Michael Keane

[Escalator]

The thing that I always notice about Keane when he loses his head is that his positional sense just completely goes out the window. The basic positioning and covering space that you would expect an amateur CB to be capable of seems to disappear and he leaves massive holes in our backline. It's the kind of thing that results in the entire defence ending up out of shape, but often goes unnoticed to a degree as it's not a glaringly obvious mistake like losing the ball stupidly.

Having said that, he's been great for a while now and hopefully it will continue. He's a likeable person and I'm pleased for him. That doesn't mean that it makes keeping him the right thing to have done, as I think Ram said earlier in the thread we'd have been better off IMO getting in a proper RB and then we'd have JOB playing CB for example. It's not some big gotcha against anyone that thought we shouldn't have kept him that he's currently in the team and playing well, we've seen plenty of times that he can play well for a run of games so it's not something new.

Interestingly I remember one of the biggest arguments for keeping him was that as 4th choice CB he'd barely play, so actually what's happened is something different anyway. So again, makes some of the gotchas in this thread a little hollow.

I would agree that signing a proper RB and allowing JOB to play CB would have been the preffered option but in the event that we were unable to sign an RB for whatever reason would you not agree that it was the right thing to do in giving Keane a 1 year extension? I’m sure it wasn’t a case of “we don’t need an RB we can put JOB there and use Keane as second choice CB.

[TheRam]

It’s what happens when people spend pages trying to say “gotcha”

It’s four games, we’ve been put under little pressure but he’s done well, good for him.

It’s just like the dyche stuff last year. Literally the same people who now won’t have anything critical said about the fella meaning we’ll just go round and round in circles.

Still not good enough for me. Would have rather got a right back and have obrien playing centre half. I think we’d be in a much better position long term if this was happening.

Looking forward to Brathwaite going straight back into that team as he’s levels above Keane and just his presence in the team gets us on the front foot a lot more.

If Keane can continue to show he’s a reliable back up who can come in for a few games and play well then that’s a big improvement on what’s gone before and he’d probably be worth keeping.

Nothing more than that for me though. Tarkowski stays in when branthwaite is back and branthwaite obviously goes straight back into the team.

[Risky]

I would agree that signing a proper RB and allowing JOB to play CB would have been the preffered option but in the event that we were unable to sign an RB for whatever reason would you not agree that it was the right thing to do in giving Keane a 1 year extension? I’m sure it wasn’t a case of “we don’t need an RB we can put JOB there and use Keane as second choice CB.

I've no idea what the planning looked like. I'm just saying that IMO getting an RB and letting Keane go would have been an option I'd have been happy with, I'm not second guessing the myriad of things that could have happened instead of that.

[Escalator]

Don’t think anyone has said we wouldn’t have preferred to get an RB and played JOB at CB and I am confident that we were looking to sign an RB but for whatever reason we were unable to sign a RB so was a good job we gave Keane a 1 year contract.

[Risky]

Don’t think anyone has said we wouldn’t have preferred to get an RB and played JOB at CB and I am confident that we were looking to sign an RB but for whatever reason we were unable to sign a RB so was a good job we gave Keane a 1 year contract.

I'm really struggling with what you're arguing here tbh, I think it's established that we'd mostly all have wanted a RB and JOB covering at CB and we're all happy that Michael Keane is playing well in the event that those things didn't happen.

[Toddacelli]

I love Michael Keane and I wish him all the best things in life, including this run of form continuing.

My wishes rarely come true.

My experience has tempered my expectations like a beaten dog, to the point when his name is on the teamsheet I cower in the corner and piss on the carpet.

This is my opinion. Other opinions are available. One swallow does not make a summer.

[Matt1878]

Come on... this is a big nothing burger.

[Bluedylan1]

He's playing well. Long may it continue.

Can't blame anybody for letting his past meltdowns form the main basis of judgement for him. It would be weird to ignore them. Doesn't need to be a binary argument. He's playing well and he's let us down many times over the years. Both are true.

I definitely think you can see a marked difference with him under David Moyes (so far), as you can with a load of our players. I don't think it's a coincidence that a number of our players have grown in confidence, because Moyes has empowered them and supported them while the previous incumbent seemed to instil fear and doubt in a lot of players.

This is a huge reason for our uptick in form since Moyes arrived. Football isn't just stats and tactics. The human element is still a massive part of it.

