KK resigns - see OP for new club statement issued September 6th

[Carlito]

With any luck this story will be concluded tomorrow.

 

Let's hope so, and in the best way possible. I don't think I could handle another day like that

[GM]

One thing I'm sure of is this story will definitely NOT be concluded tomorrow. This one will run and run.

[Yorkie]

Take this how you will, I know ITK bollocks is all usually useless. I work at the England Cricket Board, and my manager, the director of corporate communications, used to do the same job at the FA, and basically at the request of Paul Collingwood and Steve Harmison he put a call into some people over there to try and find out:

 

Keegan went mental re: the attempted sale of Barton and Smith behind his back. Nobody tried to sell Owen, that was never on the agenda, we were simply waiting until after deadline day to sort that out. He was furious as he'd said we shouldn't sell either with lack of adequate replacement. However, Ashley, Vetere, Jimenez and Wise considered Xisco and Gonzalez to be adequate replacement for both so went ahead with it, without consulting KK, and thus a complete fiasco ensued - in the end they said they wouldn't sell either but KK being a man of principle refused to back down, especially as Milner was essentially sold behind his bacl - despite public utterings to the contrary he was almightily unhappy about it.

 

The current state of affairs: Keegan acte dout, heated arguments ensued in the meetings with him threatening to walk and the others threatening the sack. Keegan then said he was leaving and walked out but the rest have since realised his value to the club and are now doing their utmost to bring him back/persuade him that this wasn't done over his head, this is what they thought he wanted. He's let down as he does not have complete control over transfers, doesn't know the two new players and feels players are being offered to other clubs behind his back, and thus, as a man of principle, feels his position is untenable. Club reiterated they wouldn't sack him, but are now in the process of convincing him not to leave.

 

My opinion: Barton and Smith have played a big role in this coming to the surface, which is a crying shame as both have been fairly dogshit since arrival.

 

Forecast: Keegan will remain as manager, gaining new guarantees about his primacy over transfers.

 

I think i can go with that tbh. Sounds like a decent interpretation of what's happened for what reasons.

 

Keegan's not in the wrong there imo. Aye, i wouldn't necassarily agree with his opinion about them being particularly great players; but if a manager wants to keep them then you don't go behind his back and sell them. Remember Bobby Robson and Gary Speed? He's got every right to kick off if that's the case and if he has done then i'm not going to slate him for it.

 

Assuming of course that there's any truth in that. Probably wasn't the only issure raised and i'd be surprised if Keegan doesn't share some blame for problems that have arisen; but if that's the crux of it then Keegan ftw. You can't treat your manager like that.

 

Very intrigued as to what's going to happen tomorrow. Really am in a state of atm.

[Guest Gallowgate Mag]

With any luck this story will be concluded tomorrow.

 

Today would be even better

[madras]

With any luck this story will be concluded tomorrow.

 

Today would be even better

you're kidding. with the mail on our tail if keegan doesn't tail it tomorrow this could run for years

[Baggio]

Take this how you will, I know ITK bollocks is all usually useless. I work at the England Cricket Board, and my manager, the director of corporate communications, used to do the same job at the FA, and basically at the request of Paul Collingwood and Steve Harmison he put a call into some people over there to try and find out:

 

Keegan went mental re: the attempted sale of Barton and Smith behind his back. Nobody tried to sell Owen, that was never on the agenda, we were simply waiting until after deadline day to sort that out. He was furious as he'd said we shouldn't sell either with lack of adequate replacement. However, Ashley, Vetere, Jimenez and Wise considered Xisco and Gonzalez to be adequate replacement for both so went ahead with it, without consulting KK, and thus a complete fiasco ensued - in the end they said they wouldn't sell either but KK being a man of principle refused to back down, especially as Milner was essentially sold behind his bacl - despite public utterings to the contrary he was almightily unhappy about it.

 

The current state of affairs: Keegan acte dout, heated arguments ensued in the meetings with him threatening to walk and the others threatening the sack. Keegan then said he was leaving and walked out but the rest have since realised his value to the club and are now doing their utmost to bring him back/persuade him that this wasn't done over his head, this is what they thought he wanted. He's let down as he does not have complete control over transfers, doesn't know the two new players and feels players are being offered to other clubs behind his back, and thus, as a man of principle, feels his position is untenable. Club reiterated they wouldn't sack him, but are now in the process of convincing him not to leave.

