Guest exilim Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 From John Burridge: I LOVE Kevin Keegan to death. I played with him at Newcastle, and was his goalkeepers' coach and reserve team coach when he was manager at St James' Park. To this day, we remain close friends. He is a fabulous guy whose enthusiasm is infectious. His power of persuasion is legendary. I always tell Keegan he'll make a good car salesman. He has the ability to sell you an old piece of junk and make you feel like you've got a bargain. Naturally, the Toon Army are delighted with his return as Newcastle manager. They never forget the exciting times they enjoyed during his first stint from 1992 to 1997. The Newcastle fans know happy days will soon be back again - but they also know they'll have to brace themselves for one hell of a roller-coasted ride. Keegan is a very good football manager, but a poor coach. I have worked with him for many years and i can tell you he is a fantastic motivator. But when it comes to tactical knowledge and training, he falls short. During his earlier stint, training at Newcastle was very simple. The daily session involved the following: A good warm-up, two laps round the pitch, two-sides and shooting practice. Then it was back to the dressing room for a shower and that was it. Attack Keegan doesn't believe in defence. Not at all. He doesn't run his team through defence routines. He believes that the team that scores the most goals wins. He hasn't got any playing system. All he knows is attack. I attended countless Newcastle team-talks when Keegan was manager. There was no whiteboard in the dressing room, no tactical charts, only the day's team-list taped on the wall. He would appear just two minutes before kick-off, point towards the opposition dressing room and scream: "Those guys are in the showers now thinking they're going to get beat 5-0 today. "Let's not disappoint them, shall we? Let's go out there and murder them. Swarm all over them and score as many goals as you lot like." That was it. But Keegan said it with such fire and conviction that the players believed him. And they would go out there with only one thing on their mind - score goals. I remember sitting beside him on the Newcastle bench during matches, and watch in horror how we committed nine men to attack leaving only centre-half Darren Peacock and the goalkeeper guarding the rear. I would scream at full-back John Beresford to track back in case we were caught in a counter-attack. But Keegan would shut me up saying: "Keep John up there. Why do you want him to get back for?" "We're going to get caught in a three-on-one." I would protest. Keegan would reply: "Nah, if we concede, we'll just score another." That's how he is. And that's what Newcastle fans can expect from him now that he's back in charge again. The Toon Army will have to be patient, however, as Keegan has inherited a team from Sam Allardyce. Emotional He is an emotional man who wears his heart on his sleeves. There were a few occasions after Newcastle lost a game, Keegan was sitting quietly by himself in the team bus, before suddenly breaking into tears. Yes, a grown man who was twice European Footballed of the Year crying because he lost a game. Keegan would say he is passionate about the game. But it scared the hell out of the players to see their boss crying. A strong-headed character, he doesn't like anybody to question his team selection or decisions. remember during the heat of the title race against Manchester United in 1996, when we were slowly losing out 12-point lead, I made a mistake by suggesting to him that maybe we should keep it tighter at the back. Even though we are great mates, he snapped at me: "Don't you ever dare tell me what to do." I never did it again. Personally, I feel that as a manager, one has to be a tower of strength to the players when the chips are down. By showing signs of breaking down, Keegan hardly instilled confidence in his players. Everybody remembers that televised rant Keegan made at Alex Ferguson during the 1995/1996 title race. That was a perfect example of Keegan losing his cool when provoked. At the time, the players were affected by it and we never recovered. One can only hope history will not repeat itself. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Luque Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 "We're going to get caught in a three-on-one," I would protest. Keegan would reply: "Nah, if we concede, we'ill just score another." Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
maze Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 "We're going to get caught in a three-on-one," I would protest. Keegan would reply: "Nah, if we concede, we'ill just score another." Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronaldo Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 burridge has issues Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_R Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 Haha, brilliant. That said, I'm sure Keegan has learnt a thing or 2 since Budgie was with him all those years back. Let's not forget that Newcastle was Keegan's first managerial appointment, and he's since been to Fulham, Man City and England. He's also had 3 years out of the game to think through what went wrong when he was a manager and what he might have done differently if he had his time again. Well he's got his time again now. I don't think that nothing will have changed in all that time. Even if he can't sort out the defence himself, he'll doubtless get others in who can. Still a brilliant article into how things were the first time round. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EthiGeordie Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 I luv Keegan as his old slef and it is awesome if he still thinks the same. I see his other experiance as weakness I want the naive full attacking Keegan. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 Hope he's learnt a few things since then. Nobody plays all-out attack any more. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superior Acuña Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 Hope he's learnt a few things since then. Nobody plays all-out attack any more. Exactly. They won't know what's hit them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
