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Keegan: Me and Ashley work superbly together


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It may have taken him several months to break his silence on the in-fighting at Newcastle United, but manager Kevin Keegan last night insisted there are no difficulties between himself, owner Mike Ashley and football director Dennis Wise.

 

 

Keegan's reluctance to appear before the media during the summer, rumours of Ashley's attempts to sell the club and find new investors and the unveiling of just three new signings have sparked stories of unrest between the manager and the boardroom.

 

 

But after finally securing £10million Argentina defender Fabricio Coloccini at the club training ground yesterday, Keegan was adamant that his relationship with Ashley is working and can continue to work.

 

 

Keegan said there has been a marked improvement in relations since their showdown meeting at the end of last season, although doubts persist about who is behind the signing of Coloccini, his Argentina team-mate Jonas Gutierrez and former Liverpool junior Danny Guthrie, who could all make debuts at Old Trafford tomorrow.

 

 

Keegan said: 'I do not think we have ever been closer than we are now. Mike Ashley has come out and said in his own words how he sees the club, where he is with the club and that was a good thing to do because it stopped all talk that he is thinking of selling.

 

 

'If you talk to Mike Ashley about this club, he is really committed. He would be the first to tell you he does not understand everything about football because he is a fan but I would guarantee what he does not know, he will learn very quickly.

 

 

'He is very sharp, very observant, does not miss a trick when you are in meetings. If someone tells him something then you don't say the same thing quite again. He will pick up on it.I have had that happen to me.

 

 

'We all understand our roles. We all understand what each other's briefs are and what each of us brings to the club and that is a good thing.

 

 

'We are never going to agree on everything. If you put six or seven guys in a room talking about football, you are never ever going to agree on everything but the important thing is when we don't agree, it stays in the room. And you come out and are very much united

 

 

'I am sure if you ask Dennis Wise, Tony Jimenez, Jeff Vetere, Mike Ashley and Derek Llambias, they would say the same thing because that is the truth. We are really looking to do the right things.

 

 

'When we wrap up this period with the transfer deadline, the fans will see where we are. We have just broken our record for a defender and that sends out a message.

 

 

This new love-in is certain to be put to the test before the closure of the transfer window with Keegan still desperate to sign a left-back, short of cover at right-back and looking for at least one more midfielder.

 

 

Although Abdoulaye Faye has joined Stoke for £2.25m, Everton continue to circle over Alan Smith, after their initial £3m bid was accepted by Ashley but not the manager or player.

 

 

Aston Villa are prepared to offer three times that amount for James Milner, but Keegan says he will not be sold. And that Ashley agrees.

 

 

He said: 'He is the last player Newcastle are going to sell and owner and myself . . .  James will not be leaving here I am sure on that.

 

 

'I don't want to lose Alan Smith either. He is great round the place, but he needs a goal at Newcastle so people don't keep saying he has gone so many games without scoring. He is a great member of our squad.'

 

 

The Newcastle manager may be happy with new addition Coloccini and insisted: 'We have paid a club record for a defender but this is the type of player you should break records for.'

 

 

However, he also revealed unwittingly he may be a stranger to the new Newcastle No.2, saying: 'We've not had much chance to look at him but he looks quality.'

 

 

And as he admitted he can only see Tottenham breaking into the top four this summer, Keegan was forced to admit Newcastle are playing catch up on more teams in the Premier League than he would prefer.

 

 

He added: 'We still have some way to go because Rome wasn't built in a day and none of these football clubs in the top four were there from day one but we'll see what happens with Spurs and their attempt to do it.

 

 

'At the moment, they have brought in more players and quality players. I have got to say that because we were after Woodgate and Modric. But that does not mean to say we cannot catch them up or compete with Spurs this season.'

 

 

http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/sport/football/article-1045738/Peace-breaks-Newcastle-Keegan-lands-10m-Coloccini-insists-Me-Ashley-work-superbly-together.html?ITO=1490

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They just completely ignore the fact they've all been saying these things since Wise et al came in, they completely ignore the fact Ashley has already addressed all the issues, and they seem completely ignorant of the fact they started many of the rumours themselves.

