Clear the Air Talks ?

[GM]

Nope -  just allying to the fact that maybe just maybe there is some basis to all the stories and the idea that someone is "gullible or stupid" for giving a second thought to a more than feasible newspaper story is a little naive especiually when they have absolutely nothing to back the opinion up either.

 

Theres irony in there somewhere.....

 

Same for you then, I'm all ears, how did they get the information?

 

Im with GM with this one so you're better off listening to him - he seems to make more sense then i do!

 

Fatal error ever aligning yourself with me. But I agree with your second point.

[Rich]

Also, I certainly wouldn't advocate believing everything that comes from the club, Mel, as you mentioned you might do earlier.

 

Mort's a lawyer (speaks for itself) for starters... and Keegan, while appearing to be totally trustworthy and honest, still probably doesn't give it straight 100% of the time - only when he has to.

 

Alright, not saying everything they say should be treated as gospel, just saying the only words I'd pay any genuine attention to are those from within the club. You're right to say they'll not always tell it straight but I'd trust the words of Mort etc over the speculation of some Sun journo any day of the week.

 

That's probably fair enough. But some of the really cynical types might say that's a more dangerous philosophy (if you get what I mean).

 

It's mine as well, by the way, but I understand the potential pitfalls it brings.

[fredbob]

Nope -  just allying to the fact that maybe just maybe there is some basis to all the stories and the idea that someone is "gullible or stupid" for giving a second thought to a more than feasible newspaper story is a little naive especiually when they have absolutely nothing to back the opinion up either.

 

Theres irony in there somewhere.....

 

Same for you then, I'm all ears, how did they get the information?

 

Im with GM with this one so you're better off listening to him - he seems to make more sense then i do!

 

Fatal error ever aligning yourself with me. But I agree with your second point.

 

Ill go all in and take that gamble - for the time being anyway.

 

To be fair, my second point applies to most the people on this board so....

[Syrette]

Also, I certainly wouldn't advocate believing everything that comes from the club, Mel, as you mentioned you might do earlier.

 

Mort's a lawyer (speaks for itself) for starters... and Keegan, while appearing to be totally trustworthy and honest, still probably doesn't give it straight 100% of the time - only when he has to.

 

Alright, not saying everything they say should be treated as gospel, just saying the only words I'd pay any genuine attention to are those from within the club. You're right to say they'll not always tell it straight but I'd trust the words of Mort etc over the speculation of some Sun journo any day of the week.

 

That's probably fair enough. But some of the really cynical types might say that's a more dangerous philosophy (if you get what I mean).

 

It's mine as well, by the way, but I understand the potential pitfalls it brings.

 

Yeah. I'm a student journalist and the power of the quote has been underlined many a time to us, but I guess even then it might not the absolute solid truth. Easy to say one thing and mean another, if thats what you're getting at.

[Mick]

 

Im with GM with this one so you're better off listening to him - he seems to make more sense then i do!

 

The best advice I could ever give you is this, if GM says something, assume the opposite, obviously if he's agreeing with me than you're on fairly safe ground.

[Rich]

many thought it was bullshit that they'd be down in london having a meeting but it wasn't. ias others have pointed out, the transfer targets discussion was held a couple weeks back and keegan began to personally scout some of the players on wise and vetere's list. so it wasn't just a routine thing like that.  i wouldn't write anything off atm, but i certainly won't be believing any of the press speculation yet. football journos spend their life in and around clubs, talking to players, coaches, managers, chairmen, the chairman's son, the tea lady, the tea lady's son etc. they get a lot of allegedly ITK tips every day, most of it shit. some of it they print, some they don't. none will know the full extent of what went on the meeting but it's possible that a couple might have a little snippet or two, or a hint dropped here or there.

 

even the mail was spot on once - when it came to dennis wise being appointed, and that one sounded ridiculous at first.

