Keegan, sentiment, reality.

[Guest nufc_geordie]

I thought at the time of the sacking of Allardyce the fans situation was getting worse and worse. There was a massive split in the fans and any incoming manager bar two would have been walking into a massively hostile environment in which a couple of defeats would have led to chants for their head.

 

Only Keegan or Shearer were ever going to be awarded "time" to turn things around. Although I disagree with the appointment of Keegan I am hugely glad it wasn't Shearer. Hopefully Keegan will prove me wrong but one thing I am certain of is that he has united the fans behing one manager again, and I fully expect him to leave us in a better way than he found us.

[GM]

The day after his return to the Toon, I went into the office and was greeted by various smug bastards sniggering at the latest twist in the St James Park soap opera. When asked for my reaction, there was only one thing I could say:

 

"Only at Newcastle".

 

At the time, it felt like a dangerous game of chicken: about as dangerous as screwing your first love again on the sofa while the missus lies dozing in bed upstairs. There was a brief frisson, goose bumps, as you remember the good times of old, but also that slight fear that this affair could be potentially disastrous, too.

 

I'm still not sure whether the appointment was a good idea. But even if it doesnt work out, as Mick and others have already said, I can't begrudge him another try, such is my affection for the guy. He knows the Toon like no other manager around possibly could, he knows what we want. I just hope he can deliver it. I fear what it would do to him if he failed here this time. He's still not over England yet. This would break him.

[NG32]

I'm with KK all the way on this one, nobody else around could have settled the fans at this moment in time.

 

 

[bodson]

I was shocked by the appointment, then I became really optimistic. It hought that Ashley would have som multimillionspendingspree planned and with the Keegan style of football we would atleast have a bit of fun. We haven't had fun since Bobbys time here. FFS we have endured Souness, Roeder and Allardyce, most important to me was that we brought back som interesting football. I still hope there are a multimillionplan for the squad in the summer. Things will change quite a lot then. 

 

If I had the choice to appoint a manager I wouldnt have gone for Keegan, I would have gone for Michael Laudrup or Deschamps

[Mr Logic]

If I had to analyse my feeling, and using hindsight, it would be best summed up as you said Brummie; 'an opportunity missed'.

Quite honestly I felt empty, there was no feel-good factor. Stunned. But not stunned the way I was with Souness, that was like a punch in the stomach had winded me.

 

Then when I saw all the excitement on here I had to wonder if I was wrong, and despite myself got caught up in that, mostly by remembering the past occasions he'd been involved. He will get us on the edge of our seats again one way or another and if at the end of it all there's a seamless and progressive transition forward then great, but right now he has arguably a tougher job than last time he came.

 

I wish him nothing but luck though, and even if this all went tits up I could never blame Keegan nor villify him the way others seem ready to do. Quite frankly he did too much for Newcastle to ever be cast as a villian, ever.

[Cronky]

In this order:

 

Gutted (as I made clear on here and to friends when it was announced).

Worried.

Questioning myself.

Sentimental.

Excited.

Worried.

 

 

My pattern too. I'm just hoping I don't go back to gutted.

[Mr Logic]

I think Dave's post summed me up also, but I didn't want to be a copy-cat so I waffled instead.

[S.S.R.]

He was the best candidate from the ones apparently willing to do the job.

 

Harry Redknapp and Mark Hughes aren't fit to lace his boots, and the enthusiasm for the overrated Deschamps wouldn't have been there for a more obscure name with a similarly mediocre record.

 

He did great work at both Fulham and Man City, but everyone seems to be taken in by the joke figure the London media try to portray him as.

 

Three clubs wouldn't be in the Premiership this season if it wasn't for him.

[Mowen]

Apprehensive excitement was my initial reaction. The apprehension was mainly because I loved him so much from his previous spell that I didn't want it ruining. I'm convinced he'll keep us up, and I'm dying to see what he'll do in the summer. He may be less likely than a Hughes or Redknapp to get us playing reasonable football and sitting in a consolidated mid-table position, but I'd say he's more likely to get us up into the top 6.

[Skirge]

I'm just going with the flow as there is nothing much else we can do, but I do think it was as much about selling season tickets as it was about getting in the right man. It was always going to be a hard job after the state Big Sam had us in and yes there was a few other managers that may have done a better job of it than Keegan but the history he has with this club and the love he has for it should be enough for now.

I do not see him as a long term option and I don't think Ashley does too, I guess time will tell on that one depending on how much cash he gives KK in the summer. The Keegan appointment however was a safe one from Ashley's point of view, it was always going to please the majority of fans and he is always going to be given more time by the fans than any other manger.

 

[Optimistic Nut]

He was the best candidate from the ones apparently willing to do the job.

 

Harry Redknapp and Mark Hughes aren't fit to lace his boots, and the enthusiasm for the overrated Deschamps wouldn't have been there for a more obscure name with a similarly mediocre record.

