Ashley demands showdown talks

[Guest alex]

Keegan primed for Ashley summit

 

Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan says he is looking forward to his meeting with owner Mike Ashley in London on Friday.

 

The pair's relationship is reported to have soured after Keegan claimed that Newcastle were unlikely to break into top four during his time in charge.

 

But Keegan said: "I am going to London on Friday to talk with Mike Ashley. That is a good thing and I will look forward to it.

 

"That's the only comment I am going to make on anything to do with that."

 

A pre-match press conference ahead of Newcastle's Premier League match at Everton was brought forward 24 hours to pre-empt questions on the meeting.

 

"This is a pre-match conference for the game against Everton and that's all I'm going to talk about from now on," added the 57-year-old, who rejoined Newcastle four months ago.

 

"Any other questions, they'll save for another day and I will try on that day, whenever it is, to answer them as honestly as I can.

"I know people might be disappointed by me saying we might not win the league, but there would be a real danger of me being whipped off to the old nuthouse if I started saying that.

 

"There is a big gulf and it has been well documented, not just by myself but by many, many other people in the game whose opinions are respected."

 

Speculation continues over Keegan's future at St James' Park after the manager's comments following Newcastle's 2-0 defeat to Chelsea on Monday.

 

Keegan claimed the Premier League would continue to be dominated by Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool.

 

"Maybe the owner thinks we can bridge that gap - but we can't," said Keegan after the match.

 

"This league is in danger of becoming one of the most boring but great leagues in the world."

 

Keegan, who turned Newcastle into title contenders when he managed them from February 1992 until January 1997, has been promised funds to attract big-name signings in the summer.

 

But he has repeatedly indicated his dissatisfaction that striker Michael Owen has not been tied down to a new contract, while he has also sarcastically said his relationship with his billionaire owner was good because they never spoke.

 

 

Story from BBC SPORT:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport1/hi...rem/7390139.stm

Edited May 8, 2008 by alex

[Ketsbaia 0]

[Tom 13921]

Going about on another few forums it's a pretty clear sign that we live in a nation full of deluded lunatics.

 

They are talking of player revolts, Keegan being sacked and Mike Ashley selling.

 

Get yer daily mail out!

[Tom 13921]

Like I said I don't read the Daily Mail - on the radio there's talk of open revolt among the players who don't have any faith in Keegan as a manager and a suggestion that no big signings can be made with him in place. Poyet is the brains of the outfit - I bet Keegan goes. There's no smoke without fire, even in the Daily Mail.

 

This has got to be the worst

[LeazesMag 0]

I wonder if this is Kev repeating his "It's not like it was in the brochure" tactic that he used to get Sir John Hall to open his wallet?

 

that thought has occured to me too

 

It showed someone who wasn't really much of a football man how it was done the last time and if it works again then fair enough

[LeazesMag 0]

How would Keegan be plastic? He has played for us and managed us twice and his dad was a Geordie.

 

I thought a ''Liverpool Fan'' would have known at least that much.

 

By the same means that you call me plastic even though I was born in Liverpool and my father is a scouser. I thought any rational minded person would see that.

 

Was Ruud Ghuillit a geordie too or Fat Sam or Souness?

 

Have you played for Liverpool and Managed them twice?

 

Not yet. But I`d love to. How was your reign at Newcastle?

 

P.S. Keep going...............this is so amusing, I`ve never come across such a flawed argument as your`s. Brilliant.

 

You so don't get it and you never will.

 

You don't know what your missing mate. I pity the fool...

 

I pity him too.......................but there are so many to choose from.......

 

 

You are a sad story mate.

 

 

Seen a lot worse today mate. I`m lucky.

 

God you're the most boring wind up ever

[Noelie 103]

........................................They've totally misinterpreted Keegan's comments tbh ............................................

 

 

Then perhaps I did too but I don't think so.

I have always had the greatest of admiration for Keegan and still do and am grateful he is back with us but what I listened to were comments I did not want to hear even if for the most part they are true.

His comments were quite unlike his usual up-beat orations, in fact they had a negativeness to them that I would have rather not heard.

He did not sound like the Kevin we have always known, and I frankly can't relate in a positive way to what he said.

Even if you know you are light-years away from the top, the top has to be in your sights today and everyday from this day forward.

To be a Newcastle supporter you have to be the eternal optomist, and I am. We will be in the top 4 next season, if not the season after, if not then ...............................

[acrossthepond 749]

Like I said I don't read the Daily Mail - on the radio there's talk of open revolt among the players who don't have any faith in Keegan as a manager and a suggestion that no big signings can be made with him in place. Poyet is the brains of the outfit - I bet Keegan goes. There's no smoke without fire, even in the Daily Mail.