[Bob Sacamano]

lol at this thread

[AndSeel]

Playing well, he is doing what is required of a 4th choice CB. SHould have scored yesterday but it is what it is.

[UnsyisaRhino]

It’s what happens when people spend pages trying to say “gotcha”

It’s four games, we’ve been put under little pressure but he’s done well, good for him.

It’s just like the dyche stuff last year. Literally the same people who now won’t have anything critical said about the fella meaning we’ll just go round and round in circles.

Still not good enough for me. Would have rather got a right back and have obrien playing centre half. I think we’d be in a much better position long term if this was happening.

Looking forward to Brathwaite going straight back into that team as he’s levels above Keane and just his presence in the team gets us on the front foot a lot more.

If Keane can continue to show he’s a reliable back up who can come in for a few games and play well then that’s a big improvement on what’s gone before and he’d probably be worth keeping.

Nothing more than that for me though. Tarkowski stays in when branthwaite is back and branthwaite obviously goes straight back into the team.

I mean to be fair to those people. It seems to be in response to people who are seeing a player they dislike in good form, and just can't help themselves from digging him out.

Some people cant forgive his previous poor form and think that's the real him, some think the dislike for him is exaggerated and he gets unfairly treated.

Those two groups will never, ever agree.

He's good enough to be 4th choice, but too expensive. He's only playing because of injury and a lack of right back options, but fortunately he's playing the best he has in years.

Hopefully that continues and we can move on from him when other fires have been put out.

[Toddacelli]

Thought Garner was your whipping boy ?

Thought this was the Keane thread?

[Cods]

He's playing well. Long may it continue.

Can't blame anybody for letting his past meltdowns form the main basis of judgement for him. It would be weird to ignore them. Doesn't need to be a binary argument. He's playing well and he's let us down many times over the years. Both are true.

I definitely think you can see a marked difference with him under David Moyes (so far), as you can with a load of our players. I don't think it's a coincidence that a number of our players have grown in confidence, because Moyes has empowered them and supported them while the previous incumbent seemed to instil fear and doubt in a lot of players.

This is a huge reason for our uptick in form since Moyes arrived. Football isn't just stats and tactics. The human element is still a massive part of it.

Has certainly been a noticeable change in what appears to be real, not confected positivity and confidence, some might be that we're no longer backs to the wall, but a lot down to Moyes. He's even implied Keane has received some additional support, which is great.

Think we sometimes forget it isn't Football Manager 'chess-pieces', and the mental component is definitely a huge part of performance. It certainly doesn't help our situation criticising players who might be struggling with it. They're human.

[NickNack]

It’s what happens when people spend pages trying to say “gotcha”

It’s four games, we’ve been put under little pressure but he’s done well, good for him.

It’s just like the dyche stuff last year. Literally the same people who now won’t have anything critical said about the fella meaning we’ll just go round and round in circles.

Still not good enough for me. Would have rather got a right back and have obrien playing centre half. I think we’d be in a much better position long term if this was happening.

Looking forward to Brathwaite going straight back into that team as he’s levels above Keane and just his presence in the team gets us on the front foot a lot more.

If Keane can continue to show he’s a reliable back up who can come in for a few games and play well then that’s a big improvement on what’s gone before and he’d probably be worth keeping.

Nothing more than that for me though. Tarkowski stays in when branthwaite is back and branthwaite obviously goes straight back into the team.

No “gotcha” here, but seeing as my post after Saturday seems to have started this last four pages

The part in bold above is pretty much it - We should have got a RB in and if we had Keane probably wouldn’t have played. The fact is we didn’t do that and decided to keep Keane as 4th choice - which is about his level, I certainly don’t think he should be starting every week when Branthwaite is fit. He probably wasn’t expected to play as much as he has so far, but has done well - hence my post and comment about keeping him as 4th choice being a good decision - in the circumstances.

He may well have one of his “moments” that he’s prone to having next week or the week after and the sooner Branthwaite is back the better but that doesn’t take away the fact that he’s played well so far and (I felt) deserves credit for that.

[Escalator]

I'm really struggling with what you're arguing here tbh, I think it's established that we'd mostly all have wanted a RB and JOB covering at CB and we're all happy that Michael Keane is playing well in the event that those things didn't happen.

That’s exactly what I mean