sicsfingeredmong

............... and a player who plies his trade in a harsher weather climate as well. Naturally suited to the North East winter months, where others - ie. from Italy & Spain for instance, basically the Sthern European leagues - would likely go missing in action.

absolutely correct. I've said myself that showing players the stadium, the support is a big pulling factor but for some strange reason some people disagreed .......... Not only do Ferguson's personally guided tours of Old Trafford add the midas touch to any sales pitches arrowed at potential signees, they've also become a tradition over there. Something i've raised before, and KK - ie. a charismatic figure in his own right - and the 'SJP Factor' you speak of is the closest thing we can offer from a 'club selling' standpoint. But then again everything is fine according to many here, with regard to the suit-orientated 'selling team' led by Jimenez, and as always we're posting s****. Although you are ignoring the fact that the following people took part in the negotiations for Modric: Mike Ashley, Chris Mort, Tony Jimenez, Dennis Wise, and Kevin Keegan, who tried to charm the Mamic brothers with his Hamburg tales. James, the term 'too many chefs operating in one single kitchen' springs to mind. Too many amateurs - ie Mort and Ashley in particular - trying to play Football Manager. Keegan in this new-age set-up is a peripheral figure, whereas there is nobody who can sell the club better than Keegan, afterall he personally oversaw Asprilla's transfer and prised away a player of undoubted ability from a then high-flying Serie A club in the form of Parma. Parma were at that stage the 2nd or 3rd ranked/placed team in Italy, so Keegan - and this is just one higher profile example - has the track record when it comes to sealing deals for in-demand 'stars' when there are clubs at a comparable level to ours competing for these same signatures, and surely Spurs fits into this category at the minute. The club at the moment needs every advantage it can get at the moment, and while i have reservations about Spurs' continental set-up i'm prepared to acknowledge that Spurs will have a headstart on us - ie. sealing deals - because their 'selling team' headed by Commolli and Levi have been in caper longer than Wise, and longer in the English set-up than Jimenez and as such can sell the pros of English football more plainly as opposed to a high-powered, suit-oriented team issuing contract offer with a higher number ahead of the 0's, afterall we have offered more money in the way of contract offers to both Woodgate & Modric yet we've come up well short on both counts. As such he should be the central player in this regard, Jimenez and Co. should only enter the fray when personal terms need to be put on the table & signed by the relevant parties. There's nobody better than the manager/Keegan who can illustrate the club's on-field direction, and the pros of the English game with regards to tempo. The Croats, based on what i've seen of them, employ a spread-wide midfield line and they're largely a rapier-like counterattacking side. With the defensive bodies around him, and Modric is no shrinking violet either/he hasn't shyed away from a challenge when he's found himself defensively isolated in his often criticised 'deep role' for Croatia, he's ready-made for the EPL imo. Keegan should be the only 'player' within the football front-office, when selling the club & the EPL to prospective targets.... whether that be the player himself or the players' representatives. Right now, at the minute, our prospective targets are hearing too many voices when having the club pitched at them........ especially from blokes who know bugger all about football ala *Ashley & Mort. The 'miss' involving Modric fits into this category imo, as you've implied there were plenty of voices/pitchers in on the act. It's overkill imo. *and this is pertinent when considering that Ashley is supposedly going to be more 'hands on' from now on, whether this extends to transfer dealings/sealing deals, or providing assistance, is another matter. This will be discovered in due course. Keegan ran our transfer business/the front office, up to the point of SJH putting the 0's on the contracts, once before and he managed that task just fine. Over a decade ago we were at the forefront of what was the beginning of the Age of the Super Transfer, and Keegan was a spearhead in what was as a then ambitious drive in the transfer market. Wenger & Ferguson run there footballing front-offices with iron fists......... and likewise they've being doing just fine, especially when competing against the millions being thrown about by Abramovich, Kenyon & Arnesson. Like Wenger & Ferguson, Keegan is our top asset in the football front office, and it's a bloody shame that Mort & Ashley didn't take this on board by installing their continental set-up prior to seeking Keegan's services. He should not be restricted to being a peripheral figure in the front office, as opposed to being just the continental-style 'head coach' who is responsible for what takes place on Saturdays & Sundays & out on the training paddock. And this extends to the hiring & firing of coaches as well, because by going on a recent coach sacking he allegedly has little input & knowledge with regards to movement on this front as well Another article from this morning would suggest that Keegan still takes an active role: http://www.journallive.co.uk/nufc/newcastle-united-news/2008/06/17/keegan-takes-active-role-in-recruitment-61634-21085566/ I think the game has changed though since Keegan was brokering deals for Asprilla, and it is suggested by many that the many agents taking over the game was one of the things that most alienated Keegan from the game when he was at Manchester City. However with the team in place it creates a system where we can use the best bits of Keegan, and leave the murky stuff to others. Not sure that Spurs have any headstart given that Jimenez has been brokering high-profile deals as a super agent for years, while Wise has plenty of contacts himself. IMO you're overestimating his worth, or his player-dealing history, by describing him as a 'super agent' when you consider that the sports promotion company - Casa Holdings: based in Nth London - for which he he used to be a director of is what i'd describe as a small player management company, especially if the most prominent name/client several articles can roust up happens to be Celestine Babayaro. Apart from naming his involvement in bring Ramos to Spurs, in part due to Spanish being his second language & i won't ignore the fact that the bloke allegedly has contacts, would you care to list the names of the players pertaining to these high-profile deals? As for Spurs allegedly not having a headstart over us when it comes to sealing deals/more effectively selling their club/selling the pros of the English league. Levy & ENIC have been in the English football caper for years now, when including his/their involvement at Rangers, as such they have more experience in the above in comparison with somebody whose original & specialist field involves property negotiations. That's were Jimenez made a name for himself, that's how he was able to build his list of contacts which of course includes Mike Ashley. Wheras ENIC's business has revolved aroung having shares in and or having a controlling interest in football club business. Points also go to Commolli who has formerly worked under somebody who is arguably the best in the business - ie. Wenger - when it comes to the above.