 

This has got to be the worst

 

Those UFO-watch frequencies don't count as "on the radio."

 

As much chance of Keegan going as there is of War of the Worlds in Trafalgar Square tomorrow. You can bet your bottom (pound) that the Daily Mail have their telescope out tonight though, waiting for the mothership to land.

[ewerk 27248]

Like I said I don't read the Daily Mail - on the radio there's talk of open revolt among the players who don't have any faith in Keegan as a manager and a suggestion that no big signings can be made with him in place. Poyet is the brains of the outfit - I bet Keegan goes. There's no smoke without fire, even in the Daily Mail.

 

This has got to be the worst

 

Aye, tbf I think he is overstating Poyet's impact at the club.

[Jimbo 133]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/e...rem/7390139.stm

 

Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan says he is looking forward to his meeting with owner Mike Ashley in London on Friday.

 

The pair's relationship is reported to have soured after Keegan claimed that Newcastle were unlikely to break into top four during his time in charge.

 

But Keegan said: "I am going to London on Friday to talk with Mike Ashley. That is a good thing and I will look forward to it.

 

"That's the only comment I am going to make on anything to do with that."

 

A pre-match press conference ahead of Newcastle's Premier League match at Everton was brought forward 24 hours to pre-empt questions on the meeting.

 

"This is a pre-match conference for the game against Everton and that's all I'm going to talk about from now on," added the 57-year-old, who rejoined Newcastle four months ago.

 

 

Speculation continues over Keegan's future at St James' Park after the manager's comments following Newcastle's 2-0 defeat to Chelsea on Monday.

 

Keegan claimed the Premier League would continue to be dominated by Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool.

 

"Maybe the owner thinks we can bridge that gap - but we can't," said Keegan after the match.

 

"This league is in danger of becoming one of the most boring but great leagues in the world."

 

Keegan, who turned Newcastle into title contenders when he managed them from February 1992 until January 1997, has been promised funds to attract big-name signings in the summer.

 

But he has repeatedly indicated his dissatisfaction that striker Michael Owen has not been tied down to a new contract, while he has also sarcastically said his relationship with his billionaire owner was good because they never spoke.

 

 

Something that does piss me off about this is why the fuck is Keegan being summonsed to London by Ashley two days before a Premiership match? Surely it would be in the best interests of all if Ashley made his way up to Tyneside if he has issues?

 

I know a lot of it is press garbage, but I'm starting to feel a bit uneasy about the fact the club is increasingly seeming to be run from London rather than Newcastle...

 

 

From .com:

 

.....Keegan, Mort and Ashley are all on the invite list for tonight's charity dinner at SJP with Sir Bobby Robson.

[luckyluke 1]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/e...rem/7390139.stm

 

Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan says he is looking forward to his meeting with owner Mike Ashley in London on Friday.

 

The pair's relationship is reported to have soured after Keegan claimed that Newcastle were unlikely to break into top four during his time in charge.

 

But Keegan said: "I am going to London on Friday to talk with Mike Ashley. That is a good thing and I will look forward to it.

 

"That's the only comment I am going to make on anything to do with that."

 

A pre-match press conference ahead of Newcastle's Premier League match at Everton was brought forward 24 hours to pre-empt questions on the meeting.

 

"This is a pre-match conference for the game against Everton and that's all I'm going to talk about from now on," added the 57-year-old, who rejoined Newcastle four months ago.

 

 

Speculation continues over Keegan's future at St James' Park after the manager's comments following Newcastle's 2-0 defeat to Chelsea on Monday.

 

Keegan claimed the Premier League would continue to be dominated by Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool.

 

"Maybe the owner thinks we can bridge that gap - but we can't," said Keegan after the match.

 

"This league is in danger of becoming one of the most boring but great leagues in the world."

 

Keegan, who turned Newcastle into title contenders when he managed them from February 1992 until January 1997, has been promised funds to attract big-name signings in the summer.

 

But he has repeatedly indicated his dissatisfaction that striker Michael Owen has not been tied down to a new contract, while he has also sarcastically said his relationship with his billionaire owner was good because they never spoke.

 

 

Something that does piss me off about this is why the fuck is Keegan being summonsed to London by Ashley two days before a Premiership match? Surely it would be in the best interests of all if Ashley made his way up to Tyneside if he has issues?

 

I know a lot of it is press garbage, but I'm starting to feel a bit uneasy about the fact the club is increasingly seeming to be run from London rather than Newcastle...

 

Maybe he was invited down to London? "come down for a chat Kev then we can go out for lunch/dinner/on the London eye". Too many moaners and worryers at the moment about our club set up, as long as Ash splashes the cash this summer then I'll be happy.

[Sima 0]

Plenty of people outmonging Torres on this thread I see....