 

For what it's worth, I do agree that there is definitely some serious substance to this meeting, the only problem I have is people potentially believing absolute falsities about what it entailed and starting to string-up some of those involved with what a very likely to be lies. I'm very sceptical about the Sun's version of events, but I think you're right when you say this wasn't just a "transfer target" affair.

 

That point about the Mail is right, too, they do occasionally get something on the money. I knew there'd been a time recently where they'd broken a story before anyone else, but couldn't remember which it was. Sums it up though, doesn't it? They get one thing right in a hundred and people still look upon them as a very creditable source.

 

What's that website with all the press lies/falsities/wrongs on it again? They're wrong far more often than they're right.

[Mick]

Fatal error ever aligning yourself with me. But I agree with your second point.

 

[GM]

 

Im with GM with this one so you're better off listening to him - he seems to make more sense then i do!

 

The best advice I could ever give you is this, if GM says something, assume the opposite, obviously if he's agreeing with me than you're on fairly safe ground.

 

Love is a many splendoured thing. You miserable old tart.

[Rich]

Also, I certainly wouldn't advocate believing everything that comes from the club, Mel, as you mentioned you might do earlier.

 

Mort's a lawyer (speaks for itself) for starters... and Keegan, while appearing to be totally trustworthy and honest, still probably doesn't give it straight 100% of the time - only when he has to.

 

Alright, not saying everything they say should be treated as gospel, just saying the only words I'd pay any genuine attention to are those from within the club. You're right to say they'll not always tell it straight but I'd trust the words of Mort etc over the speculation of some Sun journo any day of the week.

 

That's probably fair enough. But some of the really cynical types might say that's a more dangerous philosophy (if you get what I mean).

 

It's mine as well, by the way, but I understand the potential pitfalls it brings.

 

Yeah. I'm a student journalist and the power of the quote has been underlined many a time to us, but I guess even then it might not the absolute solid truth. Easy to say one thing and mean another, if thats what you're getting at.

 

Aye, sort of. If we all believed everything that the chairman (past and present) told us, then I think it's fairly safe to say we'd all be up shit creek without a paddle amongst us. It's about finding that balance, I suppose, because we're never going to know what really gets said and done behind closed doors.

 

I've just more or less given up posting/thinking either way, as some may have noticed, it's always somewhere in the middle for me.

 

Pointless worrying about stuff you can't control, I say. NUFC no longer keeps me awake at night.

[Mick]

Love is a many splendoured thing. You miserable old tart.

 

Less of the tart please.

[NE5]

Keegan came back to finish what turned out to incompleted job the the first time round. If promises were made by Mort & Ashley to lure him back, and Ashley fails to live up to them i know who i'd prefer to have around and it's not 'Johnny Come Lately' Ashley, although there's only going to be one loser in this instance. Ashley's a ruthless figure in the business world, both as a razor cutter type - ie. buy low, keep expenditure down, sell high - and somebody who will cut any supposed opposition loose, as already been eluded to, and Keegan will be back running his coaching schools sooner rather than later if there's substance to these 'showdown talk' stories.

 

And Keegan should be running thing in terms of selling the club to any potential big name players, established players and potential stars alike. Would be targets want to hear the selling pitches straight from the horse's mouth, the bloke who'll be adorned in the tracksuit out on the training pitch..... not some 'hot winded' talk from a high powered suit-orientated delegation ie. Viterre. This is exactly how Chelsea lost out to Arsenal in the bid to sign Walcott. Wenger sold the youngster the idea of where the team was heading on the pitch, his methodology. Kenyon and Arnesson, with an emphasis on Kenyon here, threw money at the kid and ultimately they lost out.

 

Keegan should've been at the forefront in our bid secure Modric, he should've spearheaded the club's attack in this instance. Obviously Mort & Ashley have different ideas on this front, re: Vitterre's role in our transfer dealings/being the 'club seller' & 'deal closure', and they're wrong.

 

 

spot on

 

 

[GM]

Love is a many splendoured thing. You miserable old tart.

 

Less of the tart please.

