Keane hits four in five-star show

Posted Saturday, September 26, 2009 by PA

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp saw Robbie Keane score four goals against Burnley but insisted no striker at White Hart Lane is guaranteed a starting place.

Redknapp had the option of keeping Peter Crouch in his starting XI after the England striker's midweek hat-trick against Preston in the Carling Cup - but his decision to partner Keane with Jermain Defoe was vindicated.

Keane scored the opener from the penalty spot and helped set up Jermaine Jenas' second, then he added three more strikes in the second half to make the final score 5-0.

Redknapp admitted he could still rotate his strikers against Bolton next time out.

"We go to Bolton next week," he said. "It's a different game there so we have to wait and see who are the best guys to go with.

"It was difficult leaving out Peter Crouch with his hat-trick the other day. But we started the season with Jermain Defoe and Robbie Keane and we got four wins.

"They started great together and their movement was fantastic against Burnley. With their big centre-halves I thought we would give them more problems than with a big man up there. That was a key factor.

"With Robbie in there playing clever passes and dropping into space, I thought we could open them up. Their centre-halves are straight up and down guys and I thought we could give them problems."

Redknapp appointed Keane skipper last season and has been impressed with the Republic of Ireland striker's contribution.

"Robbie is important, he's one of the few voices we have in the dressing room," Redknapp said. "He's a great player, has been for years, and he takes his chances so well.

"But it's great competition. I've never had more problems picking a team as the one I had - the guys up front, the goalkeeper, they were difficult decisions for me to make. Sometimes they come off, sometimes they don't and they came off for me."

Crouch was given his chance in the second half after Defoe suffered a finger injury.

"He dislocated it and they couldn't get it back in," Redknapp said.

Burnley have still not scored away from home in the Premier League this season.

Boss Owen Coyle said: "Keane's a world class player and his finishing was clinical. But we didn't deserve to lose by that scoreline.

"We have to defend better and we were punished, cruelly so.

"We have to be as clinical as Spurs were and we need to defend better - that's not necessarily being more nasty, but it's something we need to add to our game."