Michael Keane

[Elliott]

He has been impressive every time he has played.. For the reserves, first team and now out on loan.

Indeed. The Keane bros are incredibly solid dudes, never seem to put a foot wrong. Like a couple of young Brandon Walshes.

 

[Widnes]

Had a quick look at Leicester forums and they seem to love him calling him future United and England CB and wanting him back next season if they are in the PL. Paul Konchesky also described him as one of the best he's seen in his age group. Promising that he is doing so well I actually thought he looked great in the league cup games he played especially since he never had a experienced player next to him.

 

[LawCharltonBest]

What is his injury record like? Will walk into our team if it's decent.

 

[Drainy]

Michael Keane has a great injury record, he was hardly injured at all from age 16-19 then he got an injury in November and missed 2 months.

 

[Rozay]

He'sa fantastic prospect and injury permitting, is a dead cert to make it here. Not as sure about his brother though, talented as he is, competition may just be too fierce up that end of the team.

 

[Swaters16]

He'sa fantastic prospect and injury permitting, is a dead cert to make it here. Not as sure about his brother though, talented as he is, competition may just be too fierce up that end of the team.

Agreed. A few seasons ago it looked like Will would make it for sure though, but now with RVP and Rooney as definite starters, Chicharito and Welbeck in the waiting and Henriquez out on loan, things don't look great for Will at United.

However Michael has been fantastic every time he has played and with Rio and Vidic getting older there is a clear opportunity for the first team.

 

[Decotron]

He'sa fantastic prospect and injury permitting, is a dead cert to make it here. Not as sure about his brother though, talented as he is, competition may just be too fierce up that end of the team.

Still think Will is the more gifted of the pair respectively. Michael has come on leaps and bounds though. Id still prefer Thorpes chances ahead of Keane long term...

 

[Drainy]

He's got a long way to go to catch Keane up now, both just turned 20 and Keane looks comfortable at every level he's played at and is getting chances ahead of Thorpe.

 

[Cevno]

Strange that Thorpe isn't being loaned out. Hasn't been loaned anywhere so far.

 

[Rozay]

He hasn't featured in the first-team either, although I think he's made the bench a couple of times. I doubt he'll go further than Keane.

 

[Cevno]

Keane is certainly ahead right now, but i wouldn't completely rule out Thorpe. He can play in midfield too.

Don't rate Wootton too highly though. Don't get what the management sees in him.

 

[Ole's_toe_poke]

Keane will have to become a versatile player if he wants to make it here. At the moment he plays RB and CB which is good. With the competition he's going to face from Evans, Jones and Smalling for CB its going to be difficult if he plays just one position.

 

[Widnes]

I thin Wooton has looked alright but think I am correct in thinking he is a couple years older than Keane, in the games I've seen them both play together I think Keane has looked the more talented.

 

[EDogen]

Great news, he is doing very well and will come back more of a man that a boy!

 

[Ivor Ballokov]

Keane will have to become a versatile player if he wants to make it here. At the moment he plays RB and CB which is good. With the competition he's going to face from Evans, Jones and Smalling for CB its going to be difficult if he plays just one position.

You only have to look at Welbeck to see that it's possible though.

What I like most about Keane at the moment is that you can almost see him learning the game. Some players in that age group are more talented but you can watch them all year and they're still at the same level whereas Keane seems to have improved a bit each time I watch him and with each new challenge, a bit like Cleverley a few years back. That's no guarantee that he will end up with a future here but he seems to have the right attitude and determination that will give him the best possible chance.

 

[lysglimt]

Shows what Ole knows! I remember an interview with him 3 years back or so. As I recall - Luke Giverin and Michael Keane hardly played a game for the U18's while for instance Will Keane was a star. And he said that they were too small and had to develop physically. And then he added something like: But they are both going to be brilliant footballers.

 

[gooDevil]

I thin Wooton has looked alright but think I am correct in thinking he is a couple years older than Keane, in the games I've seen them both play together I think Keane has looked the more talented.

Wootton is 21 years and 7 months old, 1 year and 7 months years older than Keane.

I would say Wootton is a bit further ahead of Keane, but Keane is the better talent for his age.

 

[Cevno]

Shows what Ole knows! I remember an interview with him 3 years back or so. As I recall - Luke Giverin and Michael Keane hardly played a game for the U18's while for instance Will Keane was a star. And he said that they were too small and had to develop physically. And then he added something like: But they are both going to be brilliant footballers.

Giverin is doing pretty well at Antwerp too, playing CM there.

Couple of videos of his goals on youtube along with a few interviews there.

Seems to have a good left foot. Wonder when he comes back will we play him at LB only.

 

[Elliott]

Keane will have to become a versatile player if he wants to make it here. At the moment he plays RB and CB which is good. With the competition he's going to face from Evans, Jones and Smalling for CB its going to be difficult if he plays just one position.