 

Look up, I just added a LOL smiley for you, pruneface.

[BlufPurdi]

As much as I hate all the shit coming out in the papers, and as much as I know it's all utter fabrication, I totally detest the image it will be painting of us around the country. And these things are important, sadly.  Sitting here and dismissing it is all very well and good, but the damage is being done by the papers.

[TRon]

I just know what I saw on Sunday during Keegan's press interview on live tv. I suppose most of the press speculation is based on that.

[NE5]

If anything it should be Wise who is read the riot act for...

 

a) Not signing up Owen (despite KK wanting it sorted ages ago).

b) Not selling the club to Woodgate (he opted to go to Tottenham).

c) Not seeling the club to Modric (see above).

 

Regardless of European football I think if Keegan had been totally involved in the transfers above he would have had the charm and charisma to sell the club to players like he did to Shearer, Ginola, Asprila (sp.), Les Ferdinand etc.

 

For me Dennis Wise does not have the necessary charisma and charm to effectively do his job and until that is resolved KK will just end up getting fustrated standing by and watching his targets move on to other places.

 

 

Agree with this too

 

 

[johnnypd]

many thought it was bullshit that they'd be down in london having a meeting but it wasn't. ias others have pointed out, the transfer targets discussion was held a couple weeks back and keegan began to personally scout some of the players on wise and vetere's list. so it wasn't just a routine thing like that.  i wouldn't write anything off atm, but i certainly won't be believing any of the press speculation yet. football journos spend their life in and around clubs, talking to players, coaches, managers, chairmen, the chairman's son, the tea lady, the tea lady's son etc. they get a lot of allegedly ITK tips every day, most of it shit. some of it they print, some they don't. none will know the full extent of what went on the meeting but it's possible that a couple might have a little snippet or two, or a hint dropped here or there.

 

even the mail was spot on once - when it came to dennis wise being appointed, and that one sounded ridiculous at first.

 

For what it's worth, I do agree that there is definitely some serious substance to this meeting, the only problem I have is people potentially believing absolute falsities about what it entailed and starting to string-up some of those involved with what a very likely to be lies. I'm very sceptical about the Sun's version of events, but I think you're right when you say this wasn't just a "transfer target" affair.

 

That point about the Mail is right, too, they do occasionally get something on the money. I knew there'd been a time recently where they'd broken a story before anyone else, but couldn't remember which it was. Sums it up though, doesn't it? They get one thing right in a hundred and people still look upon them as a very creditable source.

 

What's that website with all the press lies/falsities/wrongs on it again? They're wrong far more often than they're right.

 

no idea what that site is, sounds like a terrific idea tho!

 

until i see evidence to the contrary i see the meeting as something positive. it sets boundaries and gets everyone on the same page. i don't see keegan as the type of person who lets things linger and fester, but who wants to get things out in the open and sorted. even if the truth is that we aren't spending a huge amount, at least keegan knows where he stands on that point. and anyway, i'd imagine that the £20m figure (which seems exceedingly* unlikely) is in reference to how much we're prepared to outlay this year and refers to phased payments, ie £6.5m this year on Modric, the rest later.

 

*exceedingly is a good word, makes me think of mr kipling's cakes 

[Wullie]

http://www.footballtransferleague.co.uk/

[Mick]

Look up, I just added a LOL smiley for you, pruneface.

 

Much better.  

[Mick]

As much as I hate all the s*** coming out in the papers, and as much as I know it's all utter fabrication, I totally detest the image it will be painting of us around the country.  And these things are important, sadly.  Sitting here and dismissing it is all very well and good, but the damage is being done by the papers.

 

I'd agree with most of that.

[NE5]

I can't see Keegan getting the push, but a meeting being termed 'productive and constructive' is lawyer-speak for 'no comment'.

