Unbelievable

It took time to bring the change about FFS. He had to get the players minds switched from nagative football to open football. Birmingham was the turning point, where got a draw but could have won it. Libertine always sniping at KK, any little chance. Its ok tho, you just bend history to suit your argument. it took time to get 3 very good players back (and staying fit) to take the team forward in matches and score goals. the front 3 took the pressure off the s*** midfield the same as a good midfield will take the pressure off a defence. simple as that. Obviously the manager doesn't deserve any credit at all for changing the whole shape of the team though. to some extent. "playing your best players" is what its called at other clubs. dropping smith and ameobi to play martins and viduka isnt rocket science. You're absolutely pathetic. martins or viduka didnt start a game for keegan before the birmingham match and then they come back in and we start doing well. did keegan "change their mentality" or did we just get 2 very decent/vital players back in place of 2 s*** ones? the keegan thing. obviously. The players coming back was obviously instrumental but it was Keegans tactics that got us the results we did. Not many managers would have had the balls to play Owen, Martins & Viduka together. Allardyce certainly didn't. and prior to those players coming back? where were the tactics and the balls? Keegan did his best to inject confidence into the "name" players like Duff and Smith but in the end dropped them and accomodated all three strikers saying that he couldn't see any goals in the team and he didn't want to go into any future matches without goals in the team. By the way not only did it take balls to play 4-3-3, the most important factor was Keegan's refusal to stop playing passing football. That's actually what this thread is about, not about Keegan, he's gone and you can't turn back the clock. It's about the football and Ashley being overjoyed by the way Keegan's team swept the ghost of Allardyce's turgid s**** away with proper football...carpet football as SBR would say. That's what had Mort saying "Kevin's got them playing again". I just wonder what Ashley's vision for the club is now? With Keegan you knew what it was about. Is Ashley happy with muck and nettles football now? For anybody who's failed to notice, this is the central question in this thread, not whether Keegan could have got or should have been expected to get instant results. The owner and chairman have promoted free flowing attacking football publicy, but their actions in the past year, especially their manager appointments (including contract extension offer), have been in sharp contrast with this. What kind of manager do they want for this club. What style of football can we expect from them?

Similar to NJS's criticism of Jonas in the match thread...with so many bad players in our squad, I find it weird how people are concerned about two of our better players in their respective positions. Left back and left wing are the least of our problems IMO, although it would be nice to have some back up for Enrique. I think we can get away with cover from Raylor if we strengthen other positions. I'd rather we signed a decent midfield than spunk good money on a full back. Is there any evidence to suggest Raylor makes a good left back? He seems decidedly right footed to me. Besides, we need him in midfield anyway. We are crying out for one or two central midfielders AND a left back for cover. Unfortunately, we've been saying this for the last two years; our "system" seems to unable or unwilling to deliver..

True, seems to work quite well with Raylor too..

A lot of decent performances, most notably from Bassong, Enrique and the Taylors..

What made you hope that?

Had a good match so far. Seems a case of the head wanting to go on for the win, but the legs unable to deliver..

Smith, Butt and Ameobi ffs!!! All they provide is comedy.. How did we end up with these clowns?

Strange one.. Why was it a foul on Oba?

Come on, we can still win this!

Oba wins headers Shola never would..

Great by Bassong again!

Smith miskicks..

Oh dear, I've been dreading this day..

You call that unlucky?

Great end product as usual.. He just panicks doesn't he?

Oba springs in action..

Talking about a target to hit with Martins.. How about the space behind the defence..?

Good defending Enrique

Good header Saylor..

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

In awe of our new substitution policy, like the rest of us..

Oba's back!!!

His subs have been spot on.

GOOD!!!!!!!!!