 

My opinion: Barton and Smith have played a big role in this coming to the surface, which is a crying shame as both have been fairly dogshit since arrival.

 

Forecast: Keegan will remain as manager, gaining new guarantees about his primacy over transfers.

 

I think i can go with that tbh. Sounds like a decent interpretation of what's happened for what reasons.

 

Keegan's not in the wrong there imo. Aye, i wouldn't necassarily agree with his opinion about them being particularly great players; but if a manager wants to keep them then you don't go behind his back and sell them. Remember Bobby Robson and Gary Speed? He's got every right to kick off if that's the case and if he has done then i'm not going to slate him for it.

 

Assuming of course that there's any truth in that. Probably wasn't the only issure raised and i'd be surprised if Keegan doesn't share some blame for problems that have arisen; but if that's the crux of it then Keegan ftw. You can't treat your manager like that.

 

Very intrigued as to what's going to happen tomorrow. Really am in a state of atm.

 

There's a big difference between Shepherd selling Speed and Ashley trying to get rid of Barton tbf.

 

The funny thing is the majority of this board think barton is the scum of the earth and want him out of the club, yet they're all sticking up for Keegan and turning against Ashley for attempting to do just that it appears.

[LooneyToonArmy]

I can understand folk being disappointed by the rent-a-charvas who turned up for the TV and the media, but in their own way they have done their bit. May have gone some way to showing Ashley just how much KK and the club means to the city and it's people.

 

Aye, that's true, got to give them their dues for that. The end justifies the means.

 

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Football/Pix/pictures/2008/09/02/FansAcLeeSmith.jpg

[Tachikoma]

what`s the longest thread we`ve had on this forum? Is it this one now? The Luque one?

 

Still 200 pages short of "Realistic Summer Transfers"

 

Its still the fastest thread ever to break the 100 page mark. 108 pages in 24 hours :0

[ChezGiven]

what`s the longest thread we`ve had on this forum? Is it this one now? The Luque one?

 

Still 200 pages short of "Realistic Summer Transfers"

 

Its still the fastest thread ever to break the 100 page mark. 108 pages in 24 hours :0

 

With the lesson being dont believe what you read in the press.

 

 

[Yorkie]

Take this how you will, I know ITK bollocks is all usually useless. I work at the England Cricket Board, and my manager, the director of corporate communications, used to do the same job at the FA, and basically at the request of Paul Collingwood and Steve Harmison he put a call into some people over there to try and find out:

 

Keegan went mental re: the attempted sale of Barton and Smith behind his back. Nobody tried to sell Owen, that was never on the agenda, we were simply waiting until after deadline day to sort that out. He was furious as he'd said we shouldn't sell either with lack of adequate replacement. However, Ashley, Vetere, Jimenez and Wise considered Xisco and Gonzalez to be adequate replacement for both so went ahead with it, without consulting KK, and thus a complete fiasco ensued - in the end they said they wouldn't sell either but KK being a man of principle refused to back down, especially as Milner was essentially sold behind his bacl - despite public utterings to the contrary he was almightily unhappy about it.

 

The current state of affairs: Keegan acte dout, heated arguments ensued in the meetings with him threatening to walk and the others threatening the sack. Keegan then said he was leaving and walked out but the rest have since realised his value to the club and are now doing their utmost to bring him back/persuade him that this wasn't done over his head, this is what they thought he wanted. He's let down as he does not have complete control over transfers, doesn't know the two new players and feels players are being offered to other clubs behind his back, and thus, as a man of principle, feels his position is untenable. Club reiterated they wouldn't sack him, but are now in the process of convincing him not to leave.

 

My opinion: Barton and Smith have played a big role in this coming to the surface, which is a crying shame as both have been fairly dogshit since arrival.

 

Forecast: Keegan will remain as manager, gaining new guarantees about his primacy over transfers.

 

I think i can go with that tbh. Sounds like a decent interpretation of what's happened for what reasons.

 

Keegan's not in the wrong there imo. Aye, i wouldn't necassarily agree with his opinion about them being particularly great players; but if a manager wants to keep them then you don't go behind his back and sell them. Remember Bobby Robson and Gary Speed? He's got every right to kick off if that's the case and if he has done then i'm not going to slate him for it.

