On The Premiership / Andrew Fifield: Robbie Keane did not know whether to laugh or cry on Saturday. Tottenham had just maintained north London bragging rights with a spirited performance against Arsenal, their hard-earned point preserving their place in the Premiership's top three.

White Hart Lane shuddered with appreciative applause at the final whistle, but Keane was not smiling. After a few cursory hand-shakes and a brief wave to the crowd, he stomped down the tunnel, looking like he wanted to kick something. Tottenham's club cat - if they have one - would have been well-advised to avoid the team's post-match debriefing.

Keane has not been kicking much recently, least of all footballs. The reason for his grouchiness was not so much Tottenham's failure to cling on to their first-half lead, but the size of his own contribution. Keane played just eight minutes against Arsenal and hardly had a touch.

It is becoming a disconcertingly familiar feeling for the Republic of Ireland's record goalscorer. Eight of his nine Premiership appearances this season have been from the bench - an unpalatable statistic for a man who scored 22 goals for club and country last season - and he is beginning to lose patience.

Keane is a victim of Tottenham's success. Martin Jol has crafted a side of youthful vigour and no little skill in north-east London, albeit aided by the chairman Daniel Levy's novelty-sized chequebook. Tottenham have spent a staggering £61.8 million on players in the last two seasons - only Chelsea have splurged more - but Jol's transfer policy is far from scattergun. The Dutchman has carefully targeted young, mostly home-grown players and results have been startling. Michael Carrick and Jermaine Jenas have added guile in midfield; Michael Dawson is a calming presence at the back; Wayne Routledge and Aaron Lennon are the sort of wingers that have the Shelf reminiscing fondly about Terry Dyson, Chris Waddle and David Ginola.

Tottenham have got their buzz back, but that is scant consolation for Keane. Tottenham may be making their long-awaited tilt for a top four finish, but at present they are doing so without their Ireland international. Jol's preferred strike-force pairs the pint-sized Jermain Defoe, all twinkling toes and darting runs, with the burlier presence of the Egyptian Mido. It is a modern variation on the time-honoured little-and-large approach, but its success - Defoe and Mido have gelled well and scored six of Tottenham's 13 goals this season - has shunted Keane into the sidings.

Keane's plight has been worsened by his failure to capitalise on the rare opportunities he has been granted. He has started just two games this season, and Tottenham have failed to score in either. The first was a 0-0 draw at Blackburn. The second ended in a humiliating League Cup exit to League Two Grimsby in September. It was a result which brought a volcanic reaction from the usually philosophical Jol, and Keane has not started a match since.

It would not be fair to attribute Tottenham's failings to Keane alone. His eye for goal remains sharply in focus and even in this most frustrating of seasons, he has made some spectacular contributions, most notably his breathtaking equaliser at Aston Villa last month. But Keane is hamstrung by his inability to work effectively in a partnership. When he is paired with Defoe, Tottenham's lack of physical presence in the final third restricts them to short, predictable passes into feet.

When he is matched with Mido, the side suffers from a lack of pace and mobility. Tottenham's striking triumvirate has become a bad joke - have you heard the one about the Englishman, the Irishman and the Egyptian? - and Keane is the butt of it.

Jol's admiration for his forgotten man remains undimmed. Earlier this month, he was adamant that Keane was not for sale.

"I don't even want to think about other teams buying him," he said. "Robbie is a big part of our set-up. I've told him that we have to fight his situation together. If Robbie wants to play for us, he will."

But there's the rub. Keane could never be labelled a troublemaker, but even he has his limits. International strikers do not enjoy stewing on the sidelines, with only cameo appearances for nourishment, and there will come a point when he - or his agent - will decide that enough is enough.

There should be no shortage of suitors. Everton are long-term admirers of the Dubliner, and were pondering an offer in January before deciding instead to pursue Southampton's James Beattie. The Merseysiders' miserable start to the season could yet persuade David Moyes to re-evaluate when the transfer window swings open again in two months, although they could face competition from Celtic and Manchester City.

The new year cannot come soon enough for Keane, but until then he is kicking his heels and anything else that comes within range. That cat had better watch out.