Reinstating Kevin Keegan would be the ultimate cop-out

[Happy Face 29]

Memo to Chris Nathaniel and the Nigerian consortium who are thinking of buying Newcastle United: if you do, please think carefully before taking the ultimate lazy option and reinstating Kevin Keegan as manager.

 

That may be heresy to the legions of Geordies who worship the very ground that Keegan walks on, but if Newcastle are ever to be taken seriously by anyone beyond Tyneside (and I have begun to wonder whether they want to be), they need a new start.

 

If the latest Keegan experience has taught one thing, it is that they need a new Messiah, not to continue to wallow in the misconception that the 57-year-old owner of the Soccer Circus project near Glasgow is the man to lead them to any kind of future success.

 

I was staggered when Mike Ashley, having dispensed with Sam Allardyce in January, reinstated Keegan. I was even more staggered by the overwhelmingly positive reaction of Newcastle’s supporters to an appointment that was only ever going to end in tears.

 

But nothing could prepare me for the reaction to his departure three weeks ago and the subsequent demands by many Newcastle supporters for “King Kev” to be reinstated. And now it transpires that not one but both of the groups that have been linked with a take-over – Nathaniel’s Nigerian consortium and Zabeel Investments – are keen on reinstating Keegan. Erm, why?

 

Let us analyse Keegan’s predictably brief and predictably mediocre second spell in charge at St James Park . Played 21, won six, drawn six, lost nine.

 

It is the worst record of any Newcastle manager since Osvaldo Ardiles preceded Keegan’s first spell in the job in the early 1990s. It is worse than the record of the maligned Allardyce or Glenn Roeder. In fact, it is the second worst record of any Newcastle manager since the selection committee that presided over the most successful period in the club’s history (in the early 20th century) handed the reins to Andy Cunningham in 1930.

 

Apparently, this is because he was being undermined in the transfer market by Dennis Wise, Tony Jimenez, Derek Llambias and the rest of Mike Ashley’s bizarre collection of “experts”. Maybe he was. Maybe his judgement was not trusted. And maybe they were right not to back his judgement. Keegan, after all, spent part of the summer imploring them to break the bank to sign players such as David Beckham, Thierry Henry or Ronaldinho rather than supposed “unknowns” such as Fabricio Collocini and Jonas Guttierez, who have been among the few positives for Newcastle in the opening weeks of what is threatening to be a calamitous campaign.

 

Whether they realise it or not, Newcastle are in serious danger of getting relegated if they do not find a top-class manager with an understanding of modern football and a vision that goes beyond looking at the players who happened to be in the running for the Ballon D’Or four years ago. Who is that manager? It is hard to say. But reinstating Keegan would be the ultimate cop-out, a cynical publicity stunt designed to ingratiate themselves with the supporters. And maybe it would work a while. But if it is success that Newcastle are looking for, they would be well advised to look elsewhere.

 

http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/200...r-kay-rein.html

[Meenzer 14188]

No

[David Kelly 1117]

Typical bollocks. Use the 'stats' to come up with shite that makes no sense in reality and try to claim that he and all of his mates knew better to begin with than to bring Keegan back.

 

And it's also worth noting that this clown accidently comes up with one of the biggest counter arguments to his own point. He says that we need a top class manger to take us forward but then says he hasn't got clue who this would be. That is because there isn't a top class manager out there who would touch us at the moment unless we get new owners willing to spend £100m in the transfer window. We, the deluded masses up here, are fully aware of this point and so want the best for the club. And that is the man who got a team in serious danger of relegation because of the inadequacies of the last manger, half way up the league and playing good football again. A team which has since he left, shipped in five goals against two of the most mediocre teams you are ever likely to see.

[sammynb 2934]

More lazy half arsed journalism. Now we know why journalists aren't called reporters anymore!

 

Apparently, this is because he was being undermined in the transfer market by Dennis Wise, Tony Jimenez, Derek Llambias and the rest of Mike Ashley’s bizarre collection of “experts”. Maybe he was. Maybe his judgement was not trusted. And maybe they were right not to back his judgement. Keegan, after all, spent part of the summer imploring them to break the bank to sign players such as David Beckham, Thierry Henry or Ronaldinho rather than supposed “unknowns” such as Fabricio Collocini and Jonas Guttierez, who have been among the few positives for Newcastle in the opening weeks of what is threatening to be a calamitous campaign.

http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/200...r-kay-rein.html

 

Obviously Ashley's PR machine worked on one person!

[Happy Face 29]

Did you know that in his last 13 games at the club Keegan lost less games than any manager in our entire history?

 

Only in 23% of games did he fail to get anything from a game, and all of the opponents in those games were top 5 - Chelsea (H), Everton (A), Arsenal (A).

 

Stats, aren't they great?

[TheMoog 0]

It's this sort of shite that pisses me off to no end about the media, wank journo, wank story.

[Asprilla 96]

*wipes arse with article*

[NJS 4041]

Leaving aside the lies and distortions, I lean towards agreeing that a fresh start would be better with no baggage. However I think DK makes a good point about him being the best we could probaly get who actually would have backing.

[spongebob toonpants 3662]

Typical bollocks. Use the 'stats' to come up with shite that makes no sense in reality and try to claim that he and all of his mates knew better to begin with than to bring Keegan back.

 

And it's also worth noting that this clown accidently comes up with one of the biggest counter arguments to his own point. He says that we need a top class manger to take us forward but then says he hasn't got clue who this would be. That is because there isn't a top class manager out there who would touch us at the moment unless we get new owners willing to spend £100m in the transfer window. We, the deluded masses up here, are fully aware of this point and so want the best for the club. And that is the man who got a team in serious danger of relegation because of the inadequacies of the last manger, half way up the league and playing good football again. A team which has since he left, shipped in five goals against two of the most mediocre teams you are ever likely to see.

