Michael Keane's role in the team

by Trevor Powell  |   21/02/2023  18 Comments  [Jump to last]

It is looking likely that Michael Keane may well leave the club with several Premier League suitors expressing an interest. He has fallen down the pecking order and, with Branthwaite impressing in the Dutch League, seems to be on his way out.

However, former manager Frank Lampard was quoted as saying he was the best finisher at the club. He has scored a fair few important goals in his time. Central defender Paul Warhurst of Sheffield Wednesday in the nineties got an England place as a converted striker!

Is he mobile enough to be a real threat up front? Maybe not… but, if he has an eye for a chance and a good finish rate, why not give him a go up front? He's got to be better than Maupay, plus he is a big lad if he's in your face!

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Laszlo Balazs
1 Posted 21/02/2023 at 13:01:41
Hmm, interesting idea and well worth a try at the very end of matches. Though, I'm quite impressed with Simms. Another young lad who should have a go in the first team is Francis Okoronkwo in my opinion.
Dave Abrahams
2 Posted 21/02/2023 at 14:31:31
That's not a bad idea to play Keane upfront in our present position but to say that he has scored a few important goals in his time is stretching it a bit too far he has scored nine goals in 162 games for the club I think seven were league goals.
Kieran Kinsella
3 Posted 21/02/2023 at 14:36:58
Trevor

I am guessing the reason we haven't seen this until now is because Frank and now Sean are more concerned with the overall play, positioning of the striker. Keane may be able to strike a ball well but is his positioning and movement as a striker any good? We know that Simms is a good finisher but that alone isn't enough.

Dupont Koo
4 Posted 21/02/2023 at 01:27:59
Despite good on the air, Keane's positioning has always left a lot to desire (and he never has any pace to burn, which doesn't help his recovery on counter attacks). Even worse, he is on the wrong side of 30s and is reportedly remain on an albatross contract for a little less than £90K/week with 2 more seasons (!) after this June.

There are better ways to utilise that financial resources.

To maximise the club's porous cash flow and to re-invest his salary for younger and better options either in the defence or other areas of the squad, it is with utmost importance that Thelwell is to get his contract off the books, even with a slightly deep discount on the Transfer Fee.

If Thelwell can get a bid during the summer with a single payment around £10 Million, I'll be more than happy to get an Uber ready for Keane.

Dennis Stevens
5 Posted 22/02/2023 at 18:47:46
Dave #2

Keane's scored 11 goals in 189 appearances, 9 were League goals from 162 League appearances. He's also scored 3 oggies – all in the League

Tony Abrahams
6 Posted 22/02/2023 at 18:56:03
Keane scored one of the most beautiful goals I've ever seen from a central defender at Goodison, against Crystal Palace, when Everton were looking dead and buried and on their way to the Championship. Surely that counts as a very, very, very important goal?
Dave Abrahams
7 Posted 22/02/2023 at 20:09:56
(5) Fair enough, all I could find when I looked his career appearances up were the 162 games, I assumed they were his total career appearance hence the 9goals I reported.

But he played another 27 games in various cup competitions and scored 2 goals in them, making it a goal every 17 matches minus the 3 own-goals plus the umpteen cock ups, a sending-off… being honest, he's been a fuckin' jinx!

Mind you, that goal he scored that Tony (6) mentioned is worth recalling although, looking at his record that must have been a fluke, so I'll leave him down as a jinx without the eff-word!!

Thanks for your post Thingy.

John Raftery
8 Posted 22/02/2023 at 21:58:40
We have had worse players than Keane in recent seasons but he has rarely lived up to his billing as a full international 㿊M centre-back. If however there is little or no interest from other clubs in paying a substantial fee for a player with two years left on his contract, what should the club do?

Are we comfortable letting Keane go for a small fee? Are we comfortable paying a similar fee, reportedly ١M, and comparable wages for Coady who is 30 years old on Saturday? The answer is probably ‘yes' on the basis that, notwithstanding his mistakes, Coady is a stronger character offering greater leadership on and off the field.

Dave Abrahams
9 Posted 22/02/2023 at 22:01:45
Dennis (5),

Thanks for your post about Michael Keane!!

David Bromwell
10 Posted 22/02/2023 at 22:22:47
Not sure about the criticisms of Michael Keane; trouble is, we have always played him as a left-sided centre-back to accommodate Mina or Holgate. On his weaker left foot, he is always going to be troubled, and it exaggerates his lack of pace.

However, I think playing where Coady is currently playing, he would be the more effective of the two. The good news is that Dyche will know him well; hopefully, this will mean whatever happens will be best for EFC and the player.

But, for the moment, there is a long list of other players who will hopefully leave before Michael Keane.

Don Alexander
11 Posted 22/02/2023 at 22:53:47
I'd like to see Keane emulate John Charles as centre-back to brilliant centre-forward but I suspect his striker gifts would put him on a par with Bernie Wright, at best.

Sell!

Jimmy Lee
12 Posted 24/02/2023 at 15:45:10
Sorry but I can't agree at all. Almost all of Keane's goals were from corners - as you would expect of a tall defender. The statistics alone impress but not in the context of open play at all.

This means I think the desire to move him to striker is a little misplaced, let alone the lack of pace, positioning, change of style of play for someone late in their career, etc.

Ray Jacques
13 Posted 01/03/2023 at 12:28:17
He should be chewing carrots on Blackpool beach.
Colin Glassar
14 Posted 01/03/2023 at 12:33:20
More like Bernie Winters, Don.
Ernie Baywood
15 Posted 01/03/2023 at 12:38:06
I doubt we're going to tailor tactics around Keane as a makeshift striker when we don't even tailor tactics around the actual striker we've bought for decent money.

I'm all for taking a chance as we've not got much left to lose, but I think it's probably a long shot.

Though he couldn't do much worse.

Trevor Powell
16 Posted 23/05/2023 at 17:04:27
Maupay or Keane up top. Maupay can not hit a barn door and cannot assist anyone else.

Look at Keane's touch to score v. Palace last season and then his great knock-down to open the defence for Mina to score via Iwobi.

Just saying… or should I get my coat?

Jay Harris
17 Posted 23/05/2023 at 17:27:13
First of all, Maupay should not be in the team if we have any ambition of scoring goals and staying up. He has a very weak shot, can't dribble, can't hold the ball up, is useless in the air, and is slower than a tortoise.

Ellis Simms scored a cracker against Chelsea but has been ignored since so our only other options are Gray or Keane assuming Doucouré, McNeil and Iwobi play in their normal positions.

We have scored a large proportion of our goals from set-pieces and few from open play so I would look to beef up the defence and midfield against a free-scoring Bournemouth and relay on breakaways and set-pieces.

It would be an option to play Keane up front given his heading ability and Pickford's penchant for kicking the ball long.

I look forward to another "Brightonesque performance" and 3 points.

COYB

Graham Hammond
18 Posted 23/05/2023 at 17:45:30
I had hoped that DCL would have been able to play on Sunday with only a mild hamstring (grade 1) strain, I thought that it may have allowed him to sprint at around 85% top speed but given the lack of credible options we have elsewhere that he was a risk worth taking and could take the discomfort on the chin just for the day or a part of it. Seemingly not going to be the case. I think we need to go with either Keane or Simms up top. I would like to give Ellis the nod over Michael, unfortunately, I see a player who does not work hard enough and lacks intensity which disappoints and frustrates me as I would like him to succeed. I am just not entirely convinced that Simms will be up for it given the lack of minutes given to him previously by Dyche. Demarai Gray playing centrally off Keane may just work.

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