 

Sorry, but I think a lot of people on here haven't grasped the damage that Keegan has done. He's the public face of a team, which includes Ashley, Mort, Vetere and Wise, all of whom are working to attract the best players they can to the club and to build for the future. When the manager comes out with such a discouraging message, he's disrespecting and undermining the people that are actually working very hard for him. That was why he was summoned to that meeting in double quick time. He may have seriously harmed morale within this group, and jeopardised their confidence in him.

 

That is true, and I see the point and it obviously has a lot of merit.

 

However - I HOPE that the reason for it is for KK to motivate the board to up their game. I think so far they have been pretty mediocre. I'm not happy with what Ashleys mouthpiece is saying and as I said earlier, Keegan knows far more about football than they do, he also has his last stint to show them on his CV, his way is the best and if they ignore it they are wrong.

 

 

[Guest rebel_yell12]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/sport/football.html?in_article_id=565228&in_page_id=1779&ico=Homepage&icl=TabModule&icc=picbox&ct=5

 

Michael Owen is facing a £2m pay cut as Keegan and Ashley strike a fragile truce at Newcastle

By COLIN YOUNG

 

Michael Owen could be the big loser at Newcastle with a £40,000-a-week pay cut as owner Mike Ashley last night struck a fragile truce with manager Kevin Keegan.

 

Ashley called for an end to the civil war tearing the club apart as Keegan emerged from an, at times, heated four-hour showdown with his job intact.

 

 

But the manager was told that money for transfers is tight and that captain Owen will see his current £120,000-a-week pay slashed by £2m a year if he wants a new contract to start in a year's time.

 

Ashley called the meeting at his Freshfields offices in London in a bid to end the friction between the manager who guided his team to Barclays Premier League safety and scouting directors Dennis Wise and Tony Jimenez.

 

Chairman Chris Mort and new vice-chairman Derek Llambias were also present.

 

As expected, Keegan will remain as the Newcastle boss for next season, but he has been told in no uncertain terms that outbursts such as last week's, when he appeared to criticise Ashley and the money available for transfers, will no longer be tolerated by the tough-talking billionaire businessman and his boardroom team.

 

The summer war chest will be around £20million, but if the manager wants more money he will have to sell first.

 

Keegan has been seeking assurances that Owen's future will be sorted as he has just one year left on his contract.

 

So far, after six weeks of talks, the two sides have failed to negotiate a new deal. His prospective pay cut amounts to £2m a year.

 

The former England manager is also hoping he will have the last say on transfer targets as London-based Wise and Jimenez scour the globe for young talent.

 

Keegan wants players with Barclays Premier League experience � not least Owen who he wants on a long-term contract.

 

After the clear-the-air meeting, chairman Mort said: 'It was a good meeting. It was both productive and constructive.'

 

In the wake of the 2-0 defeat by Chelsea on Monday, Keegan suggested he would not get the financial backing he needed this summer, and also hinted at frustrations with the chain of command which allowed Wise a major say in player recruitment.

 

Before travelling to the capital, Keegan insisted he would not change his style.

 

He said: 'Part of my job as manager of Newcastle United is to tell fans what's happening at their club. Part of the media's job is to report it correctly, and keep it in context and not go off on tangents.

 

'I'll continue to do what I've always done while I've been manager of Newcastle United, and at Manchester City, Fulham, and England. I haven't changed. I'm not scared of saying what I think the situation is and I won't change that.'

 

Keegan arrived back at St James' in January promising to provide the fans with exciting football and the prospect of a return to the lofty heights Newcastle briefly scaled during his previous spell in charge.

 

If his thoughts are now tinged with a little more realism after four months at the helm, he is no less determined to bring the good times back to Tyneside.

 

In the short term, that will mean ending a difficult season on a high at Everton tomorrow, where his side will take on a team looking to cement the fifth place Keegan believes has to be his goal for next season.

 

He said: 'That's our main target next year and that's a very good target to set ourselves from where we are at the moment.'

 

A positive result at Goodison Park would see Keegan overtake the club's Premier League low points total of 43 under Glenn Roeder last season, something Keegan set as a target several weeks ago.

