ROBBIE KEANE'S COVENTRY
FACTS PLAYED
34 TIMES SCORED
12 GOALS
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ROBBIE KEANE'S COVENTRY
FACTS PLAYED
34 TIMES SCORED
12 GOALS
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 City
come face-to-face with former hero Robbie Keane tomorrow night, with Gordon
Strachan insisting the young striker will not be fazed by his brief an
unsuccessful stint in Italy. Back in the Premiership after less than six
months with Inter Milan, Keano is now grabbing the goals for Leeds United.
And Strachan knows his former charge will not have suffered a dip in confidence,
insisting the young striker was never given a fair chance at the San Siro.
“It won’t affect him at all. Whether you call him the best player
in the world or the worst player in the world, it never affects Robbie.
He never had the chance to be honest. With our kids here, I’ve always
said to the youth team coaches, you must at least give them the chance
to fail. That way they can at least go away and say, well I had the chance
to fail. You must give a kid the chance to fail and I don’t think
Robbie had the chance to fail. I know it’s an unusual comment, but
I think it’s right.” So how will Strachan look to counter the
Keane threat at Elland Road? “It’s not frightening, but we’re
more aware than anybody else of the talent he’s got and the more
we can keep the ball away from him, the better. Obviously we’ve got
a job when the ball goes to him, but I think if you can do your job right
and keep the ball away from him, that will give you less problems.” |
 Gordon
Strachan has failed in an audacious bid to bring Robbie Keane back to
Highfield Road. The Sky Blues boss tried to secure the services of last
season’s wonderkid on loan from Inter Milan. Reports that Keane is
unsettled at Inter have been flying around for weeks, and rumours suggested
that he would be joining David O’Leary’s team of young stars
at Leeds for the remainder of the season. But he said he was rebuffed
by the Italian giants, who told him that if Keane were to be loaned out
it would be to another Italian club. Keane, aged 20, has struggled to
get in the side since Marcello Lippi was replaced as Inter coach by Marco
Tardelli. He faces a lengthy queue to get in side, with top internationals
such as Hakan Sukar, Ivan Zamerano, Chirstian Vieri and Ronaldo ahead
of him in the pecking order when fit. Wolves boss Colin lee has also failed
to bring Keane back to England on loan, and reports linking the Irish
star with a move to Charlton have also been denied. |
 Coventry
chairman Bryan Richardson has spoken out against the rumours linking teenager
Robbie Keane with a move to Italian giants Inter Milan. The story began
earlier this week when an Inter spokesman was quoted as saying: "Coventry
have already agreed that if and when they choose to sell Keane they will
speak to us first. We don't yet know when that will be but we certainly
need to add another striker now. The club's president, Massimo Moratti,
watched tapes of Robbie Keane playing against Turkey in the first leg
of the Republic of Ireland's European play-off and the club started talking
about him from then." However, Richardson said angrily: "This
story is not true. We are trying to build a team, not dismember one, and
Robbie is a big part of our plans." |
 Coventry
youngster Robbie Keane has revealed that he is fairly pleased with the
Sky Blues' season although he accepts that with the players they have
at the club, they should have perhaps done a little better. The 19 year
old Irish international has taken the Premiership by storm this season
after his £6m move from Wolves in the summer and is on the shortlist
for the PFA Young Player of the Year which is to be announced on Sunday
evening. He said: "We have got so many good players here and I think
sometimes that is not noticed by other people. Although we have not had
great results recently you still have to consider this season a progression
because we are free from the worry of relegation early, and that is not
always the case. When I see the kind of players we have in our side it
makes me think we are capable of beating anybody and we just have to find
some consistency." |
 Coventry
striker Robbie Keane hopes that Saturday's goal against Middlesbrough
will lead to a prolific run during the last few weeks of the season. The
19 year old, who was making his first appearance for nearly a month because
of injury, scored his 12th goal of an impressive season against Bryan
Robson's side. He said: "I have just come back from injury after
being out for the best part of a month, so I think there is still a lot
more to come from me yet. I am still not 100 per cent match fit but I
am sure I am getting nearer to it an hopefully the goals will keep coming.
People have been calling us the entertainers and that wasn't really the
case against Middlesbrough but hopefully we can live up to that name again." |
 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. |