Agree 100%.

I just wasn't under the illusion that Keegan would not be faced with a serious relegation battle , in the wake of Allardyce's and Keegan's respective late too late departures and arrivals which in turn left KK very lttle time to manoever in the transfer window, which is relevant given that KK was brink of fielding a weakened first XI with the African Nations' Cup just around the corner. Keegan simply didn't have the necessary cattle at his disposal, certainly the quality needed to hasten the process of getting this team to play effective-attacking, 'deck playing' football again. Agree with Mick though. For the remainder of the season Big Sam would've continued to have the team play in survival mode, even more so in the relegation 6 pointers which followed that tough run of games against teams that were also sitting in the mix. Not employing a set of decent naturally-minded attacking outfieders - ie. Owen, Martins et al - to chase a result in what players' would've felt were winnable games would have just magnified the lack of morale/confidence which at that stage - ie. prior to his sacking - had engulfed the team. Keegan sending the team out in those '6 pointers' i speak of with the attitude of 'grabbing the game by the scruff of the neck' was a significant factor as to why we escaped the drop. It would've been a mucher closer shave with Big Sam at the helm, it would have come down to the final fixture set imo.

Advertising boards behind & along the sidelines is enough. I'm prepared to accept that Ashley will ultimately use the club & and the ground as an advertising mule for his other business interests, as i'm of the opinion that's one major reason as to why he bought the club ie. an EPL-status club selling his brand name is naturally advantagous to his business interests. He bought the club and he's going to milk the club's advertising power for every penny it's worth, that's his right. But to rip down the club badge, in preference to blatant self-promotion/selling his company brand name, borders on sacriledge imo. That's carrying the notion of company promotion too far.

