Keegan is None the Wiser in Second Spell at St James’
The messiah’s return hasn’t gone completely to script, such was the hype on Tyneside surrounding King Kev’s second coming that you would have thought that anything was possible this season. An FA Cup win? No problem. Champions League qualification? Why not? Well after just 3 matches in charge, things aren’t looking so rosy for Special K’s Newcastle as reality has begun to finally set in. The boardroom appointment of Dennis Wise have revealed some of the cracks in the Geordie dream and what can only be perceived as a lack of faith in the talents of Kevin Keegan.
Many of Keegan’s former players predicted that the mere presence of King Kev at the club would have players flocking to Tyneside to play for him. Well reality has disproved that theory somewhat. Former Toon star Jonathan Woodgate rejected the overtures of his former club to sign for another underachieving team in Tottenham Hotspur. This is despite being offered more cash at Newcastle, has the silver-tongued Special K lost some of his persuasiveness after a 3-year absence from the game?
Despite being bankrolled by replica shirt filling owner Mike Ashley, the only other potential signings seem to be Brazilian centre-half Alvaro and youngster Giles Barnes. Hardly likely to have the fans salivating is it? Alvaro currently plays for the Spanish Derby County, Levante, rock bottom of La Liga already marooned by 8 points from the nearest side and with the worst defensive record in their League, he sounds exactly what the Magpies need! Whereas Barnes has hardly set the Premier League alight, scoring once in 18 appearances, he is hardly the new David Ginola.
In his first spell on Tyneside, Newcastle were able to splash the cash to bring in proven quality such as Ferdinand, Shearer, Ginola, Asprilla and Beardsley. They were one of a handful of clubs with the financial clout to compete with Manchester United. However, now the club has to compete with a higher number of financially strong clubs from Chelsea to the likes of Portsmouth thus limiting the class of players Keegan can attract to the North-East.
Even Mike Ashley seems to be unconvinced about handing over the full reins of power to Keegan in the same manner as Arsene Wenger at Arsenal and Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester Utd. His lack of belief has led to the shock appointments of Dennis Wise as Executive Director of football, Jeff Vetere as Technical Co-ordinator and Tony Jimenez as Vice President of player recruitment. Their roles within the club will blur the lines of responsibility for King Kev and for a man as highly strung and prone to quitting as Keegan is, this could be one more reason for him to get his much used resignation pen out.
The high scoring, gung ho attacking football produced by Kevin Keegan’s Newcastle side in the 90s has yet to materialise so far in his 2nd spell in charge. In fact, after 3 matches the Magpies have yet to score, that’s right, the man who created a team dubbed ‘the entertainers’ in his first reign has not seen a goal yet in 4 hours and 30 minutes!
Within 3 games Keegan has seen his side drop a place in the League and ended the Toon’s faint hopes of silverware. Though to be fair, what’s another year when you have already waited 39 years for a major trophy?
Throughout his career as both player and manager, Keegan has seen football as a simple sport. He’s not a master tactician by any stretch of the imagination preferring to concentrate purely on the attacking side of the game, rarely, if ever changing his tactics and formations. The complications and politics involved in today’s high pressure, financial orientated modern game may well spell a quick end at St James’ for the simplistic ideals of the so-called Geordie messiah.
Keegan-mania is already starting to fade on Tyneside and soon the rose-tinted glasses worn by the Toon will unfortunately begin to be discarded. The once worshipped King Kev will be exposed as the serial quitter and managerial nearly man that everyone outside the North-East knows him to be. How long will it take for Special K to realise the game has moved on and the Newcastle job is just far too big a job for him?
Tags: Kevin Keegan, manager, Newcastle, Toon
January 31st, 2008 at 16:46
Can anyone do a photo of Keegan with glasses and put him next to Dennis Wise, am sure theres a comedy Keegan and Wise in Morecambe and Wise style joke in there.
And lets face it, the Geordies are a joke after all - well someone had to take Manchester City’s title.
February 1st, 2008 at 07:54
Every side in the Premiership, with perhaps the exception of Derby, have far more tactical nous than the equivalent sides had in the 90’s, and tactical skill is not one of Kind Kev’s strengths!
February 4th, 2008 at 15:48
the guy is so overrated, even Steve McClaren won silverware with Boro and was widely criticised, what has Keegan ever done?
February 5th, 2008 at 18:06
Why does everyone slate Keegan so? The fella is always positive, likes to play footy on the ground rather than launch it into the sky like Allardyce and cares passionately for the club. Do all this mercenary managers like Ramos, Eriksson feel the same, hell no. Lay off KK he has a job on his hands but he can do it!