Big TRon

We aren't special...yet it warrants an award winning national sports journalist devoting his main column for the third time in a week to tell us that.

It just seems laughable that Everton, Villa, Blackburn etc are being bigged up and their managers lauded, when in reality, they have achieved comparatively little yet.

We've read the articles, heard the views of the 'experts' and there seems to be a common view among the sceptics: 1) Keegan will run away 2) He's been out for too long 3) Keegan's a romantic twat. 4) Football has changed since Keegan's pomp 5) The top clubs are out of reach The first three, no one can say, it's a case of you either believe or don't. This idea that football has changed beyond recognition I don't buy though. The top 4 are over the horizon, it's true. After that though, the Villas, Evertons and don't look out of reach at all. Everton and Villa are functional effective teams well managed. But I don't see anything in their football which marks them out as unreachable. If anything Spurs look the team who have the players to really make a push for the top 4 despite how badly they've done this season. So for me, Keegan has every chance to be looking at top 6 next season. If he does that after all this time out of the game, shouldn't that be viewed as success seeing as how the same position would probably see Hughes, Moyes or O'Neill put forward for MBE's?

I'll be happy to stay away from the relegation dogfight tbh. We have some tough games and we are in yet another transitional phase with a change of style to acclimatise to. Next season Europe is realistic. The top four are out of reach for now, the rest can be easily over-hauled.

I disagree. hes the best weve got at playing the position Rozenhal played on Saturday. At CB id put Taylor and Cacapa ahead of him. I was impressed with Cacapa at the weekend. It looked like he was going to be a liability playing against physical centre forwards but he had Davies in his pocket all game. Cacapa has had some good games, some bad. Faye has looked rock solid in every game he's played IMO. He's done well in CM as well, but he looks like a defender first and foremost.

Neither are good enough, but I think there's more chance of Shola creating or scoring goals than Smith.

Not a bad shout, neither is Sol Campbell for the short term. I hope someone's made Keegan aware of Faye's capabilities, as I think he's the best central defender we've got. Whoever comes in should be alongside, not in place of Faye.

I take it they aren't going to be trophy signings any more then Like Keegan?

Keegan probably hasn't realised yet that Ameobi flatters to deceive. Remember Souness remarking how he destroyed defenders in practice matches? No doubt reality will dawn on Keegan as well if Shola figures in too many more matches.

You see what makes me annoyed is the drip-drip negativity aimed at this appointment. We shouldn't have gone back. The games moved on. Keegan will run away. Wev've won fuck all. Maybe it's all true but the thing is: what was so great about the alternatives? Alan Shearer might be good he might not. Mark Hughes' team are functional but they wouldn't deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as Keegan's previous team. The truth is with anyone else it would be a gamble and the list of big name failures over the last few years is testament to that. Given the funds and time at least we know Keegan will buid a decent team playing football the right way, and right now that's enough reason to be happy. If people outside of Newcastle don't agree, fine - take your opinion and fuck off thanks - and have a nice day.

He's right to a point there. A lot of overseas players prefer London in particular because it is more cosmopolitan. One of the added bonuses of having Keegan to an Allardyce or a Roeder though, is it makes us 150% more attractive. Keegan makes us big box office again and the players will come to be a part of it.

Winning trophies is all well and good, the situation Keegan has inherited though is a team struggling to avoid getting into a relegation scrap and playing football like condemned men. Let's start on getting back in Europe and watching a decent game first. There's only 4 clubs winning trophies at the moment anyway, the rest are just there to make the numbers up.

You're playing fast and loose with the word genius there like. Ruud Gullitt invented the term sexy football didn't he? Genius. Allardyce realised it was easy to watch the ball being launched into orbit if you were listening to the Bee Gees on your headset. Genius.

Something we should realise is that though winning a trophy is important, having a team to be proud of is no small thing. Too many of us got complacent last time he was here. When Keegan walked away from, lots of people were saying he was too naive, too tactically dense etc. Well we've had half a dozen tactical geniuses since and only Robson came anywhere close to the heights of the Keegan years. So yes, I'll take that entertainment.

I was going to mention that too. There was a bit of defiance and determination there beyond the words. Keegers looks like a man who wants to enjoy making a few people eat their words. Again.

He was quoted as saying Keegan would play kamikaze football. Well, it's not the best choice of words, but it's still preferable to the shite served up by Souness and Dalglish. How would he describe that? Shitting-your-pants football?

I never thought I'd be looking at Keegan managing like a cuddly old grandad, Robson style. He looks like he enjoys a dram as much as Cloughie. Find a picture of Alan Oliver if possible. Makes Keegan look like a fresh-faced urchin barely out of short pants tbh.

I was slightly worried for Kev, and how he'd handle this, but he stood up well. Yes he's a bit older looking but there is still that old drive and ambition to mix it with the best. He is still the Messiah and he looks like he can't wait to prove it.

Win something? Are you people mad? This is Newcastle led by Keegers - why would we want to do that? I voted to win nowt

Him and KK didn't really get on that well supposedly. excellent. [insert pic of Mr Burns here]

At the time I loved it. It looked to me like Keegan wanted to strap his boots on and get out there and win the title himself. It's generally seen as Keegan losing it, but I thought then and still to this day, that the players just lacked a bit of bottle when it came to the crunch.

Did anyone get a proper explanation for that madness? My theory is he was mad.

He's gone about it the wrong way then. Leaking private phone calls through Alan Oliver was hardly going to endear him to the new regime.

oh yes...he's back!