James Keatings

[Captain Trips]

Keatings was good yesterday what about the other matches he has played in. I have found that Keats, Holt etc when they are good they make a difference but in all honesty Keats and the rest have been sub par over the course thus far. 1 good game every 4/5 in this league IMO is unacceptable going forward.

I honestly would not be bothered with a totally different set of forwards next season bar JC. It will likely be one of these strikers whom scores the winner v Aberdeen.

[Malthibby]

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He scored a brilliant goal and put a superb ball in for the first goal but I thought he looked lively and threatening throughout.

He has failed so many times from the start of games it is hard to see him forcing his way in as a regular starter. But he could be a very handy impact player to have (if he was happy to be one).

If he can make an impact like that against Fslkirk then he can make it against half the teams in the Premier League.

Yup, I think he will do very well in the SPL.
GG

[hibsbollah]

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He really didn't do a lot apart from his goal.

Watch the highlights.

[BlackSheep]

I really am stumped as to why so many folk on here don't rate Keatings. As JCs understudy he doesn't get the regular run out that he needs to carve out the groove in which he does play consistently well. Until Shinnie was signed I had an inkling that keatings would have played behind the two main strikers in the formation that Lennon favoured at the start of the season. Had those tactics worked out then both Keatings and Holt would have received a lot less criticism this year but as we never had decent wing backs (Gray and Stevenson are better full backs than wing back imho), then we didn't get the correct amount of time to see how it worked... I feel Shinnie may also be a stronger player off the front two... he is certainly not a wide player. I think he intended tactic was for Holt to hold up for Keatings or knock on for cummings, or vice versa, but it didn't work out. During preseason this is where he played and he played well iirc for both the first team in preseason and the development team. Think he has been judged pretty harshly in the past month or so and I think he is a great squad player and should be kept regardless if we go up or not.

[Captain Trips]

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I really am stumped as to why so many folk on here don't rate Keatings. As JCs understudy he doesn't get the regular run out that he needs to carve out the groove in which he does play consistently well. Until Shinnie was signed I had an inkling that keatings would have played behind the two main strikers in the formation that Lennon favoured at the start of the season. Had those tactics worked out then both Keatings and Holt would have received a lot less criticism this year but as we never had decent wing backs (Gray and Stevenson are better full backs than wing back imho), then we didn't get the correct amount of time to see how it worked... I feel Shinnie may also be a stronger player off the front two... he is certainly not a wide player. I think he intended tactic was for Holt to hold up for Keatings or knock on for cummings, or vice versa, but it didn't work out. During preseason this is where he played and he played well iirc for both the first team in preseason and the development team. Think he has been judged pretty harshly in the past month or so and I think he is a great squad player and should be kept regardless if we go up or not.

Plenty of time to get into groove in this league. 5 goals is not good enough maybe for you not for me.

[jgl07]

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If we're relying on Keatings in the Premiership, our squad is not strong enough. There are a few players that fall into that category, mind you.

WE hear this crap constantly as if the Premiership were some sort of high standard league. It is not.

Take away Celtic and there is little to choose between them and the Championship.

Hibs are probably better placed in the Premiership than the Championship and this is reflected in Cup and League Cup performances over the last two or seasons.

One (uniucky) defeat to Ross County and wins against Aberdeen, Hearts (x2), St Johnstone, Dundee United (x2), Inverness.

The teams relegated in the last two seasons - St Mirren and Dundee United - haven't exactly covered themselves in glory at the (alleged) lower level. The play-offs ahev worked out differently as the system is rigged in favour of the Premiership team.

Keatings will cope fine in the Premiership.

[J-C]

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He really didn't do a lot apart from his goal, whipped in a couple of good free kicks and corners but we need this on a regular basis not every 5 games with the other 4 being rubbish, still too inconsistent for me and the reason he's played most of his career in this division.

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Watch the highlights.

It's amazing that by cutting a quote for your own gain, it makes it look different to what I said, I also added that he whipped in some good free kicks and corners.

Keatings was tidy enough yesterday but we need more than the odd showing every 5th or 6th game to move forward.

[BlackSheep]

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Plenty of time to get into groove in this league. 5 goals is not good enough maybe for you not for me.

How many starts in a row has he had his year? Certainly not enough to get a good run under his belt... just before his injury he was starting to gain momentum and had a few strong performances in a row... then he was out injured and since then Cummings has kept him oit of the starting line up.
Hardly a fair chance at judging his consistency!

[Captain Trips]

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How many starts in a row has he had his year? Certainly not enough to get a good run under his belt... just before his injury he was starting to gain momentum and had a few strong performances in a row... then he was out injured and since then Cummings has kept him oit of the starting line up.
Hardly a fair chance at judging his consistency!