 

They will have to do it without key players, however, with striker Mark Viduka anxiously awaiting news of his Achilles injury which could yet rule him out for six months, and midfielder Joey Barton unavailable because of bail conditions relating to the city of Liverpool.

 

It is a measure of how much Barton has progressed under Keegan that he will be missed this weekend.

 

The 25- year-old, a £5.8million Sam Allardyce signing, endured a slow start to his Newcastle career after suffering a metatarsal injury in pre-season.

 

But he has started 13 of the last 14 games and is once again looking like the player he was at City.

 

Keegan said: 'Joey can be really pleased with his performances. What he has done here is win over the fans � he has certainly won over a lot of his team-mates, who didn't know quite what he was like before.'

 

No idea how true any of this is, bit worrying if theres genuinely anything to it.

 

No need to worry.  I'd wager very little of it is true.  At least, the two parts I've bolded blatantly aren't true.  Owen is on right at 100k per week (according to the Times' list of top-paid Premiership players -- among other, far more reliable, sources) not 120k, a fact which anyone who really was an "insider" would surely know.  And Owen has said, multiple times -- including at Shearer's bar not four days ago -- that his advisors have not yet even been contacted.  So if "six weeks of talks" has occurred, then either Owen and Keegan are both outright lying (neither has a history of this) or the rag sheets have printed a story without worrying about any basis of truth (I do think there is a history of this).  That such easy-to-check facts are wrong makes me suspicious of the veracity of the entire article. 

 

Then there is the fact that I can't imagine Ashley got to be a billionaire by not realising "bad business" when it appears before him -- and chasing off Owen (who could get 60-80k per week at more promising clubs, tbh) is bad business.  There are two big names to use when trying to write sh*** about NUFC:  Keegan and Owen.  Who else at Newcastle will sell papers nationwide?  Taylor's contract won't, Martins' won't, etc.  Only Keegan and Owen have that sort of 'celebrity' for lack of a better word, and therefore, the big "crisis" has to involve both of them to sell more papers.  Call me cynical, if you will.  But this one even threw in Joey Barton, the 'celebrated' problem child at Newcastle for good measure.  Just selling papers. 

[PRL]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/sport/football.html?in_article_id=565228&in_page_id=1779&ico=Homepage&icl=TabModule&icc=picbox&ct=5

 

Michael Owen is facing a £2m pay cut as Keegan and Ashley strike a fragile truce at Newcastle

By COLIN YOUNG

 

Michael Owen could be the big loser at Newcastle with a £40,000-a-week pay cut as owner Mike Ashley last night struck a fragile truce with manager Kevin Keegan.

 

Ashley called for an end to the civil war tearing the club apart as Keegan emerged from an, at times, heated four-hour showdown with his job intact.

 

 

But the manager was told that money for transfers is tight and that captain Owen will see his current £120,000-a-week pay slashed by £2m a year if he wants a new contract to start in a year's time.

 

Ashley called the meeting at his Freshfields offices in London in a bid to end the friction between the manager who guided his team to Barclays Premier League safety and scouting directors Dennis Wise and Tony Jimenez.

 

Chairman Chris Mort and new vice-chairman Derek Llambias were also present.

 

As expected, Keegan will remain as the Newcastle boss for next season, but he has been told in no uncertain terms that outbursts such as last week's, when he appeared to criticise Ashley and the money available for transfers, will no longer be tolerated by the tough-talking billionaire businessman and his boardroom team.

 

The summer war chest will be around £20million, but if the manager wants more money he will have to sell first.

 

Keegan has been seeking assurances that Owen's future will be sorted as he has just one year left on his contract.

 

So far, after six weeks of talks, the two sides have failed to negotiate a new deal. His prospective pay cut amounts to £2m a year.

 

The former England manager is also hoping he will have the last say on transfer targets as London-based Wise and Jimenez scour the globe for young talent.

 

Keegan wants players with Barclays Premier League experience � not least Owen who he wants on a long-term contract.