[Tom 13921]

Yeh man, good effort.

 

And all in one post!

[@yourservice 67]

It's in here somewhere

[I R Toon Fan 0]

Just a hugely over publicized board meeting. Bet they even shared a cab at the end. Or a helicopter.

[Sima 0]

Yeh man, good effort.

 

And all in one post!

 

;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;)

[Happy Face 29]

It really isn't.

 

Keegan Knows if he had £500M at his disposal it wouldn't break Newcastle into the top four next year. That's all he's saying.

Well I think it is

Aye because we can't attract the quality of player.

 

What's the situation with you xbox atm it says mine should be back next week.

 

 

Exactly. It's like the soldiers arriving at the concentration camps, they wanted to feed the skeletal inmates up, fill their bellies so they'd feel better, but couldn't as their stomachs couldn't handle it. They had to be slowly weened from a few spoons of gruel, to soup, to porridge, to mash, to bread, to proper meat over time.

 

Just checked the xbox and apparently "Repair Status: Device Shipped to Customer"

 

I'm off to buy GTA4 at lunch time.

Nice analogy there btw.

 

 

Not quite as good as Keegans...

 

"Great challenges are there for us. But if you are a light welter-weight you don't say you are going to win the world heavyweight championship. We have to build our muscles up first."

 

But I think it's the same sentiment.

[luckyluke 1]

It really isn't.

 

Keegan Knows if he had £500M at his disposal it wouldn't break Newcastle into the top four next year. That's all he's saying.

Well I think it is

Aye because we can't attract the quality of player.

 

What's the situation with you xbox atm it says mine should be back next week.

 

 

Exactly. It's like the soldiers arriving at the concentration camps, they wanted to feed the skeletal inmates up, fill their bellies so they'd feel better, but couldn't as their stomachs couldn't handle it. They had to be slowly weened from a few spoons of gruel, to soup, to porridge, to mash, to bread, to proper meat over time.

 

Just checked the xbox and apparently "Repair Status: Device Shipped to Customer"

 

I'm off to buy GTA4 at lunch time.

Nice analogy there btw.

 

 

Not quite as good as Keegans...

 

"Great challenges are there for us. But if you are a light welter-weight you don't say you are going to win the world heavyweight championship. We have to build our muscles up first."

 

But I think it's the same sentiment.

 

Have you been watching Band of Brothers lately HF?

[Happy Face 29]

It really isn't.

 

Keegan Knows if he had £500M at his disposal it wouldn't break Newcastle into the top four next year. That's all he's saying.

Well I think it is

Aye because we can't attract the quality of player.

 

What's the situation with you xbox atm it says mine should be back next week.

 

 

Exactly. It's like the soldiers arriving at the concentration camps, they wanted to feed the skeletal inmates up, fill their bellies so they'd feel better, but couldn't as their stomachs couldn't handle it. They had to be slowly weened from a few spoons of gruel, to soup, to porridge, to mash, to bread, to proper meat over time.

 

Just checked the xbox and apparently "Repair Status: Device Shipped to Customer"

 

I'm off to buy GTA4 at lunch time.

Nice analogy there btw.

 

 

Not quite as good as Keegans...

 

"Great challenges are there for us. But if you are a light welter-weight you don't say you are going to win the world heavyweight championship. We have to build our muscles up first."

 

But I think it's the same sentiment.

 

Have you been watching Band of Brothers lately HF?

 

Last year.

[Happy Face 29]

United boss given double mission

 

May 10 2008 by Alan Oliver, Evening Chronicle

 

KEVIN KEEGAN held his crunch meeting with the Newcastle United hierarchy – and immediately set his sights on sparing their blushes.

 

Keegan knows that defeat at the hands of Everton at Goodison Park tomorrow would leave United on 43 points which would equal their lowest tally in their 15 years in the Premier League.

 

And this will be the last thing owner Mike Ashley wants in his first season at St James’s Park.

 

However, one thing Ashley does want is for United’s wage bill to be looked at because this figure and the club’s turnover are getting too close together and he is putting the onus on his manager to reduce wages when weighing up his playing staff.

 

And the first casualties could be Michael Owen as his team of negotiators try to thrash out a new deal for the England striker who must fear that his current weekly wage packet of £102,000 will not be repeated, and United’s England Under-21 skipper Steven Taylor.

 

Taylor’s agent Leon Angel met club vice-president Tony Jimenez in London yesterday – after the latter attended the four-hour meeting with Keegan along with Ashley, chairman Chris Mort, director of football Dennis Wise and new vice- chairman Derek Llambias.

 

The Chronicle said on Thursday there would be no parting of the ways at St James’s Park and this has turned out to be the case.

