Liverpool FC Forum

LFC2007 wrote:

bigmick wrote:I seem to remember a big "unproven" discussion about Keane LFC, which of course at the level he's now at, he is. Obviously we're all hoping he will now prove himself now he's here in spades, and I just wonder whether people consider we've actually had to pay a "proven" price as opposed to a "prospect" one. It's hard for instance to imagine him having a good eighteen months and someone offering us a profit on what we've paid, although in the present market you can never be certain of course.

Certainly when you look at the sort of fee Fulham are looking to pay for Andy Johnson, who while being IMHO a good player is not to be mentioned in the same breath as Keane, it puts the fee into sharper focus. Compared to that one we've got a bargain IMHO. Similary if we're doing comparisons, we've paid around twice as much as we got for Crouch. Given the fact that Crouch didn't play over much, it might also be considerd value in that context I suppose.

Anyway, I'm happy. I think he will be well and truly proven this time next year and he'll look cheap. He might just be that guy as well that when you're playing sh!t and drawing 1-1 away at Boltoin with five minutes left who can just find something. Very often that something is not a 25 yarder necessarily, it could be a corner won from harrying the full-back, or a free kick gained through persistance which results in a goal. He's a footballer who appears to love the game, who has that dynamic enthusiasm for it, that infectious up and at em spirit. I'm happy, and as we all know it's not often I say that these days   

Yes, he's proven to a certain extent, but until he's played - and given a fair enough crack at it - with us, I can't say he's proven at the top level. Just being there isn't enough. I don't think players like David Villa or Sergio Aguero would've been any more a gamble, or indeed 'prospects', although Aguero is fairly young he's already top class. Perhaps you could say they would've needed to get used to England and playing in England, but there's no reason why that should take a long time - as Torres has proven. Quality and a burning desire to succeed usually equal success. That is why - If we had the money, I've no doubt we'd have been going for Villa. I don't think Keane is on the same level as the aforementioned two, but he's about as good as you can get outside the top four. Suffice to say I think there is some value in the fact that; i) he's very experienced in the Premier League, ii) he's mates with a few of the team, and iii) he's known for having a great enthusiasm for the game. That definitely counts in my book.

oi manhattan we're not part of the british isles dont be getting us mixed up with that rabble up north