 

Assuming of course that there's any truth in that. Probably wasn't the only issure raised and i'd be surprised if Keegan doesn't share some blame for problems that have arisen; but if that's the crux of it then Keegan ftw. You can't treat your manager like that.

 

Very intrigued as to what's going to happen tomorrow. Really am in a state of atm.

 

There's a big difference between Shepherd selling Speed and Ashley trying to get rid of Barton tbf.

 

The funny thing is the majority of this board think barton is the scum of the earth and want him out of the club, yet they're all sticking up for Keegan and turning against Ashley for attempting to do just that it appears.

 

Of course they are, the board have no right to go behind the manager's back. If you feel that they do, then i suppose that's fair enough - but in my honest opinion, i feel it is no way to work and fairly disrespectful to a very good manager. Regardless of who the player is - they could be fantastic, they could be shite - if the manager feels he can still use him and doesn't want him gone, then it is wrong for the board to go completely against that and behind his back.

 

I don't see how it's that different a case to the Speed/Bobby thing. Aye, the personnel are very different, i agree, but as i've explained there - it doesn't matter who they are. You can't go behind your manager's back. I'll stick to that all the way.

[Nobby]

what`s the longest thread we`ve had on this forum? Is it this one now? The Luque one?

 

Still 200 pages short of "Realistic Summer Transfers"

 

Its still the fastest thread ever to break the 100 page mark. 108 pages in 24 hours :0

 

 

 

With the lesson being dont believe what you read in the press.

 

 

 

 

The same lesson as nearly every thread then

[Nobby]

Take this how you will, I know ITK bollocks is all usually useless. I work at the England Cricket Board, and my manager, the director of corporate communications, used to do the same job at the FA, and basically at the request of Paul Collingwood and Steve Harmison he put a call into some people over there to try and find out:

 

Keegan went mental re: the attempted sale of Barton and Smith behind his back. Nobody tried to sell Owen, that was never on the agenda, we were simply waiting until after deadline day to sort that out. He was furious as he'd said we shouldn't sell either with lack of adequate replacement. However, Ashley, Vetere, Jimenez and Wise considered Xisco and Gonzalez to be adequate replacement for both so went ahead with it, without consulting KK, and thus a complete fiasco ensued - in the end they said they wouldn't sell either but KK being a man of principle refused to back down, especially as Milner was essentially sold behind his bacl - despite public utterings to the contrary he was almightily unhappy about it.

 

The current state of affairs: Keegan acte dout, heated arguments ensued in the meetings with him threatening to walk and the others threatening the sack. Keegan then said he was leaving and walked out but the rest have since realised his value to the club and are now doing their utmost to bring him back/persuade him that this wasn't done over his head, this is what they thought he wanted. He's let down as he does not have complete control over transfers, doesn't know the two new players and feels players are being offered to other clubs behind his back, and thus, as a man of principle, feels his position is untenable. Club reiterated they wouldn't sack him, but are now in the process of convincing him not to leave.

 

My opinion: Barton and Smith have played a big role in this coming to the surface, which is a crying shame as both have been fairly dogshit since arrival.

 

Forecast: Keegan will remain as manager, gaining new guarantees about his primacy over transfers.

 

I think i can go with that tbh. Sounds like a decent interpretation of what's happened for what reasons.

 

Keegan's not in the wrong there imo. Aye, i wouldn't necassarily agree with his opinion about them being particularly great players; but if a manager wants to keep them then you don't go behind his back and sell them. Remember Bobby Robson and Gary Speed? He's got every right to kick off if that's the case and if he has done then i'm not going to slate him for it.

 

Assuming of course that there's any truth in that. Probably wasn't the only issure raised and i'd be surprised if Keegan doesn't share some blame for problems that have arisen; but if that's the crux of it then Keegan ftw. You can't treat your manager like that.

 

Very intrigued as to what's going to happen tomorrow. Really am in a state of atm.

 

There's a big difference between Shepherd selling Speed and Ashley trying to get rid of Barton tbf.

 

The funny thing is the majority of this board think barton is the scum of the earth and want him out of the club, yet they're all sticking up for Keegan and turning against Ashley for attempting to do just that it appears.

 

Of course they are, the board have no right to go behind the manager's back. If you feel that they do, then i suppose that's fair enough - but in my honest opinion, i feel it is no way to work and fairly disrespectful to a very good manager. Regardless of who the player is - they could be fantastic, they could be shite - if the manager feels he can still use him and doesn't want him gone, then it is wrong for the board to go completely against that and behind his back.