absolutely correct. I've said myself that showing players the stadium, the support is a big pulling factor but for some strange reason some people disagreed .......... Not only do Ferguson's personally guided tours of Old Trafford add the midas touch to any sales pitches arrowed at potential signees, they've also become a tradition over there. Something i've raised before, and KK - ie. a charismatic figure in his own right - and the 'SJP Factor' you speak of is the closest thing we can offer from a 'club selling' standpoint. But then again everything is fine according to many here, with regard to the suit-orientated 'selling team' led by Jimenez, and as always we're posting s****. Although you are ignoring the fact that the following people took part in the negotiations for Modric: Mike Ashley, Chris Mort, Tony Jimenez, Dennis Wise, and Kevin Keegan, who tried to charm the Mamic brothers with his Hamburg tales. James, the term 'too many chefs operating in one single kitchen' springs to mind. Too many amateurs - ie Mort and Ashley in particular - trying to play Football Manager. Keegan in this new-age set-up is a peripheral figure, whereas there is nobody who can sell the club better than Keegan, afterall he personally oversaw Asprilla's transfer and prised away a player of undoubted ability from a then high-flying Serie A club in the form of Parma. Parma were at that stage the 2nd or 3rd ranked/placed team in Italy, so Keegan - and this is just one higher profile example - has the track record when it comes to sealing deals for in-demand 'stars' when there are clubs at a comparable level to ours competing for these same signatures, and surely Spurs fits into this category at the minute. The club at the moment needs every advantage it can get at the moment, and while i have reservations about Spurs' continental set-up i'm prepared to acknowledge that Spurs will have a headstart on us - ie. sealing deals - because their 'selling team' headed by Commolli and Levi have been in caper longer than Wise, and longer in the English set-up than Jimenez and as such can sell the pros of English football more plainly as opposed to a high-powered, suit-oriented team issuing contract offer with a higher number ahead of the 0's, afterall we have offered more money in the way of contract offers to both Woodgate & Modric yet we've come up well short on both counts. As such he should be the central player in this regard, Jimenez and Co. should only enter the fray when personal terms need to be put on the table & signed by the relevant parties. There's nobody better than the manager/Keegan who can illustrate the club's on-field direction, and the pros of the English game with regards to tempo. The Croats, based on what i've seen of them, employ a spread-wide midfield line and they're largely a rapier-like counterattacking side. With the defensive bodies around him, and Modric is no shrinking violet either/he hasn't shyed away from a challenge when he's found himself defensively isolated in his often criticised 'deep role' for Croatia, he's ready-made for the EPL imo. Keegan should be the only 'player' within the football front-office, when selling the club & the EPL to prospective targets.... whether that be the player himself or the players' representatives. Right now, at the minute, our prospective targets are hearing too many voices when having the club pitched at them........ especially from blokes who know bugger all about football ala *Ashley & Mort. The 'miss' involving Modric fits into this category imo, as you've implied there were plenty of voices/pitchers in on the act. It's overkill imo. *and this is pertinent when considering that Ashley is supposedly going to be more 'hands on' from now on, whether this extends to transfer dealings/sealing deals, or providing assistance, is another matter. This will be discovered in due course. Keegan ran our transfer business/the front office, up to the point of SJH putting the 0's on the contracts, once before and he managed that task just fine. Over a decade ago we were at the forefront of what was the beginning of the Age of the Super Transfer, and Keegan was a spearhead in what was as a then ambitious drive in the transfer market. Wenger & Ferguson run there footballing front-offices with iron fists......... and likewise they've being doing just fine, especially when competing against the millions being thrown about by Abramovich, Kenyon & Arnesson. Like Wenger & Ferguson, Keegan is our top asset in the football front office, and it's a bloody shame that Mort & Ashley didn't take this on board by installing their continental set-up prior to seeking Keegan's services. He should not be restricted to being a peripheral figure in the front office, as opposed to being just the continental-style 'head coach' who is responsible for what takes place on Saturdays & Sundays & out on the training paddock. And this extends to the hiring & firing of coaches as well, because by going on a recent coach sacking he allegedly has little input & knowledge with regards to movement on this front as well

absolutely correct. I've said myself that showing players the stadium, the support is a big pulling factor but for some strange reason some people disagreed .......... Not only do Ferguson's personally guided tours of Old Trafford add the midas touch to any sales pitches arrowed at potential signees, they've also become a tradition over there. Something i've raised before, and KK - ie. a charismatic figure in his own right - and the 'SJP Factor' you speak of is the closest thing we can offer from a 'club selling' standpoint. But then again everything is fine according to many here, with regard to the suit-orientated 'selling team' led by Jimenez, and as always we're posting shite.