 

And yesterday our information was that while Keegan would face some straight talking, it would all end in handshakes - and this is exactly what happened.

 

However, only one thing is certain at the moment and that is Keegan will receive tremendous backing from the travelling Toon Army at Goodison Park tomorrow and, being the professional he is, the manager quickly turned his attention to the final game of yet another amazing season for Newcastle.

 

Indeed, he told me today: “It is important for everybody that we go to Everton tomorrow and put in a good performance. I am going to put the strongest team out I possibly can because that’s my job.

 

“There might be a couple of youngsters on the bench, but we have still got a strong enough squad to go down there and give Everton a run for their money on their own patch.”

 

Everton only need to draw with United tomorrow to guarantee themselves UEFA Cup football next season and considering they have three straight victories over United at Goodison Park without conceding a goal, David Moyes and his side must be fancying their chances of a home win tomorrow.

 

But at least Tim Cahill, who always seems to do well against United, will join his fellow Aussie striker Mark Viduka on the sidelines tomorrow because of a knee injury, while the visitors will be happy that Everton’s Spanish midfielder Mikel Arteta will also be missing.

 

United themselves know that a draw will be enough to wrap up 12th place in the table, but they also know that even if they end the season in the same way they started it with an away victory, they will not go any higher.

 

United’s seven-match unbeaten run came to an end against Chelsea at St James’s Park on Monday, but in typical style Keegan believes there were plenty of positives for him.

 

He adds: “If we were to reverse the two halves against Chelsea then the fans would have gone away a lot happier.

 

“Don’t get me wrong we weren’t unhappy with the performance but we played well in the first half and then we really could not get into it in the second.

 

“But if we can put in 90 minutes tomorrow like the first 45 minutes against Chelsea, then we would fancy our chances of getting a good result at Everton and that’s our aim."

 

United have only won on the last day of the season on one occasion in the last six seasons.

 

That was two years ago when Titus Bramble got the only goal in the 1-0 victory over Chelsea at St James’s Park to take United into the Intertoto Cup and eventually into the UEFA Cup.

 

But nothing will beat the last game of the 1996-97 season – not even the 4-2 victory over Arsenal three years later.

 

For 11 years ago Kenny Dalglish’s United thrashed Nottingham Forest 5-0 – effectively with the departed Keegan’s team – in the final game of the season at St James’s Park to go on to a Champions League qualifier with Croatia Zagreb before that unforgettable night against Barcelona.

 

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/nufc/2008/0...72703-20890589/

[ewerk 27248]

One thing I don't like about Ashley was his insistence for Keegan to come to London for that meeting on Friday. Given that it has been confirmed that he and Mort were both in Newcastle on Friday evening and knowing that the media would pick up on their meeting it seems like a petty show of power to me to force Keegan to re-arrange things at his whim.

[Guest alex]

One thing I don't like about Ashley was his insistence for Keegan to come to London for that meeting on Friday. Given that it has been confirmed that he and Mort were both in Newcastle on Friday evening and knowing that the media would pick up on their meeting it seems like a petty show of power to me to force Keegan to re-arrange things at his whim.

Sadly that worries me a little too. Especially given, as you say, they were travelling to Tyneside later that night anyway.

[Happy Face 29]

They met in the lawyers offices.

 

Blatantly had a room full of lawyers pointing out each subsection's minor footnote in the appendices of his contract that states he's in breach if he says a bad word about what's going on at the club or the people employed therein above his position and how he could be sacked without a payoff if he says another word.

 

If he's going to financially survive the failure of his soccer circus, he's got to tow the line.

 

[/Daily Mail theory]

Edited May 12, 2008 by Happy Face

[Park Life 71]

They met in the lawyers offices.

 

Blatantly had a room full of lawyers pointing out each subsection's minor footnote in the appendices of his contract that states he's in breach if he says a bad word about what's going on at the club or the people employed therein above his position and how he could be sacked without a payoff if he says another word.

 

If he's going to financially survive the failure of his soccer circus, he's got to tow the line.

 

[/Daily Mail theory]

 

They can't sack KK and they know it. It was poor making him travel down when there were easier alternatives. He's testing the reality behind how successful Ashley wants to be and he was encouraging a showdown of sorts (he wanted more communication imo). If they think they can control a man wth the charisma of kk they're seriously deluding themselves.

[Jusoda Kid 1]

They met in the lawyers offices.

 

Blatantly had a room full of lawyers pointing out each subsection's minor footnote in the appendices of his contract that states he's in breach if he says a bad word about what's going on at the club or the people employed therein above his position and how he could be sacked without a payoff if he says another word.

 

If he's going to financially survive the failure of his soccer circus, he's got to tow the line.

 

[/Daily Mail theory]

 

 

Has that failed like? Thought it was doing ok.