 

He did great work at both Fulham and Man City, but everyone seems to be taken in by the joke figure the London media try to portray him as.

 

Three clubs wouldn't be in the Premiership this season if it wasn't for him.

 

Because managers with mediocre records normally take French clubs to the Champions League Final in recent times.

[Mowen]

He was the best candidate from the ones apparently willing to do the job.

 

Harry Redknapp and Mark Hughes aren't fit to lace his boots, and the enthusiasm for the overrated Deschamps wouldn't have been there for a more obscure name with a similarly mediocre record.

 

He did great work at both Fulham and Man City, but everyone seems to be taken in by the joke figure the London media try to portray him as.

 

Three clubs wouldn't be in the Premiership this season if it wasn't for him.

 

Because managers with mediocre records normally take French clubs to the Champions League Final in recent times.

 

In the same way that managers with mediocre records normally take shit, mid-table at best English clubs to UEFA Cup finals in recent times?

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Initial reaction was disbelief, when I found out it was true I couldn't help be swept along with the emotion. There's precious few people in football we owe as much to as KK... he left us as genuine title contenders and his succesors have gone about fucking it all up (Sir Bob excepted).

 

I'm still happy, in another thread I've said - he's earned the right to some bad results, he will get time to turn it around. And he'll go about it in the right way, unlike the anti-football that is Big Sam.

 

And another thing, I don't see why we need to be ashamed of having sentiment towards the guy or wanting to see attacking football. The press can get on with it if they want to mock, we know how it feels to be Newcastle fans inside

[Parky]

In this order:

 

Gutted (as I made clear on here and to friends when it was announced).

Worried.

Questioning myself.

Sentimental.

Excited.

Worried.

 

Cautious is where I am now. I'm dying for Keegan to do well, not just for me and us all, but also for him. I love the bloke. But I have plenty of serious concerns.

 

Stunned.

Curious.

Excited.

Fearful.

Talked myself into messiah mode.

Concerned for KK himself.

Questioned MA's motives.

Looking for signs of the old KK.

 

Now....

 

Not worried and looking forward to next year.

[Optimistic Nut]

He was the best candidate from the ones apparently willing to do the job.

 

Harry Redknapp and Mark Hughes aren't fit to lace his boots, and the enthusiasm for the overrated Deschamps wouldn't have been there for a more obscure name with a similarly mediocre record.

 

He did great work at both Fulham and Man City, but everyone seems to be taken in by the joke figure the London media try to portray him as.

 

Three clubs wouldn't be in the Premiership this season if it wasn't for him.

 

Because managers with mediocre records normally take French clubs to the Champions League Final in recent times.

 

In the same way that managers with mediocre records normally take s***, mid-table at best English clubs to UEFA Cup finals in recent times?

 

It's one thing taking Boro to a UEFA Cup Final, and another taking a French club to the Champions League final.

[Disco]

Not the right appointment IMO for a variety of reasons, although he is a man the fans will give time where other managers had they had this run would have the fans very much on their back. But if we stay up I think we have a real chance of kicking on next season, would like to see bring in some better coaches to work along side Keegan as he is still a bit naive on the tactical front imo.

[Dokko]

I was stunned for about 3mins while i ran around the bar like a headless chicken. 

 

Then i sank a few double vodka reds, gathered my composure, ran home and started to join the party on here.

 

It really wasn't a natural reaction tbf, that came after and that was one of too much bloody sentiment from a club full of it. We missed a chance to start again, go forward with an up to date manager hungry and in love with the game. KK is having to find that all over again, while we fight a relegation battle.

 

Its not as bad as what it could have been though, we could have ended up with another no mark, and at least we know he cares. Given money he'll leave us in a better place and right now progression is all we can hope for. In the end of the day he could possibly be the right man for the job because no one would get the time and paitence or backinh he will recieve from us and the board to get it right. The board cant go sacking him, they've brought him in and he's a fans favorite, it would be financial suicide if they did.

 

So he's here, and he's here for a bit imo, and as long as he keeps us in the prem this season, and builds a sqaud next i have no problem with that, but going back to that day, my personal pref would have been Didi all day long.

 

 

[Guest Mucky01]

I have a lot of misgivings about KK, but one thing is that his transfer dealings last time he was here have never been bettered and I have a lot of trust in him to sort out our latest bunch. But tactically football has changed since then and the jury is still out in those regards.

[Parky]

The main thing is that KK is a special person and there aren't many like that left in football. In many ways the game has become a science with many clubs playing the percentage game, even the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea. There are very few teams around the world striving to play pure football, in the PL there is Arsenal and Man Utd in Spain there are a few and in Italy I'd guess none. This is my main excitement with regards to KK, in the sense that he can 'feel' the game, it is in 'his bones' and I have no doubt this club will be playing good football again....This of course is half the battle. The rest will come if money is forthcoming in large chunks.

