into his new side almost instantly and has scored a couple of top-class goals." Others in the running for the Cisco Award included Michael Bridges and Harry Kewell. Such is the accolade for the 19 year-old Dubliner who has remained humble throughout the last month: "My confidence is sky high at the moment and there is a brilliant team spirit at Coventry which has helped me settle in. I feel very honoured." Robbie will receive a Stuart Crystal football on his return from international duty with the Republic of Ireland. The Young Player of the Month Award, sponsored by Cisco Systems, will be announced on Sky Sports' Soccer Saturday and will culminate at the end of the year in the Cisco Young Player of the Year Award. The awards are for all Premiership and Nationwide League footballers that are eligible for selection in their country's under 21 squad.

ROBBIE DELIGHTED TO BE AT COVENTRY

Robbie Keane is relishing the chance to play at the highest level, and has dismissed scepticism over his decision to move to Highfield Road. The talented Irishman has attracted interest from some of the country's top clubs, with many surprised that he has chosen to move to Coventry. But Keane insisted: "I'm delighted to be part of what's going on at Coventry City. There's a new stadium being built in two-and-a-half years time and that tells me Coventry are going places. This gives me the opportunity to prove myself in the Premier League, against teams like Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea. That's one thing I'm really looking forward to."

FERGUSION VALUES KEANE AT £500,000

Coventry City striker Robbie Keane today refused to be drawn into a war of words with Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson. Ferguson said in the summer that he would only pay around £500,000 for the 19-year-old who cost Coventry £6 million from Wolves last week. Keane made a mockery of that valuation by slamming two goals on his debut for the Sky Blues. But if Keane had revenge on his mind today, he wasn’t letting it show as he prepared for his second Highfield Road outing in four days. He said:"I have tried not to read the papers in the last year or so because of the speculation over my future. I respect Alex Ferguson for what he has achieved down the years and don’t want to comment on this business. It is every young player’s ambition to play against the likes of Manchester United and I am no different."

ROBBIE SCORES AGAINST SUNDERLAND

Coventry made their first visit to the Stadium of Light and will be happy with the result in one of the most intimidating atmospheres in Premier League football. A bright start by Coventry signalled the way much of the first half would go, as the Midlanders stroked the ball around with a confidence that belied their very average start to the season. Coventry continued their pressure and four times in the opening twenty minutes nearly picked their way through a Sunderland defence which was surprisingly reluctant to close down the Coventry midfield. This allowed Chippo and McAllister especially to dictate the play as they searched for a way to release Robbie Keane. The opening goal soon came as Robbie Keane rounded the keeper and scored from an acute angle to register his 5th goal of the season and 3rd for the Sky Blues. Sunderland came out in the second half looking much sharper, then in the 51st minute Steve Bould should have hit the target with a practically free header from 9 yards out. There was no breakthrough for Sunderland however and Coventry began to take the pace out of the game. This seemed to be working until in the 73rd minute out of nowhere Kevin Phillips volleyed home from 8 yards out to give him his 5th goal of the season, as Coventry failed to clear a cross and Phillips was left unmarked.

ROBBIE SCORES TWICE ON DEBUT

Few people doubted that Robbie Keane would survive in the big bad world of the Premiership - but Derby's defenders were left shell-shocked as the 19-year-old single-handedly won his side the game - and continued a worryingly poor start for the Rams. The two goals that Keane scored made the money that Coventry paid for the striker - around £5.5m - seem like a bargain. What was just as encouraging for smiling manager Gordon Strachan was the poise with which he took his goals. The Coventry manager purred after the game: "It's unfortunate he wasn't here at the start of the season because we've made a lot of chances and had no-one to finish them off. Robbie did very well today but that's why my chairman bought him. I knew his character was strong - I've been watching this player for two years and know what he's like. I also think that it lifted the players around him - they respected his work-rate and his attitude was spot-on". So was his finishing. Keane's first goal saw him embark on a Huckerby-esque voyage of dribble after Hadji's through-ball released him on the right. He taunted, teased and tantalised Jacob Laursen before taking the ball to the by-line and somehow squeezing the ball through Mart Poom's legs and inside the far post. Most un-Huckerby-esque! His only other chance came when his former Wolves team-mate Steve Froggatt sent him clear to round Poom clinically and seal Coventry's second successive home win. The final word belongs to Keane: "I have always dreamed of scoring in the Premiership but I can't really believe it. It was a great feeling. I am absolutely delighted - and for the team too. I got a great reception from the fans when I went off. Coventry are a good team and Gordon Strachan is a great manager. I am sure they will be up there in the middle of the table. I try not to think about the transfer fee - I am just going to concentrate on playing football."

