Rafa: "Keane incapable of scoring enough goals"

Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez explains Robbie-gate in The Independent. The Reds bought Keane at the start of this season for 20 million only to sell him back for 15.

"Could you see Keane scoring a lot of goals?" Benitez said. "We were talking about 'maybe, maybe'. You have to try to be objective. He was not playing at the level he can play at. We had a very good offer for a player who is 28 and wasn't playing at the level we were expecting so maybe it was good for him and us."

If Torres gets injured Dirk Kuyt will be the man up front for Rafa but he also wants to play Babel in this position.

"I have been really pleased with Ryan over the last two or three weeks, he is improving a lot for me," Benitez said.

Only time will tell if this was a good decision but during all this drama Liverpool and Chelsea's impotence to keep up with Man U during the winter period was pretty obvious. Although Man U have a pretty tough couple of games at the end of this campaign, they will probably have built up a sufficient gap to snatch another title. But back to Liverpool. Kuyt up front? I don't really know if he can even remember what it's like to play there. Babel sounds a lot better though, he's a player with some very specific skills you don't see with any other players. A player who's proven he can make the difference in big games and still a young and exciting prospect.


Read the full article here. (via The Independent)

Transfer News: Keane back to Spurs, Arshavin deal teetering on the brink

In one of the sadder bits of transfer business this season, one of my favorite players, Robbie Keane, is set to end his depressing spell at my favorite club, Liverpool. Reports say he is on his way to, or currently undergoing a medical in London with the intent of re-donning a white jersey. Good luck to you Robbie, wish it could have worked out better. In the meantime, we had better get Aaron Lennon in exchange, or I'm blowing my lid. EDIT: We didn't. Blowing my lid at the moment.


The completely baffling and superfluous Andrei Arshavin deal appears to be off, hopefully for the sake of my sanity with Arsenal coming to their collective wits and refusing to spend £15m on a player they absolutely do not need.

Same old 'Arry, always tapping-up opposition players

Joining your esteemed author in criticizing Rafael Benitez's current form, Harry Redknapp apparently couldn't resist a slice of his favorite pie: tapping up other teams' players in press conferences.

"The destabilising of Robbie Keane is bizarre. He has not performed as well as many expected - me included - but he is better than he is being treated.

"Many clubs would like to have a player of his ability. Keane is a strong personality and a popular player in the dressing room, so the management of the Irishman can only have a negative impact on the squad."

"Too bad about that Keane fellow right? Such a nice talent to be doing so badly. Of course I expected him to do great, since I
rate him so much as a player myself. Too bad he doesn't have a competent manager to coach him though. Almost makes you wish someone would come along and bid for him. Hell, maybe a club with a manager as good as me? He'd have to be on a massive spending spree though, wouldn't he! Oh well, next question."

You have to wonder about the man sometimes.