He's comfortable in midfield too. His versatility gives him a much better chance.

 

[Drainy]

Another very good performance from him.

He and Morgan were absolutely relentless in the air, gave Vaughan and Novak no chance in the opening half and caused Huddersfield to have to play a more passing game than they will have wanted to. Keane made a few clearances- both on the ground and in the air (one of which was a last ditch header to deflect the ball away for a corner), blocked a shot and managed to get his foot in to deflect the ball away from a player on the edge of the box.

He did get turned once or twice by Vaughan, on one occasion he took the yellow by dragging him to the ground- Keane does remind me of a young Jonny Evans in that his one real weakness is his pace/acceleration.

One thing I have to note is his composure and awareness, when he has the ball he can pick a pass- even under pressure and even his clearances had a hint of measure about them. I saw on the Leicester forum that someone said he wasn't as composed as he was used to, but he is either talking complete bollocks out of being butthurt about not winning or Keane plays like some kind of monk in their other games.

I think that Morgan looks a great partner for him, very athletic- maybe not an all round defender like Keane but great in the air, very quick and puts in decent tackles especially last ditch ones.

 

[Cevno]

Good to hear. Atleast one of the loanees did well yesterday.

 

[sparky]

I remember chatting to a mate last year, they were talking about Wooton saying they thought he would be good, but I said I thought Keane was the better player and I had high hopes for him. I hope he keeps progressing well.

 

[gooDevil]

Thanks for the update, Drainy!

 

[Cevno]

http://www.thisisleicestershire.co....ow-Leicester/story-17939967-detail/story.html

 

[Genius Me!]

He's definitely the best defender we've produced since Evans, can't wait to see more of this kid. A full season PL loan next year and he could be ready for a squad place the season after.

I used to think Will was going to be the twin to make it, I now think Michael has a stronger chance.

 

[Brightonian]

I used to think Will was going to be the twin to make it, I now think Michael has a stronger chance.

Hmmm. Hard to say how difficult it will be for Will to get back to his previous level after the injury. If he does, he's still comfortably ahead for me. Michael is great, and the best defender we've produced since Evans. But he's not as good as Evans was at the same age. Will on the other hand has been one of our best youth strikers for ages. Before his injury he was becoming absolutely unplayable for the ressies, often scoring braces or hat-tricks in two or three games in a row.

So whilst they might have evened up on career development thanks to the injury, I reckon on talent and potential Will still wins it.

 

[gza the genius]

Looking at the competition alone I would think Michael has a better chance.

 

[Brightonian]

Looking at the competition alone I would think Michael has a better chance.

Yup definitely. Plus we have no idea how Will will cope with such a long-term injury at the crucial stage of his career. Many superb youngsters just don't recover from such an untimely setback.

 

[mo0]

don't write Will off just yet. any injury at any stage is bad, but in today's medical world, ACL's (even for common folk) aren't what they were even 5 years ago.

fingers crossed and knock on wood.

 

[Swaters16]

don't write Will off just yet. any injury at any stage is bad, but in today's medical world, ACL's (even for common folk) aren't what they were even 5 years ago.

fingers crossed and knock on wood.

Yeah, an ACL is a terrible injury but these days most people come back just as good, depending on their mental state. Competition is going to be Will's enemy I would say, not his injury.

 

[lunchforthesky]

He'sa fantastic prospect and injury permitting, is a dead cert to make it here. Not as sure about his brother though, talented as he is, competition may just be too fierce up that end of the team.

He's a dead cert when he's playing 40 games a season and starting at centre back for England.

It's unbelievable how carried away some people get with our youngsters. So many things need to go your way to make it at a club as good as us, it's not just about talent.

 

[Cevno]

Yeah, an ACL is a terrible injury but these days most people come back just as good, depending on their mental state. Competition is going to be Will's enemy I would say, not his injury.

He lost a crucial year of his development to Injury though, and has to recover from that when he comes back. Petrucci lost 2 and hasn't recovered fully even yet.

He already had made his first team and PL debut, and was training with the first team and impressing by the reports that came out. Sir Alex also said that he was gonna be a part of the first team squad this season which would have been big, and perhaps he could have gotten a PL loan too.

 

[Swaters16]

He lost a crucial year of his development to Injury though, and has to recover from that when he comes back. Petrucci lost 2 and hasn't recovered fully even yet.

He already had made his first team and PL debut, and was training with the first team and impressing by the reports that came out. Sir Alex also said that he was gonna be a part of the first team squad this season which would have been big, and perhaps he could have gotten a PL loan too.