It is for me had plenty of time and that goes for others. Massive let down upfront from him and the rest. Might do a turn might not but won't lose any sleep if all our forwards bar JC move on.

[scooby]

I really like Keatings and feel he'd do well for us in the SPL where we'll have more space.
I think he suffers from lack of confidence, but definitely has the ability.

[JDHibs]

My opinion hasnt changed.

Still isnt good enough for the top level. Saturday just showed he has got talent, but isnt anywhere near consistent enough.

All good being good with free kicks/corners, but quite a few games this season now hes offered nothing else.

[greenlex]

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My opinion hasnt changed.

Still isnt good enough for the top level. Saturday just showed he has got talent, but isnt anywhere near consistent enough.

All good being good with free kicks/corners, but quite a few games this season now hes offered nothing else.

Quite a few times he's been asked to play in a position he is.neither comfortable with or any good at. I think where he was on Saturday is his natural position and it showed defensive side apart. Easily good enough fir the top league IMO .

[HFCdeb]

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How many starts in a row has he had his year? Certainly not enough to get a good run under his belt... just before his injury he was starting to gain momentum and had a few strong performances in a row... then he was out injured and since then Cummings has kept him oit of the starting line up.
Hardly a fair chance at judging his consistency!

This is a fair point and definitely worth considering when commenting on Keatings this season because he really was coming on to a great game at the point he was injured at Dunfermline. He's capable of absolute magic but doesn't do it anywhere near enough. My personal view is that he won't cut it in the Premiership. His head goes down far too easily and that's what separates him from the likes of Boyle who is the most one dimensional player I've seen since Ivan Sproule but busts a gut every time he plays. I've come away from many games this season forgetting that Keatings was even on the pitch. He's been anonymous far too often. That said, there's still games to play and still time for him to make a solid case for himself.
Also, it depresses me that with all our so called "class" midfielders, that Keatings is the only one capable of taking consistently decent corners and free kicks. For most of this season, that has been his only redeeming attribute.

[lugz]

I really like Keatings, a very gifted player who yes can be inconsistent but definitely worth giving at least a year in the premiership. I think more open games will suit him rather than teams parking the bus.

He would be way down the list of players I'd be getting rid off this off-season. Players like Handling, Holt, Graham would be out the door before him, we can't leave too many holes to fill for next season.

[scooby]

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I really like Keatings, a very gifted player who yes can be inconsistent but definitely worth giving at least a year in the premiership. I think more open games will suit him rather than teams parking the bus.

He would be way down the list of players I'd be getting rid off this off-season. Players like Handling, Holt, Graham would be out the door before him, we can't leave too many holes to fill for next season.

Totally agree 👍

[Brightside]

Almost every player in the team has shown themselves to be very poor on occasion. We'll have no one left if we let them all go.

[IWasThere2016]

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I really like Keatings, a very gifted player who yes can be inconsistent but definitely worth giving at least a year in the premiership. I think more open games will suit him rather than teams parking the bus.

He would be way down the list of players I'd be getting rid off this off-season. Players like Handling, Holt, Graham would be out the door before him, we can't leave too many holes to fill for next season.

Summed up perfectly for me also.

[sleeping giant]

Loved the way he celebrated Sir Davids goal in the final .

He gets another year from me.

[Vault Boy]

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I really like Keatings, a very gifted player who yes can be inconsistent but definitely worth giving at least a year in the premiership. I think more open games will suit him rather than teams parking the bus.

He would be way down the list of players I'd be getting rid off this off-season. Players like Handling, Holt, Graham would be out the door before him, we can't leave too many holes to fill for next season.

Completely agree

[rcarter1]

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Loved the way he celebrated Sir Davids goal in the final .

He gets another year from me.

That celebration is worth a three year contract on its own.

Id like to see him in the SPL.

[SirDavidsNapper]

I think Keatings could be a real asset next season. He'll have a point to prove playing in the Premiership. I like him and he was probably our best player earlier in the season before his injury.

[cmcd]

How many of our players could have scored Keatings goal on Saturday . Lennon sees something in him and I will go with his decision rather than posters on here

[R'Albin]

I think he's played his best football for us out in left wing. It really gave him the chance to use his pace and defences struggled with him and Boyle running at them.

[Beefster]

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WE hear this crap constantly as if the Premiership were some sort of high standard league. It is not.

It's a higher standard than the Championship. A league in which Keatings has completely failed to become any more than a bit-part player.

Keatings may well go fine as a squad player but, as I said, if we're relying on him after promotion then something has gone wrong with the squad recruitment/retention.