Bluebonic
Player Valuation: £35m
Sort of like Dennis Irwin at Man U was in that he is an 8 or a 9 every game. His consistency nowadays is remarkable
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Jimmy Grimble
Player Valuation: £20m
Waggy, gough, weir, jags, lescott, distin,
Now keane has that aura of dependability. The heir to the legacy.
Just needs a screamer vs the rs to cement his status a la jags.
Now keane has that aura of dependability. The heir to the legacy.
Just needs a screamer vs the rs to cement his status a la jags.
Bluebonic
Player Valuation: £35m
Weir in his prime was terrrific, even when he played for us, and was undoubtedly the slowest cab in the league, he never got skinned by many, because he always read his opponent so well.
Always seemed to have telescopic legs Davie Weir. He was absolutely brilliant at just sticking his leg out and intercepting a pass.
Saint Domingo
Player Valuation: £90m
I know we’re all being Uber positive these days, but for me all we have done is crate the conditions that suit Keane from his Burnley days e.g putting a very deep lying back 4 in place with fullbacks who don’t stray too far away. A top centreback that does not make though. A top CB like Jags Lescott Distin at their peak for us have pace power poise on the ball. Keane doesn’t have this which is why we are being forced into playing one way which covers up his and Mina’s deficiencies. It was two goals a game being conceded when we played with attacking fullbacks. Granted that isn’t all Keane’s fault and unlike many others in this team I think he is actually maximising what talents he has. Let’s not pretend he’s anywhere near some of the names being mentioned in this thread though.
Keane has been our best defender this season, it's not even a debate.
People have pre-determined opinions on Keane and he deserves far more credit. He's played every single game too.
That is the way I see it also. With Coleman and Digne being marauding full backs space was plentiful for the opposition. We are now a so called low block squeezing spaces and this suits Mina and Keane as they are less likely to be pulled out of natural position to cover the full backs. This is something for Carlo to reach a comprimise and maybe use our midfield as cover. Either way the coleman, digne way will create more goals yet concede more goals so we are between a rock and a hard place.
No doubt Keane has been our best player. He is on top form but he has been left exposed or pulled out of position due to marauding full backs. Not his fault and as an out and out CB cemented in his position he is excellent.
Saint Domingo
Player Valuation: £90m
Im not denying he’s been our best defender. I just think he isn’t in the top bracket. City aren’t going to come and drop 50 million on him like they did with Stones, or even the 26 they spent on Lescott to partner Kompany in a title winning team. We’re the best team Keane will play for now. Like I said, unlike some on this team I think he’s always given his best and made the most of his talent, he’s good in the air and he’s good positionally. You can’t invent pace though, you can’t invent a cultured left foot, you can’t invent vocal leadership. He doesn’t have these things. If we wanted to play a high line he’d be horribly exposed.
That's where Godfrey would come in and be a perfect partner for him
Real pace
Yep totally agree with that. I think people always made out like he was a lot worse than he was, similar to Iwobi now, and then they're astonished when it turns out they're actually perfectly competent players and so go overboard with their praise. Keane has been really good, he deserves recognition, but I'm with you that he's not right out of the top drawer.
Want to see more shots on goal from Michael Keane, that one against Arsenal was a cracking effort 
Barnfred 55
Player Valuation: £80m
We have 4 good centre backs at the club and all have different qualities. None of them are top class but two are still young enough to improve to that level.
The current system is sort of forced upon us by injury, but it works in games against top teams who have very quick forwards and like to control the football, and I have no issue in us playing it in those situations. But against the lesser teams that need breaking down, like I expect Sheffield United to be, we need full backs that threaten at the other end. That is why I hope Coleman and Nkounkou start that game, then revert to type for the City game. With 2 games in 3 days we need to rotate anyway.
Going forward I think that Carlo will favour a partnership of either Keane/Mina alongside Holgate/Godfrey and if we get Europe next season there should be enough football to keep everyone happy. But I would still expect to see the deep defensive unit against the very top teams like Liverpool and City.
So long as we don't ever go back to starting with a back 5 again.
andy4efc
Player Valuation: £60m
I actually think it's not so much the high line (obviously, to some degree this would mean he'd need pace around him). For me, as I've maintained since we signed him and from knowledge of Burnley through working there and from a mate in work who is a season ticket holder.. I appreciate you've said what im saying as well and im backing up but just as the main issue.
His issues come with us from having full backs who attack, who leave wide areas exposed and therefore Keane massively exposed. At Burnley, he had full backs who did not attack, or very rarely attacked. He was always protected at the side and was able to focus on using strength and size to get the better of his striker. He came to us, had Baines and Coleman who bombed on, suddenly being asked to defend very, very differently. Having a more defensive shape/structure to us has allowed him to blossom. CA came in, IMMEDIATELY saw that we were vulnerable at the back and stopped the full backs being so attacking. Immediately Keane looked a better footballer, now he's proven what he can do consistently.
In theory, a back three with Keane in the middle would be ideal for him, but doing a back 3 means you need many players able to paly the system which you never know until you try I guess. If we ever went back blind attacking football he would be shown up again.
Fair play to teh lad, taken a lot of stick, said he'd gotten therapy. His confidence is high, hes playing well, fans are backing him now, manager rates him. Long may it continue.
No, he has been excellent in all formations. The current one is not designed for him, it has been designed to cope with injuries.
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