I know. Which makes it even worse. It puts him behind in his development, now Henriquez has been added to the squad as well. Before he got injured I was sure he would get chances, gain a lot of experience and get a few glimpses of first team action but now he's behind in his development with a huge amount of competition. A year to make up wouldn't be too bad if he wasn't already older than Henriquez with a 22 year old and a 25 year old already in front of him. Rooney and RVP are also going no where. Will is going to have to be exceptional to even have a chance.

Whereas Michael is playing regularly for a high flying championship club and has a pair of thirty year olds in front of him. Smalling, Jones and Evans can't play every game and we need at least 4 centre backs. Clear space for Michael.

Petrucci may never recover just because he was out for so long though as well. He had incredibly serious injuries and terrible luck. One ACL usually isn't a problem. If Will's knee doesn't heel and he ends up like Craig Gardner at Villa who has done 3 ACL's in his teens, then there's no recovering unfortunately.

 

[KM]

He's a dead cert when he's playing 40 games a season and starting at centre back for England.

It's unbelievable how carried away some people get with our youngsters. So many things need to go your way to make it at a club as good as us, it's not just about talent.

Well thank god that we've you for always over-criticizing our players and bringing the posters back to earth.

 

[Elliott]

Tbf, at this stage he's far from a dead cert. It's looking promising though.

As for Will; he's definitely the more naturally gifted twin and if he comes back unscathed he's got a good chance of fulfilling his vast potential and making it here, despite the competition. There are, however, loads of examples of athletes losing a bit of explosiveness after ACL tears and a yard of pace is probably the one thing Will didn't have to spare. We'll just have to wait and see.

 

[Jimy_Hills_Chin]

don't write Will off just yet. any injury at any stage is bad, but in today's medical world, ACL's (even for common folk) aren't what they were even 5 years ago.

fingers crossed and knock on wood.

You would have to be nuts to write him off.

Sure the injury has come at a really unfortunate time, as we hoped to see him making a similar impact to his brother at senior level at this point in time. He still has the talent and attitude to make it a Premier League level, and like you say, ACL injuries are very well dealt with these days.

 

[Genius Me!]

The difference between Will and Michael so far is that Michael has come and played in our first team and actually looked at home.

Will is a good striker, probably better to say a very good striker but unfortunately the only level he's been tested in is the reserves. Michael has now had the opportunity to go to a top championship team and is not looking out of place there either, in fact their fans are raving about him as future Manchester United and England starter.

As Cevno also said, in 2 years time Rio is likely to retire, Vidic will be older and unless we sign any other defenders we have Smalling, Evans and Jones which leaves a massive opportunity for Michael if he excels in a PL team next year. Hopefully if Leicester get promoted they will take him back for another year.

Will already has 2 world class strikers in front of him, 2 young very good strikers and now the added competition of Henriquez who is younger, already an international striker, been a first team player for his previous club and now having a PL loan. So that's 5 strikers at this point in time who are ahead of him. We've also got young Wilson who I think is very good and he's almost 3 years younger than him. Wilson has always played a couple years above his age group and I expect him to be an u21s regular next year.

Unless we really do start playing this 433 formation more often the route for Will to the first team is just so much more difficult as he's already got direct competition for the 5th striker role and in a year or 2 I can see Wilson sneaking into that bracket as well.

When you take into account his unfortunate injury, none of us know what level he will come back at.

He may or may not make it here, but right now taking everything into consideration I think Michael is looking the likelier twin to make it here, that's not to say Will cant either but I at the very least think Michael will get there first.

 

[IrishLegend]

The difference between Will and Michael so far is that Michael has come and played in our first team and actually looked at home.

I wouldn't agree with that in the slightest.

The Newcastle game he played in was very nervy and the Chelsea game has got to be the worst i've ever seen United defend.

 

[lysglimt]

I wouldn't agree with that in the slightest.

The Newcastle game he played in was very nervy and the Chelsea game has got to be the worst i've ever seen United defend.

That's harsh - United defended very well for almost 90 minutes and the collapse after that probably had more to do with fatigue than anything else. Besides Wootton was the one who really fell through at the end - not Keane

 

[Genius Me!]

I wouldn't agree with that in the slightest.

The Newcastle game he played in was very nervy and the Chelsea game has got to be the worst i've ever seen United defend.

That's fine but ill disagree with you, when Mr Wooton started fecking up Michael really started to take leadership and show what he was made of against Chelsea.

As for the Newcastle game, he played very well until Cisse came on and started giving him problems. But considering his lack of experience, I thought he did really well.

How high are your expectations for 19 year old defenders who have only previously had 20 minutes first team action before? Take into consideration that he didn't have an experienced player alongside him and yes I would say he played really well.

You say the Chelsea team is the worst you've seen united ever defend but he was alongside Wooton against a strong Chelsea side, not the strongest Chelsea side mind but strong nevertheless.