bealios

Being a bit more sensible, I agree with what this guy said, none of us are expecting or even hoping for the title this time, we need to break the top 6 again, and then challenge Liverpool (overated apart from Gerrard) for the Champions League spot. I have more confidence in Keegan doing that that what our realistic other options were - Redknapp, Hughes, McClaren or, sorry to say, Shearer.

Lot of myths seems to be circulated re this appointment. I'm not concerned he has been out of the game for 3 years, remind me how long he was out last time he came back? Football has changed too much since the 90's - Has it, that offside rule is a bit of a bugger, but thought the rules were the same otherwise? Keegan was defensively poor - Has somebody backed this up with fact. The year we lost the league, didn't we have the second best defensive record in the league, and pretty close to that in other seasons? He only did it because of the money he was given - Are you sure? When he turned round the nearly relegated team in 1992 only Beresford and Venison played regularly in that squad. Bracewell was injured, and Cole/Robinson and Sellars were signed when the league was in the bag. Even in the following season when we finished 3rd, we didn't spend a lot, Beardsley and Malcolm Allen being the two main signings I think. We need a foreign manager - Why is Keegan more of a risk than Deschamps who has not managed in this league? Houllier ruled himself out, and Mort pretty much said that some manager wouldn't come to a team outside the Champions League - i.e Mourinho, Van Gaal, Hiddink etc. Bottom line is I think with a bit of proper support I even think the current squad is top 6 material - FFS we only need to be better than Everton/Man City/Portsmouth to get there, and even if Keegan isn't the answer, it has galvanised our questionable home support. If it doesn't work out, Keegan will no doubt admit it and not hang around for compensation and leave with his reputation intact. Funny how that is considered to be a sign of a quitter, surely it shows an honourable man, similar to Stuart Pearce, who isn't in it only for the cash? Sorry for the defensive rant, I've got Sky on in the background and I'm getting carried away!

Whilst I understand the concerns re Keegan, can you imagine if back in 1992 Sir John Hall had considered Keegan but then thought "better not, he hasn't been in football for a few years". I personally think that the KK and Shearer risk would be preferable to a risk taken on Hughes. Ok, so football may have changed in the last 3 years, but surely it had changed between 1984 to 1992 wthe last time?! I would say that it would certainly worth having a Peter Kenyon type character if those two were chosen, at least initially to help out with the behind the scenes admin in the modern game. If everybody seems to think that Shearer will be manager at some point, but after some experience elsewhere. Does anybody realistically see him managing Hartlepool for a few years first or something. Completely unrealistic, how much do you think they would pay him for a start? Didn't Van Basten, Rjiikard etc all start off with big clubs?

God, sometimes our fans don't do us any favours. Try and form your own opinions rather than jumping on which ever bandwagon the vocal minority are riding on! Terry Mac was brought to the club by Keegan. Keegan valued him so much that he reportedly paid Terry Mac's wages out of his own pocket for an initial period. He was assistant manager, but his value to Keegan at least was that he acted as a buffer between senior players and manager, so that KK could keep a certain distance from players whilst still having good communication within the squad. He was act the club well before Shearer or before FFS was in charge. Subsequent managers have retained his services, you cannot be naive enough to think that if any manager didn't want him around or want his own man then he still would be employed. I'm not sure why so much animosity is directed to him now, what has changed since he assisted Keegan transform the club - where you all aware of what he did then, but have forgotten since then. Or where you not supporting in those pre Premier League years?