[SUPERTOON]

He was never my first choice and i wouldnt be suprised if he keeps us up then he will be replaced at the end of the season.

 

I want him to do well and believe with the right backing in the transfer market we could do if he manages to keep us up and stays i dont think we will be in this positon next year

[S.S.R.]

He was the best candidate from the ones apparently willing to do the job.

 

Harry Redknapp and Mark Hughes aren't fit to lace his boots, and the enthusiasm for the overrated Deschamps wouldn't have been there for a more obscure name with a similarly mediocre record.

 

He did great work at both Fulham and Man City, but everyone seems to be taken in by the joke figure the London media try to portray him as.

 

Three clubs wouldn't be in the Premiership this season if it wasn't for him.

 

Because managers with mediocre records normally take French clubs to the Champions League Final in recent times.

 

In the same way that managers with mediocre records normally take s***, mid-table at best English clubs to UEFA Cup finals in recent times?

 

It's one thing taking Boro to a UEFA Cup Final, and another taking a French club to the Champions League final.

 

Without a couple of spawny cup wins against Real and Chelsea, he'd have nothing.

 

If Celtic had managed a flukey result at Barca, they'd only have to beat Shalke for you to think Strachan was the next Mourinho.

Barnsley beat Chelsea and Liverpool, should we go for their manager?

[AyeDubbleYoo]

He was never my first choice and i wouldnt be suprised if he keeps us up then he will be replaced at the end of the season.

 

I want him to do well and believe with the right backing in the transfer market we could do if he manages to keep us up and stays i dont think we will be in this positon next year

 

If he keeps us up and then gets replaced I'll be livid to be honest. If there's anything he's good at, it's spending money, not to give him a couple of transfer windows would be criminal.

[TRon]

I wonder how highly rated Deschamps is in Italy right now? I don't think Juventus were too sad to see him go.

 

[Benwell Lad]

At the time I thought Mark Hughes was the best realistic canditate for the job, like many others I thought Keegan was finished with management and very surprised when he was appointed.

 

I had the pleasure of being in his company a few years ago and he really is an exceptional and extraordinary man, comparable to Brian Clough as a man manager and motivator. If he retains the energy and desire which symbolises him then yes he will succeed in this latest challenge and  bring success to Newcastle.

He is still younger than some of present day football's most successful managers so should still have plenty of desire left in him.

At present, like most of us, I think he's a bit shell shocked and deflated by results and he has received ridiculous level of unjustified criticism from the lazy scum press. He has yet to spend a penny and is working around someone else's mess.

 

Most NUFC watchers would say performances have been better post-Allardyce, sure Sam was scraping points but we witnessed some abysmal and insipid displays. Keegan's side have been quite unlucky and as the man says himself performances have generally been better than the results achieved.

 

Although we allow ourselves a touch of sentimentality about Keegan's return, I hope he does not afford himself the same luxury. Most people wonder how Terry MacDermott earns a living in football and Arthur Cox's return was a surprise too. Keegan is very close to these people but the great inspirational motivator needs to be supported by the shrewdest of tactical minds for this to be a real success.

[quayside]

Was shocked when I realised that Ashley/Mort had sacked Sam without having a replacement lined up. Bearing in mind the timing of the sacking and the fact that mathematically we were far from  safe from relegation this seemed to be a recipe for a rerun of previous nightmares. Plus I had really thought that they were smarter operators than that.

 

Then when it became apparent that plan A was to try and lure Redknapp away from his comfortable life on the south coast I despaired. It always seemed unlikely that Arry at the age of 61 would leave his Sandbanks home, the club where he is worshipped and the wealthy owner who backs him. And was Redknapp the choice of someone with a vision for the future? He's not the new Arsene Wenger is he? And then when plan B was Keegan, who hasn't managed for 3 years, it seemed obvious to me that Ashley/Mort didn't have a clue what they were doing. Kneejerk reactions had lead them to make what they thought was a populist decision that could put the club in genuine risk of relegation. And I don't happen to think that relegation would be an "ok" thing to happen.

 

But with time we all mellow a bit and you start to remember that one of the great things about our club is its sheer unpredictability. I mean back in December if someone had said that by the end of January the club would have Keegan as manager and Dennis Wise as director of football.......  :bng:

 

 

 

As others have said you've got to love KK and he will get more time than others might have done. And just because the club does things that you don't agree with you don't stop supporting them do you? He's here and he's our manager and, whatever misgivings I have, I want him to succeed. Ashley will get a lot of flak if it all goes wrong and, as far as he is concerned, the jury is still out for me - I'll feel more comfortable if we see him backing his manager properly in the summer, assuming we stay up of course.....