 

After the clear-the-air meeting, chairman Mort said: 'It was a good meeting. It was both productive and constructive.'

 

In the wake of the 2-0 defeat by Chelsea on Monday, Keegan suggested he would not get the financial backing he needed this summer, and also hinted at frustrations with the chain of command which allowed Wise a major say in player recruitment.

 

Before travelling to the capital, Keegan insisted he would not change his style.

 

He said: 'Part of my job as manager of Newcastle United is to tell fans what's happening at their club. Part of the media's job is to report it correctly, and keep it in context and not go off on tangents.

 

'I'll continue to do what I've always done while I've been manager of Newcastle United, and at Manchester City, Fulham, and England. I haven't changed. I'm not scared of saying what I think the situation is and I won't change that.'

 

Keegan arrived back at St James' in January promising to provide the fans with exciting football and the prospect of a return to the lofty heights Newcastle briefly scaled during his previous spell in charge.

 

If his thoughts are now tinged with a little more realism after four months at the helm, he is no less determined to bring the good times back to Tyneside.

 

In the short term, that will mean ending a difficult season on a high at Everton tomorrow, where his side will take on a team looking to cement the fifth place Keegan believes has to be his goal for next season.

 

He said: 'That's our main target next year and that's a very good target to set ourselves from where we are at the moment.'

 

A positive result at Goodison Park would see Keegan overtake the club's Premier League low points total of 43 under Glenn Roeder last season, something Keegan set as a target several weeks ago.

 

They will have to do it without key players, however, with striker Mark Viduka anxiously awaiting news of his Achilles injury which could yet rule him out for six months, and midfielder Joey Barton unavailable because of bail conditions relating to the city of Liverpool.

 

It is a measure of how much Barton has progressed under Keegan that he will be missed this weekend.

 

The 25- year-old, a £5.8million Sam Allardyce signing, endured a slow start to his Newcastle career after suffering a metatarsal injury in pre-season.

 

But he has started 13 of the last 14 games and is once again looking like the player he was at City.

 

Keegan said: 'Joey can be really pleased with his performances. What he has done here is win over the fans � he has certainly won over a lot of his team-mates, who didn't know quite what he was like before.'

 

No idea how true any of this is, bit worrying if theres genuinely anything to it.

 

No need to worry.  I'd wager very little of it is true.  At least, the two parts I've bolded blatantly aren't true.  Owen is on right at 100k per week (according to the Times' list of top-paid Premiership players -- among other, far more reliable, sources) not 120k, a fact which anyone who really was an "insider" would surely know.  And Owen has said, multiple times -- including at Shearer's bar not four days ago -- that his advisors have not yet even been contacted.  So if "six weeks of talks" has occurred, then either Owen and Keegan are both outright lying (neither has a history of this) or the rag sheets have printed a story without worrying about any basis of truth (I do think there is a history of this).  That such easy-to-check facts are wrong makes me suspicious of the veracity of the entire article. 

 

Then there is the fact that I can't imagine Ashley got to be a billionaire by not realising "bad business" when it appears before him -- and chasing off Owen (who could get 60-80k per week at more promising clubs, tbh) is bad business.  There are two big names to use when trying to write sh*** about NUFC:  Keegan and Owen.  Who else at Newcastle will sell papers nationwide?  Taylor's contract won't, Martins' won't, etc.  Only Keegan and Owen have that sort of 'celebrity' for lack of a better word, and therefore, the big "crisis" has to involve both of them to sell more papers.  Call me cynical, if you will.  But this one even threw in Joey Barton, the 'celebrated' problem child at Newcastle for good measure.  Just selling papers. 