madras Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 get the right players and it's ok. ie sellars and speed were always aware enough to get into a position from which they could cover the break if beresford etc went forward. what did burriidge want ? the back 4 to form a line in front of him and stay there ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
madras Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 Hope he's learnt a few things since then. Nobody plays all-out attack any more. keegan didn't played all out attack. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TrEe Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 HAHHAHA I LOVE KEVIN FUCKING KEEGAN Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
McCormick Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 "Those guys are in the showers now thinking they're going to get beat 5-0 today. "Let's not disappoint them, shall we? Let's go out there and murder them. Swarm all over them and score as many goals as you lot like." Absolute class. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shearergol Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 Why have we been labelled as a club who think that if we conceed we'll just score another? Is it simply on the back of the two Liverpool matches? Surely it makes more sense saying that Liverpool are like that rather than us? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinkeye Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 I met John Burridge some years ago, I think he had just finished playing and I had cause to do some work at his house in Durham. From the limited time I was with him I determined that he was a bullshitter and a bit of a plank while still being a perfectly nice man. I would no more want to take a tactical assessment of a football match or manager from him than I would want to jump off the sea wall at Whitley Bay tonight!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
STM Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 Thats nothing we didn't really know anyway. Keegans never been great on the tactical front. I think Burridge is actually complimenting him in the interview but who ever has published it has put a bad slant on it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wullie Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 Seeing as how Sam Allardyce is generally thought of as tactically proficient, I'm prepared to take my chances with KK, thanks very much. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
socaljawd Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 get the right players and it's ok. ie sellars and speed were always aware enough to get into a position from which they could cover the break if beresford etc went forward. what did burriidge want ? the back 4 to form a line in front of him and stay there ? I thought speed was signed by Dalglish and therefore never played for keegan? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shak Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 We conceeded 2 goals more than Man U in 95-96, and 4 less in 96-97. TBH. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_R Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 Whoever said teams don't play all out attack anymore: they didn't play it then either. That's why we were so special. Tactics weren't invented with the advent of the new millenium. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackie Broon Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 Under Keegan we tended to play a 4-4-1-1 with two wingers and two fairly solid central midfielders. Not exactly an all out attacking system! He clearly understood that a team needs a solid base to attack from, he didn't just pack our team with attacking players, there were the likes of Batty and Bracewell there to do the dirty work and allow the attacking players to attack. And for a team that supposedly couldn't defend we didn't conceded that many goals: 93/94 - 41 (only 3 more than Man U, 5 more than Blackburn) 94/95 - 47 95/96 - 37 (only 2 more than Man U) All of those seasons were played over 42 games. When we finished 3rd under Robson we conceded 48 in a 38 game season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ObaStar Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 we've already conceded 39 this year in the league. thats 2 more than the 95/96 team did all year Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
madras Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 get the right players and it's ok. ie sellars and speed were always aware enough to get into a position from which they could cover the break if beresford etc went forward. what did burriidge want ? the back 4 to form a line in front of him and stay there ? I thought speed was signed by Dalglish and therefore never played for keegan? all i meant was that sort of player Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NE5 Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 Seeing as how Sam Allardyce is generally thought of as tactically proficient, I'm prepared to take my chances with KK, thanks very much. in a nutshell Hope this is noted by people such as macca888 ............ and the cockney journos who are now shitting themselves that he does it again Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Venkman Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 Seeing as how Sam Allardyce is generally thought of as tactically proficient, I'm prepared to take my chances with KK, thanks very much. in a nutshell Hope this is noted by people such as macca888 ............ and the cockney journos who are now shitting themselves that he does it again nail on head Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mr quimbys beard Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 I met John Burridge some years ago, I think he had just finished playing and I had cause to do some work at his house in Durham. From the limited time I was with him I determined that he was a bullshitter and a bit of a plank while still being a perfectly nice man. I would no more want to take a tactical assessment of a football match or manager from him than I would want to jump off the sea wall at Whitley Bay tonight!! He used to sell clothes and trainers from the back of a car with his son around the industrial estate near Durham City, he got caught if i remember correctly and was prosecuted, met him a few times and ya right, he is a plank and full of bullshit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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