Why you write Spurs star off at your peril

Football FanCast guest columnist Paul Jeffers feels that you write off Robbie Keane at your peril.

The future of Robbie Keane at WHL has certainly been debated among the Spurs faithful in the past fortnight, with many now questioning Harry's decision to bring the Irishman back to the Lane. While I'll agree that Robbie has hardly set the world alight since he arrived back, I feel to write him off as damaged goods already is ridiculous quite frankly and totally unfair.

I know there are a lot of supporters who remain a little sore at the manner of his departure last summer, but isn't life too short to hold grudges. Let's not forget that this time last year he was a legend in our parts, after yet another excellent season alongside Dimitar Berbatov. Surely we would have been naive to think he could replicate that sort of form on his return, especially when he had to make do with partnering Darren Bent and Roman Pavlyuchenko, oppose to the Bulgarian.

Don't get me wrong I don't believe that Keane has been in good form since his return, and I feel that Harry did make an error of judgment in installing him as captain. There were certainly times towards the end of the season when Luka Modric was the one that had to make way, instead of Keane, which I know rubbed supporters up the wrong way and rightly so. Having the armband shouldn't make you immune from being substituted or dropped for that matter and I hope that Redknapp shares that view; however the very fact that Keane was out of form for the last few months of the season, shouldn't mask the reality that he is a superb footballer and the Spurs squad is much stronger for having him in it, than without. You write him off at your peril and I'm sure after a summer of reflection, he will return next season as the Keane of old.

The general argument for those against Keano is that he is pushing Luka out and in many ways they may be right, especially as Harry is actively seeking to bring in a natural left sided player into the club. Unfortunately Redknapp doesn't seem to fancy playing the Croat in the middle so it is a straight toss-up between the two to partner Defoe, or whichever striker is brought in, but why does this actually constitute as a bad thing. The problem with Spurs over the years is our failure to have decent competition for places, which more often than not has led to complacency. You only have to look at the performances of Lennon, since the arrival of David Bentley, to know what a difference it makes. The competition between Keane and Modric should be embraced and not seen as an unwelcome distraction.

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