 

Have to agree, i mean how the fuck do the mail know what went on?! Freshfields isn't exactly a bar where someone can listen in, it's a huge office that no press would get near. If we only had 20m to spend then why the fuck would we have bidded 16m for Modric? That would have left us with 4m + sales which there is no chance would have been the case. I fucking hate the mail, them and the guardian are always out to get at us

[ianovthetoon]

http://www.journallive.co.uk/nufc/newcastle-united-news/2008/05/10/ashley-s-positive-kevin-is-his-man-61634-20889160/

 

MIKE Ashley remains convinced Kevin Keegan is the right man to lead Newcastle United’s Premier League revival after the pair met in London yesterday to discuss summer transfers.

 

Ashley was joined by chairman Chris Mort, Dennis Wise and Tony Jimenez at the meeting at the Freshfields Office and, although Mort insisted the matters discussed were “private club business”, the outcome was said to be amicable and positive for the future.

 

Speculation has been rife over the last few days that Keegan’s relationship with Ashley had turned sour after he appeared to express his frustration at the lack of communication between himself and the owner.

 

Keegan seemed irritated he had not been informed how much money he would have to spend in the summer, while new contracts for key players like Michael Owen, Obafemi Martins and Steven Taylor had also still not been agreed, despite his insistence they were a matter of urgency.

 

However, although new contracts were discussed at yesterday’s meeting, the main purpose of the talks – as revealed in The Journal yesterday – was to formulate a clear plan on how best to proceed in the transfer market this summer.

 

Keegan is believed to have sought certain assurances about the amount of money that will be available to him as he tries to strengthen the squad and, given that he, Ashley and Mort were all in attendance at a charity dinner for former United manager Sir Bobby Robson last night, he appears to be happy with the figure he was quoted.

 

United were unwilling to elaborate on what was said at the meeting but Mort confirmed to The Journal last night that the atmosphere was positive and that all parties were looking to move the club forward over the summer. He said: “We had a good meeting which was both productive and constructive.”

 

United, of course, have a last-day trip to Everton to worry about tomorrow and Keegan will focus all his attention on trying to end the season in style at Goodison Park. It will be another good benchmark for Newcastle. The Toffeemen need a point to guarantee their place in

 

the Uefa Cup next season, an objective Keegan will set his squad at the start of next season.

 

However, he is bound to be quizzed at length about the confused events of the last few days, as well as his reaction to the talks with Ashley, regardless of the result. Newcastle fans will certainly hope the manager is in a more positive frame of mind than he was after the 2-0 defeat by Chelsea on Bank Holiday Monday, with an exciting summer of new arrivals anticipated.

 

At this stage, it is clear where their support lies and it is with the manager, who has restored some much-needed pride and self-belief at the end of another difficult campaign with a run of just one defeat in eight games.

 

It is highly unlikely that details of exactly how much Keegan has in the transfer kitty will be made public as every club sensibly tries to hide its hand when it comes to the often complex bidding process. But it is believed to be a sizeable amount, with Keegan content with life at St James’s Park.

 

The Journal understands that talks with Owen’s advisers will begin in the next few days and Keegan will hope his skipper, Martins and Taylor will all have agreed new deals by the time he is able to welcome his first new signing to St James’s Park. Keegan has indicated he expects to land three or four top quality players over the summer, but that number is likely to increase if, as expected, the likes of Charles N’Zogbia, Emre and Alan Smith leave the club

 

 

That version of events makes more sense

[Liam Liam Liam O]

However - I HOPE that the reason for it is for KK to motivate the board to up their game. I think so far they have been pretty mediocre.   I'm not happy with what Ashleys mouthpiece is saying and as I said earlier, Keegan knows far more about football than they do, he also has his last stint to show them on his CV, his way is the best and if they ignore it they are wrong.

 

 

 

What do you think he should be saying?

[Tooj]

However - I HOPE that the reason for it is for KK to motivate the board to up their game. I think so far they have been pretty mediocre.   I'm not happy with what Ashleys mouthpiece is saying and as I said earlier, Keegan knows far more about football than they do, he also has his last stint to show them on his CV, his way is the best and if they ignore it they are wrong.

 

 

 

What do you think he should be saying?

 

“If he was standing in front of me I’d punch him on the nose.”