 

Utter lying twats.

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However, he also revealed unwittingly he may be a stranger to the new Newcastle No.2, saying: 'We've not had much chance to look at him but he looks quality.'

 

 

and still they try to stir bollocks, im presuming keegan means in training here, fitness wise, not that he hasnt seen him play and is someone else's aquaisition

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What is written down doesn't take into account the context of the words or their delivery. The bit about Keegan and Ashley feeling the same about Milner was as obvious a dig at the press as you'll see, but it'll be reported as though it's a new thing for them to agree. They'll ask why he didn't say the same about Smith, or any of the other players.

 

The bit about seven football blokes in a room will be turned into 'Toon arguing behind the scenes' and the bit about coming out united will mean he's lying to the fans or something.

 

I really don't know why I continue to get wound up by such shite, but I do. Probably because I know there are so many people who believe it.

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Wish we had Woodgate and Modric...

 

I thought the board didn't make the funds available for him. At least that's what NE5 has us believe.

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Guest Stephen927
'We are never going to agree on everything. If you put six or seven guys in a room talking about football, you are never ever going to agree on everything but the important thing is when we don't agree, it stays in the room. And you come out and are very much united

 

Pisses me off that the media make a big deal out of this, it's obvious that they aren't going to agree on everything but this is apparently put in a bad light. I think it's a good thing for the club to have many different opinions when it comes to players, rather than what we used to have with our one scout.

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And they're still referring to last seasons meeting as a showdown.

 

Well, I think it was a bit of a showdown, but my feeling is that it's had a positive effect. I'm well satisfied with the players we've brought in so far, and the best may be yet to come.

 

I was listening to Five Live's Premiership preview with David Pleat, Gabriele Marcotti and Graham Poll. They were very negative about our chances, and full of doom and gloom about what was going on behind the scenes. It was just unreal. All this negative publicity has had a real effect.

 

Mind you, to some extent Keegan brought it on himself, with that little rant after the Chelsea game. I think he's learned his lesson now.

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And they're still referring to last seasons meeting as a showdown.

 

Well, I think it was a bit of a showdown, but my feeling is that it's had a positive effect. I'm well satisfied with the players we've brought in so far, and the best may be yet to come.

 

I was listening to Five Live's Premiership preview with David Pleat, Gabriele Marcotti and Graham Poll. They were very negative about our chances, and full of doom and gloom about what was going on behind the scenes. It was just unreal. All this negative publicity has had a real effect.

 

Mind you, to some extent Keegan brought it on himself, with that little rant after the Chelsea game. I think he's learned his lesson now.

 

I really can't wait to ram it down all their throats.

 

We're nowhere near as bad as some people think, nowhere near.

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what i wouldn't give for us to bring in 4 quality players before Sep and and shut the c***s up. The clubs who suddenly think they're a league above us, Everton, Man f***ing City, Spurs, Blackburn, even Pompey and their line of spitting arseholes

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what i wouldn't give for us to bring in 4 quality players before Sep and and shut the c***s up. The clubs who suddenly think they're a league above us, Everton, Man f***ing City, Spurs, Blackburn, even Pompey and their line of spitting arseholes

 

We're better than they think right now though. Agree it'd be really good to bring in a couple of top players like.

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Coloccini, his Argentina team-mate Jonas Gutierrez and former Liverpool junior Danny Guthrie, who could all make debuts at Old Trafford tomorrow.

 

We must be having a six day week this week! Obviously no Saturday, aparently its Sunday tomorrow!

 

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Coloccini, his Argentina team-mate Jonas Gutierrez and former Liverpool junior Danny Guthrie, who could all make debuts at Old Trafford tomorrow.

 

We must be having a six day week this week! Obviously no Saturday, aparently its Sunday tomorrow!

 

 

?

 

The same story will be in the paper tomorrow, they've just put it online first.

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