 

I don't see how it's that different a case to the Speed/Bobby thing. Aye, the personnel are very different, i agree, but as i've explained there - it doesn't matter who they are. You can't go behind your manager's back. I'll stick to that all the way.

 

Keegan says he wants to keep them. no matter who it is, the board should agree, and not then go behind his back to try and sell them!

[merlin]

Quite frankly, I am not really all that surprised at this development. It is a mirror image of Keegans tactic of forcing SJH hand when he walked out in 1992.

 

Just about every job he has had has ended in some sort of controversy with him throwing his dummy because he couldnt get his own way.

 

When you analyse the situation where the previous regime took the club to the brink of administration, we should all be thankful to Ashley for saving us from obscurity and putting in place a strategy for the future based on a healthy business plan where the club does not run the risk of repeating the financial black hole we fell into under Shepherd.

 

Success doesnt happen overnight unless the club has a super rich benefactor like Man City and Chelsea and Ashley is taking the club along the right lines in order to achieve some sort of success in the future without putting the club into unmanageable debt. He may be a billionaire but he is also a shrewd businessman and we should appreciate the fact that he has put the club financially back on its feet.

 

KK has a history of impatience and whilst he may have been promised substantial funds, it is possible that the players we are or have been after have looked at the club in general and seen years of failure in the trophy winning cabinet, year after year of conflict and mismangement and thought that they would be better off elsewhere.

 

In short, the club still needs to stabilise after several years of problems associated with bad appointments and financial overspends. Ashley is trying to do the right thing here in adapting his business strategy and KK needs to accept that the club is not run the same way as it was in the 90s. Success will not be immediate but needs to be built, like Arsenal or Ferguson at MU. We need stabilisation and a management system that works together over many years. Ashley can achieve this but not with Keegan. He is not the right man for the job because of his record of petulance and impatience. A manager like Mark Hughes would have been perfect for our club.

 

If KK has walked, then I believe the club will be better for it. It cannot be run by one man's opinions.

 

This is a great post - I have avoided making any comment on this situation until now because the situation wasn't really clarified and I still don't think it is...

However, what macca says contains a great deal of truth. I agree with the vast majority of his comments and think that Ashley does deserve a great deal of credit for clearing the club's debts, run up by a thoughtless and short-sighted regime.

I know, from first hand knowledge that KK has a tendency to do this sort of thing, and in my opinion, he was wrong to walk in March 1992 when all the controversy about Kilcline's fee blew up ; the fault was the Bank's, not SJH who had put personal money into the club to buy Kilcline but KK didn't wait to see the matter resolved before going...as we know, it was all sorted out and the rest is history.

 

Where I WOULD have sympathy for KK is if the current Board have over-ruled him regarding transfers, esp that of Milner, and I also think more could have been done earlier to bring in players.

Macca's point about players not wanting to come to SJP is quite correct though - as I keep saying, many fans just don't realise how far the club has fallen in 5 years and unfortunately, mud sticks..

Nevertheless, I think there has been an unnecessary parsimony about signings - knowing that the club needs to at least keep pace with its peers in the Prem, and facing the geographical and historical disadvantages that it does, the Board SHOULD have been prepared, at least for this window, to go over their valuations to get reinforcements because we could be even FURTHER behind by next season and the same problems will be there...

 

As to provision of funds, although none of us are in a position to advise or criticise Ashley's Investments, it was stupid of him, knowing the financial climate prevailing, to take a risk on a quick profit at B&B(or wherever it was) and lose 100m - this would have been better used at SJP...

 

Macca is right about Mark Hughes, although I doubt that he would put up with any interference from the Board if that HAS been happening - Hughes will, in my opinion, go on to make Man C a very strong club and

become one of the top managers in the Prem ; he may have been tipped off that the Arabs were likely to come in, which is why he was happy to take the job when he made it clear that he wasn't really interested in SJP after Allardyce was sacked..

 

As to the current situation, it is clearly not ideal - it looks as if Llambias & Wise may have fired KK and Ashley has then overruled them ; either that or both parties are seeking the best financial settlement.

In any event, neither situation is going to benefit the club - where it goes from here is anyone's guess because there is no obvious replacement other than Shearer, and that looks unlikely..

