One year on since Keegan-gate but Newcastle United have only gone backwards
When Kevin Keegan walked out one year ago the solution seemed simple enough to his employers if they wanted to keep their supporters and customers happy.
However, that would have meant Mike Ashley or Derek Llambias actually listening to another point of view that did not match theirs.
Sadly, when KK called it quits it exposed for the first time the sheer lack of football knowledge possessed by the duo who have enjoyed a fair degree of success in their business lives - but so far not in football and certainly from a business aspect not in Newcastle upon Tyne.
Keegan simply could not work with Dennis Wise 12 months ago and it was obvious then and even more so now that giving him control on the transfers last summer would have saved Newcastle United.
Getting relegated with Keegan in charge still seems unthinkable.
Sending Wise on a global scouting sabbatical for a year would have been such an easy decision and judging by the little man's lack of love for the club, he probably wouldn't have complained.
Since the fateful day that Keegan walked out there has been one mistake after another from the current regime.
Not getting him back for a start in my opinion, putting the club up for sale when the going got tough, refusing to talk to the media and the fans on a regular basis (OK they did it once), bringing in Joe Kinnear, bringing in Alan Shearer too late, not keeping Shearer on, putting the club up for sale and this transfer window a sheer reluctance to spend money.
It was thought that the penny had dropped when with eight games to go Shearer was appointed and Wise walked the plank.
But in keeping with the crazy "off the cuff " running of the Magpies, the current mob reverted to their silent treatment and opted to muddle through with Chris Hughton in charge.
Despite this Hughton has guided the team to the top of league in the Championship.
Keeping Hughton in charge over Shearer was an easy decision with the mild mannered Londoner never likely to question the top brass.
Hughton is very much a continental style coach and will let politics surrounding the club simply unfold while he continues to coach the team under any circumstances.
And that system suits the current owner down to the ground - and saves his money.
None of that fits into the make-up of Newcastle United.
If they still exist, what's needed at this club is a charismatic manager with a superb knowledge of football and an appreciation for the area's passion and history.
That shouldn't be hard should it?
Well this club had THAT in their grasp twice with Keegan first and Shearer second, Big Al would probably still come back.
Many will undoubtedly attack Shearer for his lack of managerial experience and the fact that he was the unfortunate occupant of managerial musical chairs when Newcastle's farce of a season finally collapsed at Villa Park.
Newcastle may well be top of the table at the moment but in the words of Brian Clough who is to say they wouldn't be "winning it better" if Shearer was in charge.
And how long do you expect this paper thin and ill-prepared squad to stay at the top?
You could say that the reality of the Championship hasn't kicked in at Newcastle yet.
Most of the games have been at St James's with two of them won very narrowly and the small matter of just scraping past League One Huddersfield in the cup.
And with the next three games out of four away from home at Cardiff, Blackpool and Ipswich, there could be a more realistic feel to the second tier table.
Of course I hope I'm totally wrong and the side can stay here all season.
If that were to happen though it would only be so that somebody with the financial clout and the knowledge of running a football club sees Newcastle United as fantastic potential business.
Hopefully Newcastle's players can use it as a football SOS!
The fans will always back their team - that is a given - but not something that should be taken for granted the way it is now.
Certainly by the current owners and certainly by the man entrusted to sell the club in Keith Harris.
The investment banker, who also boasts a 100% failure record with his predictions of when the club will be sold, with a posh voice and fancy words, who supports Man United was in a bar in New York wacthing Man U v Arsenal at the weekend.
And that really sums up just where we are at the moment.
But don't panic too much, Mr Harris reckons we'll have a new owner "by Christmas".
Older/Newer
« Nolan bid is a Bolt from the blue | Who's our next messiah? Garth Crooks or Ricky Villa? »
11 Comments
Profile
Lee Ryder - Proudly born and bred on Tyneside, the Chronicle's chief sports writer has followed the fortunes of the club over the last three decades as a Toon fan and football writer.
Latest Premier League video
Email alerts
In association with
Follow my RSS feed
Follow me on
It really is time fans put the Keegan saga behind them, as for Shearer he was worse than Kinnear in the 8 games at the end of last season and for someone who was brought in to boost the squad he didn't do a very good job of it, tactically inept is what the chap next to me in SJP said and I could only agree.
All of the problems you highlight about why Shearer failed last season are still here yet Hughton has kept his dignity, he hasn't spat his dummy out like Keegan and has guided us to the top of the league.
If Ashley were to move Hughton on for Shearer and results were to change you would be moaning at him for that.
As the old saying goes 'if it's not broke then why fix it?'
Sorry Lee but I don't buy in to the "I know we're top of the league but we could be winning games by even more if Shearer was manager" opinion.
"If it's not broke then why fix it?" ... are you for real Matt?
Our club is more broken now than it has been at any point in our history. Half a dozen decent results on the bounce can't mask the facts: Ashley is an incompetent idiot and every charge Lee has levelled at him is correct; our squad is paper thin and we can't carry injuries to more than a couple of players without having to throw the kids on; and Hughton is a decent coach at Championship level, and a man with integrity it seems, but he is not a manager for our long-term.
Top of the league we may be. But top of the league we are very unlikely to stay. And we're on a downward spiral for as long as Ashley's at the helm. Which I expect will be a long time yet.
I agree that keegan leaving is like crying over spilled milk... theres nothing to be gained from it, so we should get over it.
He may have been able to save us, but then again, he didn't stick around long enough to prove it now did he? I give keegan a lot of credit for what he's done for NUFC, but walking out when he did, all respect I ever had for him was lost.
Shearer is a great motivational force, A fan favourite, the players like him, he gets them working well together, but his tactical knowledge on the sidelines is sorely lacking. This doesn't exactly translate into winning football games. That is what we are they are there to do.
