Why the only man to blame for Robbie Keane's Liverpool nightmare is Rafa Benitez

Lifelong Liverpool fan Robbie Keane acclaimed his £20million move to Anfield in the summer as a dream, but it is on the verge of turning into a huge nightmare.

I was at Ewood Park to see former Tottenham captain Keane,28, controversially benched against Blackburn after just two Premier League goals this term.

And I hope the forward is only renting accommodation on Merseyside because he really could be off as soon as next month.

Demoting Keane to an unused sub was a sign to me the player is going to be let go soon either on loan or permanently.

Knowing how football politics work, leaving a big-name player out can often be done to alert other managers he is available.

But while Keane is clearly yet to convince many, including boss Rafa Benitez, I do have sympathy with the Republic of Ireland ace.

And I even think Benitez is letting Keane be a scapegoat for his own failings as manager.

In 1995 Liverpool bought me for a British transfer record of £8.5m from Nottingham Forest and then deployed me in a position I hadn't played before.

Roy Evans unfortunately used me as a support striker rather than a point man which was my forte.

I don't think Benitez thought through Keane's partnership with Fernando Torres in attack which is so different to the forward's previous rapport with Dimitar Berbatov at White Hart Lane.

And by the looks of things the duo cannot have worked together enough on the training ground. I am told Benitez only wanted Keane if they had Aston Villa's Gareth Barry to provide the ammunition from midfield.

But that move collapsed and now I think Benitez is using Keane's lack of goals to mask his decision to bring in a part of a jigsaw that maybe Liverpool didn't need.

Keane, for his age, was probably worth £12-15m so Liverpool paid over the odds and clearly don't know where to play him.

The blame has to lie with Benitez but with Liverpool top of the League, he will shrug off any flak.

And as a former Liverpool player I am hoping they win the title.

But at Ewood Park it was hard to determine the team struggling for survival such was the paucity of Liverpool's play.

And I fear for their hopes while they keep relying on late goals.

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