2020/21 Michael Keane

[TheBigIguana]

I’d play three if necessary....Holgate, Godfrey and Branthwaite. This season is a write off for many reasons, not least the fact that it’s not really a ‘proper’ season when we can’t be there. There’s some shocking teams in the league and relegation is very, very unlikely. Give the three young guns a decent crack at building an understanding and keep one of Keane and Mina and jettison the other. And going a step further, when Seamus sadly ceases to be a first 11choice I’d make Holgate the Captain....he seems the type who’ll give it heart and soul and leave everything on the pitch.

I don't think we'd concede less often with this backline and I'm not sure it would be a great strategy for developing any of them further either.

 

[Bullens Rd]

We should have sold him, let’s be honest.

It will be very hard for us to sell him. He's another who is here until the end of his contract, just like 99% of them, unfortunately.

 

[TheBigIguana]

It will be very hard for us to sell him. He's another who is here until the end of his contract, just like 99% of them, unfortunately.

There is no reason to sell him so there is also that.

I know Godfrey is new and that's exciting so people will want to give him the benefit of the doubt but there is no real evidence that he's better than Keane.

 

[Bullens Rd]

There is no reason to sell him so there is also that.

I know Godfrey is new and that's exciting so people will want to give him the benefit of the doubt but there is no real evidence that he's better than Keane.

Maybe, and I'm not saying this is deffo the case, but maybe carthorse Keane is the problem in our defence? When you have a problem you have to look at what things you're changing, what you're keeping the same and what the results are. Well he's playing in every game and we're conceding at least two every time.

I say get him and Pickford out and see what happens.

 

[TheBigIguana]

Maybe, and I'm not saying this is deffo the case, but maybe carthorse Keane is the problem in our defence? When you have a problem you have to look at what things you're changing, what you're keeping the same and what the results are. Well he's playing in every game and we're conceding at least two every time.

I say get him and Pickford out and see what happens.

We also conceded only 11 in the 9 games in that restart nonsense with him playing every game which isn't a half bad record. And that was done with no midfield to speak of. Which is still a bit of an issue now.

I think saying Keane is the problem because he's there and we concede goals isn't really logic as much as it is running out of ideas and trying anything to fix it.

I don't think he's really done anything wrong for any of the last 3 goals we've conceded.

 

[Bullens Rd]

We also conceded only 11 in the 9 games in that restart nonsense with him playing every game which isn't a half bad record. And that was done with no midfield to speak of. Which is still a bit of an issue now.

I think saying Keane is the problem because he's there and we concede goals isn't really logic as much as it is running out of ideas and trying anything to fix it.

I mean, he's not the main problem at all. Pickford needs ousting permanently first, and I am not sure whether Holgate is really a long-term option, he's deffo been way hyped up by our fans just because he looked slightly better than the other dross in that position. Godfrey clearly needs to be given plenty of time, and Mina I think will be the first CB out the door. Until the goalkeeper is sorted out we'll always have problems, yet with the style of football wanted by Carlo it's always going to be difficult for somebody as limited as Keane is with the ball at his feet. Anyway, for me, get rid of Mina ASAP, bring in as top quality a centre back as possible even if they're in their golden years like Thiago Silva at Chelsea, and phase Keane out by 2022.

 

[TheBigIguana]

I mean, he's not the main problem at all. Pickford needs ousting permanently first, and I am not sure whether Holgate is really a long-term option, he's deffo been way hyped up by our fans just because he looked slightly better than the other dross in that position. Godfrey clearly needs to be given plenty of time, and Mina I think will be the first CB out the door. Until the goalkeeper is sorted out we'll always have problems, yet with the style of football wanted by Carlo it's always going to be difficult for somebody as limited as Keane is with the ball at his feet. Anyway, for me, get rid of Mina ASAP, bring in as top quality a centre back as possible even if they're in their golden years like Thiago Silva at Chelsea, and phase Keane out by 2022.

Keane is more than good enough with the ball to play a passing style.

Signing Thiago Silva would not have fixed our issues. Our midfield does not adequately shield the backline, we get played through when we press too often, Digne for all his good qualities has defensive lapses still and we have no continuity at all in the backline. Add in the worst goalkeeper in the league and it really isn't a mystery why we concede goals. But Keane has been by and large a solid defender for us since Carlo took over and blaming it on your good defenders isn't how the problem gets fixed. You take out the bad parts first.

I think three things we can do this season could fix our defensive issues. The first is picking a formation and backline personnel and sticking with them so they can learn to play with each other. Obviously that needs injury luck to go your way but we really need to try and find continuity back there. The second is dropping Pickford so that we have something resembling competence in net. The third is having someone play as a true sitting midfielder in a way Allan and Doucoure do not so teams aren't able to get in the gaps so easily. We don't need to sell or buy anyone to improve these parts of it and I really do think we will concede a little less and win a little more doing these things.

 

[BarryThompson1]

An ok defender who has his moments but isn’t good enough or consistent enough to warrant a place at a club that should be doing better. There I said it.

Him and Holgate are the best defends at the club .

 

[GwladysBlue]

It will be very hard for us to sell him. He's another who is here until the end of his contract, just like 99% of them, unfortunately.

A contract we should not have extended.

 

[Papa Shango]

A contract we should not have extended.

He is an England international (for whatever that is worth) who we paid a lot of money for and plays every week.

There was no way on earth we were not going to extend his contract.

 

[Brendan Janus]

Yard Dog !! Barnes & Wood will sort him tomorrow !!

 

[Papa Shango]

Yard Dog !! Barnes & Wood will sort him tomorrow !!

He is like the opposite of a yard dog for me which is probably his biggest problem.

 

[Brendan Janus]

He is like the opposite of a yard dog for me which is probably his biggest problem.

Pedigree dog for you maybe !!

 

[Papa Shango]

Pedigree dog for you maybe !!

Ha possibly. For me a yard dog is your typical blood and thunder pub player. Will stick his head in anywhere, will hoof the ball upfield every chance he gets and couldn't trap a bag of cement. Keane is actually a fairly gifted footballer but I find him very weak for a centre back.

 

[GwladysBlue]

He is an England international (for whatever that is worth) who we paid a lot of money for and plays every week.

There was no way on earth we were not going to extend his contract.

We should have sold him in the summer.