 

my thoughts exactly

[Snake 0]

Typical bollocks. Use the 'stats' to come up with shite that makes no sense in reality and try to claim that he and all of his mates knew better to begin with than to bring Keegan back.

 

And it's also worth noting that this clown accidently comes up with one of the biggest counter arguments to his own point. He says that we need a top class manger to take us forward but then says he hasn't got clue who this would be. That is because there isn't a top class manager out there who would touch us at the moment unless we get new owners willing to spend £100m in the transfer window. We, the deluded masses up here, are fully aware of this point and so want the best for the club. And that is the man who got a team in serious danger of relegation because of the inadequacies of the last manger, half way up the league and playing good football again. A team which has since he left, shipped in five goals against two of the most mediocre teams you are ever likely to see.

 

Agreed entirely and you just know what would happen if the club tried to appoint a 'top manager'. The 'Newcastle are deluded if they think ****** would manage them' headlines would no doubt follow

 

Is Keegan blameless in all this? Definitely not. Would I have him back right now? Too fucking right would I

[Fop 1]

Why do they write this shit without any research as all.

 

 

 

Yes looking at the raw stats Keegan's record isn't all that hot, but looking at who he played, looking at the injuries he had to deal with and looking at the mess and incredibly low morale he had to sort post-Allardyce it suddenly looks a LOT better.

 

 

 

I'm bemused by who these "pundits/fuckwits" seem to think would:

 

1. have come to NUFC

 

2. would have done a better job (considering all the negatives that had to be overcome).

 

 

 

 

Do they honestly think Mourinho (if he'd come, which of course he wouldn't) would have won more? I doubt it.

A manager like Fergy may well have won even less, as instant results are NOT his forte - as his own start a Man U clearly shows.

 

 

Or more succinctly:

[Asprilla 96]

Why do they write this shit without any research as all.

 

 

 

Yes looking at the raw stats Keegan's record isn't all that hot, but looking at who he played, looking at the injuries he had to deal with and looking at the mess and incredibly low morale he had to sort post-Allardyce it suddenly looks a LOT better.

 

 

 

I'm bemused by who these "pundits/fuckwits" seem to think would:

 

1. have come to NUFC

 

2. would have done a better job (considering all the negatives that had to be overcome).

 

 

 

 

Do they honestly think Mourinho (if he'd come, which of course he wouldn't) would have won more? I doubt it.

A manager like Fergy may well have won even less, as instant results are NOT his forte - as his own start a Man U clearly shows.

 

 

Or more succinctly:

Exactly.

 

 

Football management (like many other things) is so much easier from the confines of ones own deluded mind.

 

That's why I don't read this shit. These people make nothing, change nothing and achieve nothing. They merely comment. Whoopee do.

[acrossthepond 747]

I could've written this.

[ImpossiblyDaft 1]

I couldn't have. I have two brain cells you see.

[dcraggs 0]

Of course what the stats don't show is that it was actually worth paying to see a Newcastle team managed by KK (until the roots of the exciting team were pulled from under him - Selling of Milner being something that I think Ashley & Co should be brought up for!), compared to leaving the ground thinking OMG was that football we just watched under Sam..

[Kid Dynamite 6151]

You had to watch us week in week out under Allardyce to fully appreciate how big a job Keegan did in turning us around. Yeah it took him 6 or 7 games but thats practically a miracle when you look at how long it took the likes of Oneill and Moyes to get their teams playing decent football.

 

Id be happy to have him back to pick up where he left off

[Asprilla 96]

You had to watch us week in week out under Allardyce to fully appreciate how big a job Keegan did in turning us around. Yeah it took him 6 or 7 games but thats practically a miracle when you look at how long it took the likes of Oneill and Moyes to get their teams playing decent football.

 

Id be happy to have him back to pick up where he left off

This

[Dr Kenneth Noisewater 0]

Re-appointing him to the end of the season to guide us to safety would make perfect sense.

 

Depending on how things went after that a fresh start might be the best thing.

[Deano 0]

Re-appointing him to the end of the season to guide us to safety would make perfect sense.

 

Depending on how things went after that a fresh start might be the best thing.

 

Totally agree mate...

 

Sounds are that whatever consortiumtakes over, they are seriously looking at bringing KK back and id love Big Al to come in,in some capacity, both till end of season and then re-asess the situation.

 

Win Win imo

[The Fink! 0]

At the end of the day Keegan truely cares about this club (unlike messers Allardyce, Souness and Gullit) and even though he may not be the best tactically there is nobody that comes close to motivating players like Keegan. The article basically makes out that Keegans "second coming" turned out to be a terrible appointment but 97% of people know that statistics are made up.

 

Keegan is the only manager that the fans will ever be willing to give the time to turn the club around. If we appointed anyone but Keegan the majority of fans would be on their back if results didn't pick up after a handful of games but Keegan will be given the full support by the fans if he is reappointed and given the time he needs to turn the club around. Anyone else will just be hounded out like all the others...

[Hadrian 0]

keegan forced the situation that needed to happen , we would have probably had one of wiseys yes men in charge and be stuck with ashley still .

my only regret is keegan didnt just stay in the job and came out and publicly said he wasnt backed , they may have fired him for it , but that would have been better than walking out .

 

personally i want him back , was dreaming about the team he was going to build for us , and i dont buy this lampard and beckham BS .