Good player, but i'd prefer that we stay away from McKay represented footballers. It's a tough ask for any manager to build any cohesion & stability among the back-4, let alone across any of the outfield lines, when the agent in question attempts to peddle his clients around the EPL every Summer & i'd place N'Zogbia in this very bracket as well, and McKay has proven to be adept at this very practice.

His United days are numbered if Real/Barca presidents are using his potential signing as a tablet for election.

According to the linked story, he is doing so at Keegan's suggestion. If KK thinks it's a good idea then it's fine by me. And it doesn't necessarily mean he'll be "hands-on" in a Shepherd -- or an Abramovich -- kind of way. Ambitiously landing top-line players, based on the suggestion/wishes of the manager....... even if that suggestion to the chairman appears via a hand-scrawled note passed across an office/conference room desk.

Likewise, and it took them/United time to rebuild the heart of their defence in the wake of his departure, which at the time was a reactionary/hot-headed decision on the part of the manager. IMO he learned from that, hence he handled the Rooney/Ronaldo World Cup flare-up differently. Back to replacing Stam. Nearly 30m - ie. for Ferdinand - and the appointment, and of course the eventual re-appointment of Carlos Quieroz - ie. a noted coaching genius, as a defensive coach - turned out to be the requisites needed to the fill the void created by Stam's departure. Roy Keane was spot-on in his assessment that the said player was treated like a piece of meat, so it's good to see the gaffer admit his error, although begrudgingly. I wonder if one particular manager will eventually do likewise with respect to a certain Craig Bellamy, another player who within the team dynamic was just as influential as Stam was to United.

At the time the twin purchase, which admittedly did chew up our transfer kitty, of Martins and Duff was a good move. It was either that or blow the Summers' funds on defenders solely. The choice was there: strengthen the defence, or likewise the attacking outfield - something which hadn't been properly accomplished in the wake of Robert & Bellamy's respective departures. Dyer's durability issues remained an everpresent, Luque was on the verge of being a flop - ie. unsuited to English football, questionable on & off-field application - and Owen's playing future was tenious ie. coming off a foot fracture, and with the knee injury the purchase of Martins turned out to be a pretty decent insurance policy that year. Roeder chose correctly, however he was too restrictive as to what he had planned with regards to the left-wing situation. We were in desperate need of pace & creativity in the final 1/3, and Duff had shown on numerous occasions - ie. at international level, against good opposition - that he could play in front of & across the defensive line as an advanced creative/forward. As an attacking tandem, Keane & Duff with their movement & ability to play in either outside channel, they were an effective partnership and i hoped that Duff would be utilised in a similar manner. Looking at it from this perspective i thought Duff was a good signing, and i still do. That sort of usage certainly wouldn't have resulted in the stagnated development, and the birth of an unhappy player in the form of N'Zogbia. With that said i'm not jumping onto the 'he was s****, we never should have bought him' bandwagon. A stream of injuries, lack of confidence & form, and an unsuccessful opportunity to impress under Keegan. The former two he suffered with in copious amounts. The latter he wasn't able to grab. These all came into play. Our buying record - ie. advanced forwards, especially widemen.... mid-late 20's age bracket - over the last decade or so holds up pretty well. With that in mind Duff was worth a shot, just as Overmars was for Arsenal. And we're talking about a footballer who likewise switched clubs with question marks hanging over his shoulders, durability-wise especially. Would the player in question rediscover his best form, the form shown before he picked up a major knee injury. These types of buys are classic cases in point - they're gamble purchases. Some pan out, some don't.

Jon, you know very well that's not the case. Myself, NE5 and HTL's respective opinions differ any many areas. ie. Tarylor's potential/ability for starters at the moment i can't think of others as i'm sure they date back to the old HTT forum - ie. many years ago/not long after the Partizan Summer, and i've been critical and supportive of the previous board. Supportive Shepherd in all fairness.