 

As I said in a post last week - 'the more things change, the more they stay the same at NUFC..'

[Yorkie]

Precisely what i'm saying Nobby, aye.   Am i really in the wrong for thinking that? We may not feel that they are particularly good players, but if the manager should have the final word on players incoming (we're all agreed on that, right?), then he should have the final word on those departing.

[Nobby]

just to add a small thing:

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[Nobby]

Precisely what i'm saying Nobby, aye.   Am i really in the wrong for thinking that? We may not feel that they are particularly good players, but if the manager should have the final word on players incoming (we're all agreed on that, right?), then he should have the final word on those departing.

 

exactly mate, he should have the final say on every player in or out, no going behind his back, why can't they work for him instead of against him?

[johnnypd]

Precisely what i'm saying Nobby, aye.   Am i really in the wrong for thinking that? We may not feel that they are particularly good players, but if the manager should have the final word on players incoming (we're all agreed on that, right?), then he should have the final word on those departing.

 

no one should be disagreeing with this basic point. if the manager has no control over which players can come and go they'll have little chance of success in the job. even if keegan wants to keep alan smith, even though i don't personally agree, he still has to be backed.

[Yorkie]

Precisely what i'm saying Nobby, aye.   Am i really in the wrong for thinking that? We may not feel that they are particularly good players, but if the manager should have the final word on players incoming (we're all agreed on that, right?), then he should have the final word on those departing.

 

no one should be disagreeing with this basic point. if the manager has no control over which players can come and go they'll have little chance of success in the job. even if keegan wants to keep alan smith, even though i don't personally agree, he still has to be backed.

 

Hurrah.

 

And, after what Theregulars came out with tonight, i can believe that this is what the main argument stemmed from. This alleged sale of Barton and Smith behind KK's back.

[Guest optimistic nit]

he does, although it seems he was backed on alan smith, as he's still here unfortunately. barton is as well, so the board most probably backtracked on selling him when keegan blew his top. milner, who knows, maybe keegan was for it, maybe he lied and didn't want him to be sold.

[Baggio]

Precisely what i'm saying Nobby, aye.   Am i really in the wrong for thinking that? We may not feel that they are particularly good players, but if the manager should have the final word on players incoming (we're all agreed on that, right?), then he should have the final word on those departing.

 

It's nothing to do with how good Barton is as a player, it's to do with him being another incident waiting to happen, how many chances has he had and here we are waiting for him to face another FA ban.

 

I was all for the club keeping him because you can't afford to write assets off however as soon as a club shown any sort of interest in him he should have been straight out of the door, Keegan putting his faith in the lad will end up backfiring spectacularly and when he has to meet up with Ashley after Barton's next stunt he'll realise that the club was right in trying to move him on.

[Yorkie]

Precisely what i'm saying Nobby, aye.   Am i really in the wrong for thinking that? We may not feel that they are particularly good players, but if the manager should have the final word on players incoming (we're all agreed on that, right?), then he should have the final word on those departing.

 

It's nothing to do with how good Barton is as a player, it's to do with him being another incident waiting to happen, how many chances has he had and here we are waiting for him to face another FA ban.

 

I was all for the club keeping him because you can't afford to write assets off however as soon as a club shown any sort of interest in him he should have been straight out of the door, Keegan putting his faith in the lad will end up backfiring spectacularly and when he has to meet up with Ashley after Barton's next stunt he'll realise that the club was right in trying to move him on.

 

I agree with you that Joey Barton is a ticking time-bomb of trouble. Keegan disagrees, which is the only opinion that should matter.

 

So you're commending Ashley and Co going behind the manager's back then? In which case i think you're talking a load of toss because, when it comes to player personnel, the book should stop with the manager and no one else. If members of the boardroom start to interfere with that then there'll be uproar... and guess what, that has happened. Rightfully. I don't slate Keegan for kicking off if this is the case.

 

I don't think manager/baordroom uproar would happen just here, it'd happen at any club, with any manager - if this is what has happened. Unfortunately this is Newcastle United who for one, can't keep a mouth shut for a second and two, is a club that the press will happily embroider on any story of corruption.

[Baggio]

Precisely what i'm saying Nobby, aye.   Am i really in the wrong for thinking that? We may not feel that they are particularly good players, but if the manager should have the final word on players incoming (we're all agreed on that, right?), then he should have the final word on those departing.

