Keane Comes Armed With Grenades...
It is customary at this stage of pre-season to talk of Liverpool and jigsaws. As one wag in a Merseyside paper put it last season, Liverpool have found the last piece of the puzzle in Fernando Torres...and now all they have to do is find the rest of the pieces. In signing Robbie Keane, Benitez has secured a piece that could allow Torres build on his phenomenal first season - and in that, the signing may well be critical.
The Spanish goalador is sure to get much closer attention this season from Premier League opponents - but Keane's presence up front should ensure that a 'stop Torres, stop Liverpool' strategy does not become the simple mantra of Liverpool's opposition.
Bill Shankly once famously advised his number seven Kevin Keegan to just go out there and drop hand grenades all over the pitch. Rafa Benitez, as a student of the club's history, will likely offer similar advice to Keane. For the Liverpool supremo, the Irishman's 'game intelligence' was critical in his decision to bring him to Anfield and will be key in unshackling a more closely-policed Torres.
Keane's own reputation and consistent knack for goals will mean that he will be a danger in himself. And the Irishman should dovetail nicely with Torres if his productive partnership with Dimitar Berbatov is anything to go by. But even if Keane acts as more distraction than partner, then Liverpool should benefit. Dropping grenades, blowing holes in opponent defences - giving Torres space and time to exploit.
Keane's ability and flexibility mean that he can play as a front man (useful should Torres need a rest or be injured), as a second striker, or indeed on the right or left of a three behind Torres. Given how much Benitez likes to tinker, Keane is a dream. The Irishman is a punchier, more creative, and more compelling support player to the Spanish striker than Dirk Kuyt - and should allow Steven Gerrard to drop back into the centre of midfield or to the right side of a midfield four (as he has done with great effect in the past) should Liverpool go 4-4-2.
If 4-2-3-1 is the order of the day, then Keane and Gerrard will most likely be joined by Babel as the three behind Torres. A potentially devastating front four by any measure - considering that last season, they scored 88 goals between them.
The only danger for Liverpool in that formation - which Benitez seemed to favour in the back end of last season - is that they become congested in forward positions, as none of the four provide natural width. But as has been shown in the recent European Championships, the solution to the width problem lies in marauding, touchline-hugging full backs who create space for their forward players to exploit infield. So if Liverpool are to make a convincing challenge for the Premier League this season, then there is just as much of an onus on the new attacking full-backs Degen and Dossena to perform as there will be on the £20million Irishman.
Ultimately, the extra injection of quality that Keane provides should allow Liverpool to compete for the title this season. Should such a challenge materialise, then it is likely that Keane's massive transfer fee will be forgotten - much as Torres' was last season. Should Liverpool flop, then it will be as if one of Keane's grenades inadvertently rolled under Rafa Benitez's office chair and blew him out the door marked exit.
Paul Little
raf999 works for manCircle utd 