Load of overwritten bollocks as usual. Let's face it, no one on here knows exactly how our new system works, nor what Keegan's precise role within in might happen to be. As others have posted previously, and has been reported in the press, Keegan knew that he was walking into a 'Continental-style' set-up from the get-go, he knew that he wouldn't be running the football front-office from the ground up as he did the first time round. Wise and Viterre identify targets based on the newly established scouting network's findings, and of course they bring their own degree of knowedge to the table as well. KK has a look at Vitterre/Wise etc's recommendations and gives the 'final say', while Jimenez - leading the front-office team - seals the deals. Keegan also has his own ideas as well, with regards to players whom we should sign. It comes as no surprise and no coincidence either, when somebody like Keegan who has demonstrated a Midas touch when it comes to securing in-demand players - at smaller clubs as well and the Anelka example has already been cited as a more recent case, as to why we've missed out on targets when our obvous & best 'deal sealer' has walked into a this new-age & revised footballing front-office set-up............... a system which is completely alien to an 'old school' manager like Keegan, when i say 'old-school' i refer to managers of Keegan/Ferguson & Wenger's mould. Managers who run the footballing side things with an iron fist, those who have very little room for compromise when it comes live & die by involvement/decisions in their respective footballing front offices.

Lets not blame people for jobs they aren't responsible for. Tony Jiminez is the negotiator. Veterre is a boardroom scout. Get your point though (unless he stays at Citeh or moves for more than £6m) I'll post accordingly from now on . I've posted the Viterre thing about three times now, im sure one of the forum's Google Boys/Sherlocks will dredge it up Jimenez' job should be on the line if this one falls by the wayside, that's if we've declared an interest in the said player. Perhaps if you didn't talk s**** to try and strengthen your point then people wouldn't need to correct you. I knew it wouldn't take you long sunshine. Besides, identity mistake put to one side for just one second, the point still stands. Even Dave, a somewhat balanced viewer of the club's dealings when it's appropriate, can the see point if another of KK's targets falls by the wayside. Once again you've painted yourself as being........ the forum's know-it-all pretentious little prick. Unlike yourself there are actually supporters who don't spend their days trolling the internet's bandwidth searching for links, or links to some age-old & self-promoting 'i told you so' post on another club forum sunshine. In your very own words, i'll use the following to sign off from this thread. Cheers. MODS: leave this post here, in it's complete form. I'll enjoy reading the little pricks reply. Little prick? Oh dear. Now I know you get in a huff quite easily considering you changed your username in a flap over something said by Ozzie Mandias which doesn't do you any favours, and again here all of the toys have come out of the pram because you like to dish it out but have a little trouble taking it, now what I'd suggest to you is what I've said earlier and that's to try getting your facts right before talking about stuff that clearly didn't happen (we both know what I'm referring to and the fact it still gets to you shows what a tart you are) and that you know little about, perhaps you should stick to American football which you seem to have a better knowledge of. You can't expect people not to point out things to you that you're wrong about because of childish reactions like this. Cheers. As for the admin who sent me a PM over this earlier, I've got no intention of continuing anything with him but if you expected me not to reply to that s**** then you're mistaken. The typical sort of response, where you've clearly trawled into someone's posting history and this is not an isolated incident as somebody else has referred to you as being an internet troll on one previous occasion, i'd expect from you sunshine. Actually Dave and myself were exchanging some light-hearted banter and you had to stuff your nose in. If you have such an illustrious knowledge of all things pertaining to football, as yours does to seem to dwarf everybody here, perhaps you could shed some light as to the reason why our last CEO resigned from the board, before Shepherd adopted the dual role of Chairman & CEO. If you think Shepherd was the reason then you're full of s****................. the world of Google, and finding links etc, isn't the sole domain for people who know a bit about their club. Start Googling Sunshine.

Lets not blame people for jobs they aren't responsible for. Tony Jiminez is the negotiator. Veterre is a boardroom scout. Get your point though (unless he stays at Citeh or moves for more than £6m) I'll post accordingly from now on . I've posted the Viterre thing about three times now, im sure one of the forum's Google Boys/Sherlocks will dredge it up Jimenez' job should be on the line if this one falls by the wayside, that's if we've declared an interest in the said player. Perhaps if you didn't talk s**** to try and strengthen your point then people wouldn't need to correct you. I knew it wouldn't take you long sunshine. Besides, identity mistake put to one side for just one second, the point still stands. Even Dave, a somewhat balanced viewer of the club's dealings when it's appropriate, can the see point if another of KK's targets falls by the wayside. Once again you've painted yourself as being........ the forum's know-it-all pretentious little prick. Unlike yourself there are actually supporters who don't spend their days trolling the internet's bandwidth searching for links, or links to some age-old & self-promoting 'i told you so' post on another club forum sunshine. In your very own words, i'll use the following to sign off from this thread. Cheers. MODS: leave this post here, in it's complete form. I'll enjoy reading the little pricks reply.