As for the club, I see ashley pulling it off the market by month's end, because that little twit sees that we're top of the table, destined for promotion back to the premiership, and he sees more money coming back into his pocket if he just holds on. I'm starting to think we're becoming a victim of our own success.
Just my two cents.
Why wait till the last day of the window to do any deals? Have these fools not learned anything from the last few years? Surely it's not rocket science that the less time you have, the weaker position you are in negotiation-wise? Or could it be that Mike Ashley didn't want to get his hand down again? What a surprise.
i dont think we should worry about the yanks comments about keegan they know nothing about football anyway.having no respect for keegan just shows what a clueless moron you really are,i bet you didnt go to the games in the 90s and early 80s,you clueless plumb.
Clueless gits!
A few wins against unworthy enemies and you come screaming as if you killed the Queen herself. Shearer may well done badly with KINNEAR'S squad, but only eight games?
Did Keegan not waited 8 games for his first win himself? Where was he later, he was laughing and we were cheering, or did you forget?
ASHLEY OUT, O-U-T! Nothing but mistakes, that convinces me that he's nothing but a snorty taxman.
Ok...dude seriously...are you freaking kidding me? Finally theres a little good happening for the fans...our team is top of the league...we don't wanna hear you telling us that it probably won't last long because of our "paper thin" squad...you think we don't already know about our squad? Jesus christ man...us newcastle fans are grabbing onto anything good with the team atm...and since nothing good is happening in the board room, we instead look to the team and how its doing....and we're doing well...we're top of the league...whether it lasts 1 week, 1 month or 1 season...its something good for us to hold onto...so you coming along and putting a downer on things for us...(AGAIN...EVEN THOUGH WE KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE CLUB FOR GODS SAKE) is disgusting...you're not reporting what you should be reporting...you're just taking something that has already been written and re-writing it just with different words "newcastle don't have the players" "keith harris has been 100% wrong" "blah blah blah" "blah blah blah" do your damn job and go out and find some new info out...ur a journalist right? and you're all supposed to be able to get the information nobody else could right? well why don't you prove it....or of course are you just constantly trying to put the club down so when the club is finally outta turmoil you can report it and look like a hero because you have given the good news? people like you annoy me...and personally i think that a true toon fan would do a much better job than you, because they would be much more desperate to get the inside info on what is actually going on. "And how long do you expect this paper thin and ill-prepared squad to stay at the top?" WHAT THE HELL MAKES YOU THINK WE WANT TO READ THAT? LET US ENJOY THIS GOOD LUCK WHILE WE CAN FOR GODS SAKE!!!! "Most of the games have been at St James's with two of them won very narrowly and the small matter of just scraping past League One Huddersfield in the cup." narrowly won? at least we won right? rather than putting a negative spin on it why not try putting a positive spin on it...and "just scraping past...." we came from 3-1 down to win 4-3...but again...you had to put a negative spin on it....not..."newcastle show signs of a fighting squad, winning 4 out of their 5 league games, and also pulling 3 goals back to win 4-3 when all looked lost against Huddersfield..surely this shows signs of the club newcastle once were" that is the kinda thing we wanna hear...not the garbage coming out of your mouth...either start writing positive things, or don't write anything about Newcastle again, before you become as unpopular as Fat Mike, because in my opinion you're just as bad...he's causing the misery...you're writing the misery...
Ryder's reply: I think the players deserve as much credit as you can give them but you could be left with egg on your face if you think everything is all hunky dory in Toonland.
So the latest American takeover has collapsed what a surprise. ???????????????
There are strange things happening behind the scenes, everybody who comes forward to buy the club are all dropping like fly's
I think it is more than just the overdraft. 30 million is not a lot for club in todays market-when you look at other Clubs ,
There is more to this than meets the eye?
So the latest American takeover has collapsed what a surprise. ???????????????
There are strange things happening behind the scenes, everybody who comes forward to buy the club are all dropping like fly's
I think it is more than just the overdraft. 30 million is not a lot for club in todays market-when you look at other Clubs ,
There is more to this than meets the eye?
Anthony - well said mate, couldn't agree more.
Ryder - even your reply was negative. you're such a doom and gloom monger. Give your head a shake man. After all the turmoil that has happened these last 12 months or so, surely we can enjoy this moment of happiness, while it lasts. Hughton has done a great job so far, especially as he has the spectre of shearer on his shoulder. You say the team is ill prepared, but I think CH has prepared them the best he can and should be acknowledged for what he has done.
The sooner shearer comes in, fails and gets sacked the better, because until then this messiah rubbish will always be hanging over the club.
Lee,I have to agree with the lads above. Your are looking a every negative going, its press reports like your who help bring the players down. We have gone from being DUMPED out of the premiership under the lead of Shearer (who is not ready for a club this size, playing Owen in the last match of last season confirmed that) to winning 4 out of 5 matches and conceeding 1 goal in the league and that was against a former prem side on the opeing day of the season. We have battlers and a bit of team spirit going (and crowds most premiership teams would galdly welcome. How about one line quote, "well done lads lets have more of that and hope we can keep the form through till the end of the season". Yes we know we aint going to win every week but who does..Burnley beat Man U and got praise not slated as soon as they walked off the pitch.
Come on Lee atleast report the good and the bad, you have to be honest given us any credable info about the inside of the clib over the last few months, soleave the negatives on the pitch alone.
Ryder's reply: I think if you have a surf around our website you will find that we have heaped praise on Hughton, rather than make a judgement on one opinion piece on a blog reflecting on Rob Lee's outburst earlier this week.
Here a link that all Hughton fans may well enjoy.
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/nufc/nufc-match-reports-results/nufc-match-analysis/2009/08/24/crystal-palace-0-newcastle-united-2-72703-24517113/