Robbie & I

It's been a tough six months for Robbie and I. Those heady days of summer when the world seemed so full of possibility feel like a long time ago now. We were on top of our game then or at least Robbie was at the top of his, I just happened to be doing a little better than I am now. We didn't think for a moment that things would be as barren as they have become. We had to leave our respective clubs this summer. Our relationships there had run their course and I think in the end all parties accepted that it was best that we seek a new challenge elsewhere. For Robbie that meant a big money move to Liverpool. Nothing quite as dramatic happened to me but we both had cause for optimism.

We'd proven ourselves consistently in successive seasons as good players and now with the chance to go and play alongside even better players, unqualified and unprecedented success seemed inevitable. It hasn't been working out that way for either us. The first couple of months were quiet but we didn't worry too much. Everything was new and it was bound to take time to adapt. In any case the team were doing well so people were willing to give us the time to settle.

Everyone knew the goals would come. I'm no Robbie Keane but I've proved myself a consistent twelve goals a season campaigner and I wasn't worried. Where I come from you're never far from a slump or a streak. My friends were delighted to have me back on board as well. It was just like a new signing they said.

The Kop were equally pleased with their man and rightly so. With Torres, Gerrard and now Robbie Keane banging in the goals, Anfield was certain to be a goalfest. Best of all we were both coming into our prime as players. We couldn't possibly fail.

In those first games, the chances failed to present themselves but that was no biggie. This was a bit of a surprise considering our previous all-conquering campaigns but it could be easily attributed to the new surroundings and the unfamiliar predicaments we found ourselves in. Robbie made the same runs and I used the same tireless lines which had always been so effective in the past but it was as though everyone was on a different wavelength and we were never where the action was.

The boys didn't mind. The extra man gave the squad a bit of depth plus our presence improved the quality of the team overall. Robbie was still able to hold up the ball and keep possession as Liverpool defended a lead. His vision and ability to find the man in space brought a consistency to Liverpool's performances even if they sometimes lacked the goals their dominance deserved. That's all well and good but it doesn't make headlines. You don't go home at the end of a night boasting about the intelligent conversation you made.

For my part, I was more charming and mature now than ever before and like Robbie I knew it was only a matter of time before I caught a break. The chances were bound to come to along and sure enough they did. It's just that we still came up short. They weren't easy but they were definitely good oppertunities. The kind of chances we used to lap in years gone by. Not anymore. The ball at your feet and you know the defender is closing in fast but for that split second you have a sight at goal. You take a deep breath, prepare to pull the trigger then for some reason you pause or hesitate and the chance is gone. Maybe you miss the chance completely and stand there in red faced embarrassment. You hear the crowd groan and it's as if everyone in the whole place is staring at you. Annoyed that you missed of course but more than that, it's the lingering disappointment at the feebleness of your efforts. Occasionally if you're lucky you manage to hold onto the ball and make a dignified exit. At best you might set up a friend for the easiest tap in of his life.

The worst thing about it was that the harder we tried the more difficult it became to score. As the months wore on and the goals dried up, we found it harder to relax and be ourselves in front of goal. The expectation became so great that all we could see were the consequences of our failure. The simplest of chances became massive undertaking full of untold dangers. The ball might bobble, the keeper is out too quick, the defender has it covered. There was always an excuse.

Robbie did score a couple but in meaningless matches. That's not what he came to Liverpool for. He came to compete with the big boys and have a say in the destination of trophies. It kept going from bad to worse for Robbie and it became the worst ever for me. Against Fulham, Liverpool couldn't break them down. It was a typically organised defensive performance from Roy Hodgson's men but the best chance of the game fell to Robbie. One on one with Mark Schwarzer, he could have scored in any number of different ways, the goal was gaping at his mercy but Robbie chose blast it into Mark Schwarzer's chest and the danger passed. It was on a plate for him and still he fluffed his lines. He could have been the hero in front of the Kop and further reinforced Liverpool's title credentials. Instead Rafa hauled him off.

I've had a few chances like that myself in recent times but the confidence just isn't there any more. At least we both gave it a shot to begin with. Now we just hide in behind the first defender or stand quietly in a corner for fear we might make a balls of it if we put it all on the line again. Rafa didn't help. He kept taking Robbie off after 60 minutes when everyone knows that the whole game opens up and all the action happens in the last half hour. That's the time to strike.

Giving strikers like Robbie Keane and myself chances too early in the game is no good either because we're not warmed up and we get caught cold. Unfortunately Robbie was too enthusiastic. He tried too hard to make an impression like a back heel from three yards when he should have just blazed the ball to the net. I got caught out like that myself a few times, trying to be too clever in front of goal. Football is a simple game and if you try to be flamboyant or extravagent about it you can end up looking stupid.

Rafa got sick of it. He could see there was no way Robbie was going to score. It was obvious from his body language. A real player exudes confidence whatever the circumstances. Almost without exception Robbie was called ashore in every game he started. I just went home early. It wasn't happening.

The lowpoint for both of us came last Saturday. Robbie was left on the bench for the whole ninety minutes against Blackburn. I just stayed in. What was the point? If any night over the last six months were any indication of the future, it was clear that nothing was going to happen. Maybe we should just give up being professional footballers altogether.

Rafa has the right idea though. It's all a matter of confidence. We're lacking it just now and Rafa has decided to take Robbie out of the firing line. Robbie stood there at Ewood Park on Saturday (from the outside looking in) and he saw the guys who were getting all the action. The likes of Kuyt, Ngog and Benayoun. Robbie knows he's capable of more than those guys are. He knows he should be the one leading the line for Liverpool but he needs to be given that perspective just now so he can come back stronger and with more belief in his ability.