Putting Comolli's player recruitment to one side, it still raises further questions about our current set-up, it's a concern when you see various departments within another club all pulling in different directions. The club, on the footballing side of things - just shy of signing the cheques as that's the responsibility of the so-called money men, from the ground up has to be run buy the manager aka the most important & influential figure at the club. The buck stops with the manager if on-field results go against the team, it's their head which is on the chopping block so it's understandable that managers by trade a control freaks of sorts, they can't afford to have their efforts undermined by the actions, or incompetancy, of others who answerable to those same people who put their signatures n the club cheques. The fact remains that the two clubs who are providing the most resistance to Chelsea's billions are the two clubs whose managers still rule of their respective club's football-related dealings with an iron fist ie. Ferguson & Wenger. An example relates to 'pitching the club' to potential signings. Ferguson's, a club stalwart whose name is synonymous with success, personally guided tours around Old Trafford are not a selling pitch of the highest order, but these guided tours have become tradition over there. In terms of player recruitment/sealing deals, when they're up against Kenyon throwing millions of Chelsea's money at players, it adds a touch of class to the club's selling pitch. In this regard Keegan is the closest thing we've got to this Ferguson's pitching acumen, he's been a success both as a player & manager, and it's a bloody waste to see him shunted on the sideline while Jimenez has been appropriated with this responsibility. For any would-be signee it must bloody impersonal to arrive at SJP only to be sold the club's vision by a suit-type in a conference room or office. There's only one bloke who can effectively sell the club's vision and Keegan for the better has run the club & dictated the club's footballing fortunes from the ground up once before, something which the cuurent set of suit-types don't have on their resumes. It's only a matter time before the tendon's of Keegan's patience begin to stretch while the other components of our 'continental system' all dance to slightly different tunes. IMO, in terms of Keegan walking away from the club again, the clock is already ticking.

Lets not blame people for jobs they aren't responsible for. Tony Jiminez is the negotiator. Veterre is a boardroom scout. Get your point though (unless he stays at Citeh or moves for more than £6m) I'll post accordingly from now on . I've posted the Viterre thing about three times now, im sure one of the forum's Google Boys/Sherlocks will dredge it up Jimenez' job should be on the line if this one falls by the wayside, that's if we've declared an interest in the said player.

In the prime of his career, and he hasn't even reached that yet, it would be a stupid footballing-based decision to leave the current coaching staff who are supplying the kid with an outstanding footballing education. Will Real be able to provide him the complementing attacking frontline & playing style which gives Ronaldo the sort of 'freedom in the attacking 1/3' he currently enjoys at United? I very much doubt that. IMO if he goes to Real - lets say within the next 3 seasons - he'll go from being arguably the best player on the planet to being another big-name youngster who found themselves moving to one of the Spain's 'Big-Two' far too early.

7m just to piss-off/spite a s**** club/team? If he's a big prospect, and he's looked decent & looks a good prespect - especially if we was placed alongside a defensive leader which makes signing Dunne so important, then fair enough but i couldn't care less about pissing off a club whose results up until last season's relegation fight have flared little interest in me.