STRACHAN SURPRISED TO GET KEANE

Coventry manager Gordon Strachan said he was surprised when his chairman Bryan Richardson telephoned him to say the target was Robbie Keane. "I had long admired Robbie as a player and was envious of my best pal Mark McGhee that he was playing for him at Wolves and not for me, but I did not think we had that kind of money in the coffers. I had been thinking along different lines in terms of who to bring into the club, but only because I thought Robbie Keane was out of our reach financially. I told the chairman that if the deal was going to adversely affect the club then not to do it, but he assured me it would be okay. Coventry City Football Club is the most important thing. It will be here long after we have gone and it is essential that its future is protected. It was a courageous move by the chairman to secure Robbie. I had gone home from the training camp with a mild illness when the chairman rang me to say he was on his way to talk to Wolves and I am sure that it was his boldness in driving to their chief executive John Richards’ doorstep which won the day." The £6 million deal went through in 48 hours and Keane now gets the chance to show what he can do at the top domestic level. Strachan confirmed he would ‘play a part’ against Derby County at Highfield Road which could mean that he will be on the substitutes’ bench, but the odds are that he will start the match.

ROBBIE TO MAKE DEBUT

Robbie Keane will, barring any late snags, make his Coventry City debut at Highfield Road against Derby on Saturday. The Wolves wonder kid agreed a five-year deal with the Sky Blues last night and should put pen to paper later today. The move, for an undisclosed fee believed to be around £6 million, is a massive coup for the Sky Blues and will silence critics who slammed their sale of Darren Huckerby for £5.5 million to Leeds last week. Keane has been heavily linked with moves to Aston Villa, Middlesbrough and Arsenal. Richardson described Keane as "one of the best young players anywhere in Great Britain," also he said "I am obviously delighted that we have managed to agree personal terms and we look forward to Robbie joining us. All being well he will be one of the great signings that has ever taken place. I have no doubts that he will prove a great favourite with the supporters and some people who never thought we could go for such a player. I hope it will raise eyebrows. People had their eyebrows raised when we sold Darren Huckerby but we had a strategy, which has come into place. Those people in the area who heavily criticised us for letting Darren go will be more than delighted that he have signed Robbie who we believe is a better all round player who will score us more goals."

ROBBIE SIGNS FOR COVENTRY

£6 million Robbie Keane finally signed on the dotted line for Coventry City tonight to complete Sky Blues’ biggest signing in their history. Coventry’s manager Gordon Strachan admitted at a media conference that he had followed Keane’s progress at Wolves with envy. "Mark McGhee is my best mate in football and used to go across to watch his team. Chris Turner, another good mate, was Robbie’s youth coach at Wolves, so I know all about him. I used to watch his progress with envy because I could not play him in my team. When the chairman telephoned me to say he was on the motorway on his way to make a big signing I must admit I didn’t realise there was so much money in the coffers. Speculation about Robbie had been going on for over a year and I was impressed with the way he handled it. There was a lot of pressure on the young man but during it he improved as a player. That showed me he is mentally strong. I see him either as a goal scorer or a goal creator. He can do either job. He is one of the best prospects in the game and it says a lot for Wolves youth system. They have brought him up the right way. A few people may scratch their heads and wonder why he has come to us. Well we are having a bash at it. People should say ‘good for them’. Some people talk ambition, but we set out to try and do it; action not words. Any transfer is a gamble. This is a courageous move by us. We watch players for a long time but we have done more homework on Robbie than anyone else." Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson had said that Keane was overpriced, but Strachan responded: "Time will tell, Robbie is self motivated and self-motivated players make my job easier. He know where he wants to go in life and I like that." Referring to the long drawn out attempts to sign him by Aston Villa Keane said: "I am glad it’s all over. I am pleased it’s settled because it has been going on for a long time. I did want to play in the Premiership with Wolves but it was not to be. But they are a big club and I am sure they will get there. Maybe the money they have got for me will enable them to do it. I had a long talk with Gordon Strachan before I signed and he told me about Coventry’s hopes and ambitions. He told me about the new stadium being built over the next two years and it is all very exciting. I wanted to be part of it. I also knew of Mr Strachan’s reputation for improving young players. He has played football at the very highest level and all that came into it. The size of the fee does not bother me. I just want to concentrate 100% on my football."

COVENTRY CLOSE IN ON ROBBIE

Coventry City are closing in on the biggest transfer deal in their history after agreeing a fee for Wolves wonder-kid Robbie Keane. The 19-year-old will now discuss personal terms with the Sky Blues and could sign tomorrow morning if negotiations run smoothly. The deal would be a huge coup for City chairman Bryan Richardson who has been desperately looking to bring new talent to the club after selling England B striker Darren Huckerby to Leeds United. Over the last 12 months the Sky Blues have sold around £20 million worth of talent sparking fears that the club may be heading for decline, but the move for Keane reinforces Richardson’s promise to re-invest transfer proceeds. Richardson today confirmed the Sky Blues interest saying: "We have agreed a fee with Wolverhampton Wanderers for Robbie Keane and we have also agreed transfer terms. We are now in negotiation with the player’s agent to discuss personal terms with a view to a permanent move to Highfield Road." Although City will not disclose the agreed fee, it would be a club transfer record shattering the £4 million paid for Mustapha Hadi a month ago as well as a record for a British teenager.