 

It's nothing to do with how good Barton is as a player, it's to do with him being another incident waiting to happen, how many chances has he had and here we are waiting for him to face another FA ban.

 

I was all for the club keeping him because you can't afford to write assets off however as soon as a club shown any sort of interest in him he should have been straight out of the door, Keegan putting his faith in the lad will end up backfiring spectacularly and when he has to meet up with Ashley after Barton's next stunt he'll realise that the club was right in trying to move him on.

 

I agree with you that Joey Barton is a ticking time-bomb of trouble. Keegan disagrees, which is the only opinion that should matter.

 

So you're commending Ashley and Co going behind the manager's back then? In which case i think you're talking a load of toss because, when it comes to player personnel, the book should stop with the manager and no one else. If members of the boardroom start to interfere with that then there'll be uproar... and guess what, that has happened. Rightfully. I don't slate Keegan for kicking off if this is the case.

 

I don't think manager/baordroom uproar would happen just here, it'd happen at any club, with any manager - if this is what has happened. Unfortunately this is Newcastle United who for one, can't keep a mouth shut for a second and two, is a club that the press will happily embroider on any story of corruption.

 

I'm saying some decisions have to be made even if they upset the manager for the good of the club and it's reputation, getting rid of Joey Barton was one of those decisions.

[Guest optimistic nit]

keegan should have the final say on who comes and goes, and if the board have interfeared with that its a mistake, not one they should lose their jobs over, but it shouldn't happen again.

 

that said, it seems that if keegan had his way 100% this would have happened:

 

Milner stay, Barton stay, Smith stay

 

the board had their way 100%

 

Milner go for 12million, Barton for 2millon and Smith for 3million.

 

now the thought of getting 17million in transfer fees for those 3 plus getting probably around 130K off the wage bill and not having to offer milner a new deal seems pretty appetising to me. i think Keegan would have been plain wrong not to sell milner and is plain wrong not to sell smith. i am not sure about barton, as i think he will be a great asset, as he's out to prove everybody wrong, and that will improve a player with barton's determination 10000000000%, but there will be fans out there and players out there who will dislike our club for the faith we have shown in barton, and he's had about 5 chances too many. these two things don't bother me (as keegan said he hasn't let down him) so i'm not unhappy he's still here, but i can see why they could bother other people, such as ashley, especially if it hinders us buying new players (silverstre).

 

keegan should get the final word and we are wrong if we haven't given it too him on all 3 transfers, but i can see how those 3 sales were tempting to the board.

 

 

 

i do hope keegan knows that he's rejected 3 million, and is paying smith 50-60K a week in the blind hope that he recovers his form, when the only reason keegan has come up with for keeping him is that he's good for the atmosphere at the club and blind hope that he'll get confidence if he scores a goal.

[alpal78]

So the majority of this board are slagging Dennis Wise off for Keegan being upset, yet keegan is upset over the club wanting rid of Joey Barton, which is also what the majority of this board want.

 

If KK is spiiting the dummy because he wants to back Barton, then I have no respect for him. Sure principles are principles, but he of all people has to realize that the club is way bigger than one player especially those of Barton's category (limited contribution with never ending off the field problems). If he thinks Barton is worth all the damage that will ensue his resignation/sacking, then he has scant respect for the club.

 

If KK is spitting the dummy because the 'selling' of Barton is a general trend where the manager is not consulted for important decisions, then I'd support him.

 

So it all depends whether the attempt to sell Barton is an exeption to the rule and a one off incident or is it par for the course, a more general trend.

[Guest optimistic nit]

the ONLY reason smith and barton were salable assets this season is because of the lack of activity in the transfer market (esp. by everton). there is no guarentee we'll be able to shift these 2 next time round, we could be stuck with them until the end of their contracts (i dont mind barton, but if he ends up dragging the clubs reputation through the mud because we've stood by him we may want rid, and any replacement for keegan (at any point in the next few years) may want to sell him on principle, but be unable to find a buyer.

 

smith will cose us 12.4 million in wages until the end of his contract if he's on the reported 60K a week, so if he stays till then and offers us nothing on the field (very likely, esp. that last part) keegan rejecting that bid will cost us over 15million, with no benefits from rejecting the bid.