There is a chance Dunne will not want to come because of Barton. I don't see how that should be an obstacle, in it's unfair to indirectlt label Barton as some sort of scapegoat if Mort & Viterre are unable to deliver. Ferguson was able create a healthy on-field co-existence between his two best attacking outfielders after one successfully had the other one sent off in a major WC match-up. It's about having a manager who can handle the situation effectively, what happens off the pitch stays there and 'career driven' players will recognise that as well, so i don't see this as a major issue standing the way. I think you've come up with a bit of a convenient excuse to be used if Mort & Viterre are unable to seal this deal and some will drag this up, and they'll google the stories about Barton's previous indescretions and so forth, but at the endo the day that will make their record - ie. securing Keegan's inital major targets - zero & three and that record for a club of our standing is unforgiveable when you consider that we competing directly with the so-called untouchables - ie the top 4 - for these respective signatures, in particular the forrmer two According to a Man City mate of mine they had a big falling out and Dunne may well be giving evidence against Barton in the Darbo court case this summer, so it could be a factor. One player has already turned us down because of Barton. Sealing deals and negotiations will be mainly dealt with by Tony Jiminez and not Jeff Vetere from what I can gather. It shows how convuluted the new set-up is when there are reports - based on heresay and what is layed out in print - of varying degrees pertaining to each department/person's responsiblity at the club.

There is a chance Dunne will not want to come because of Barton. I don't see how that should be an obstacle, and it's unfair to indirectly label Barton as some sort of scapegoat if Mort & Viterre are unable to deliver. Ferguson was able create a healthy on-field co-existence between his two best attacking outfielders after one successfully had the other one sent off in a major WC match-up. It's about having a manager who can handle the situation effectively, what happens off the pitch stays there and 'career driven' players will recognise that as well, so i don't see this as a major issue standing the way. I think you've come up with a bit of a convenient excuse to be used if Mort & Viterre are unable to seal this deal and some will drag this up, and they'll google the stories about Barton's previous indescretions and so forth, but at the endo the day that will make their record - ie. securing Keegan's inital major targets - zero & three and that record for a club of our standing is unforgiveable when you consider that we weren't exactly competing directly with the so-called untouchables - ie the top 4 - for these respective signatures, in particular the forrmer two.

Mort & Veterre's, the latter being the deal closer, respective job performance should be heavily scrutinised if we're unable to secure Dunne's signature, if we have or end up putting a concrete bid on the table. With Keegan at the helm - ie. a manager whom Dunne admires & respects - we should in all rights be the frontrunners in this race. Provided that Ashley & Mort are prepared to pay the going rate, both in terms of the transfer fee & wages, this should be the most straight forward of the lot. Along with our ill-fated moves for Modric & Woodgate if we lose out to either Spurs & West Ham, or whoever else for that matter, with this one - ie. Dunne - that will make our record 0-3, as far as being able to land Keegan's top targets so far. If Dunne goes elsewhere, Mort should be hung for letting other clubs - who can accomodate Dunne's wage demands - getting the jump on us/getting the first deal splashed out on the negotiating table ahead us, as appeared to the case re- Woodgate & Modric.

That was 3-4 years years ago. He's now an established first-teamer and his career is now firmly at the crossroads. As was the case with Wes Brown, when Queiroz initially educated a player whose progression stagnated and one could make an argument that he slid backwards prior to Quieroz joing United's coaching ranks, imo Taylor is at a similar career stage. Keegan will install confidence in him, by allowing the back-4 to play the ball out from the back and this should improve his decision making/reading of the game from both attacking & defensive aspects of the game. Until Keegan took over Taylor's game has been 'leap-in, smash the ball carrier & hump the ball up the paddock', pretty one-dimensional stuff overall and along with his 'lost season', thanks to the shoulder injury incurred under Clueless, this has played a part in his regression imo. Under Keegan, because of the added responsibility Keegan will place upon him as opposed to being a Souness-hacker type of centrehalf, he'll receive the best opportunity to develop, in a Toon shirt that is. Now it's up the natural ability to follow suit, if there is an amount of ability which justafies the plaudits which have been heaped atop of him since his England Youth Sqaud days.

This is key. For cavalier-like shot-stoppers/blockers, and this is what Given brings to the table, who basically put their bodies on the line - and often they'll pull off an unconventional save in doing so, where they'll put themselves in a dangerous situation - confidence is everything. If Given's unable regain the confidence you speak of, the answer is simple.................... phase him out, with Harper as the worthy replacement for now because on form it's his spot to lose, and infuse the team with fresh blood as a means rebuilding the position's depth within the 1st team squad, as opposed to placing a reliance on Given's fitness & health and more importantly his on-field state of mind .