Was the argument over the Nationality of the transfer targets

[Robster]

I havent seen it mentioned anywhere previously.

 

I was reading the thread "Did Keegan turn them all down". If we are to accept for a moment that the OP is a true account of what happened, then what is strikingly clear is that the clubs targets (Gomis, Arda, Derdiyok, Sahin, Gomez, Pandev, Garay, Veloso, Digard, Chamakh, Skjelbred) are all foreign/overseas players whereas .

 

Kevins targets, if reports are to believed, were supposed to be Dunne, Warnock, Woodgate etc etc

 

Is it possible that Kevin felt the targets the club were focusing on were in danger of taking away, what he felt, was the connection between fans and players. Maybe he felt that by filling the team full of overseas players, it meant that the fans felt less and less connection with the guys on the pitch.

All throughout the summer, he kept telling us that they wanted players "that were right for the club, that understood the club". Maybe in Kevins opinioon, the clubs targets didnt meet this criteria. We dont know, that in intial discussion with any of these players, they showed no desire for the club, its fans and simply started asking about money.

 

John Hall had the vision of a team full of Geordies. Maybe Kevin felt that Ashley and Wise were/are doing things that were taking the club in the opposite direction.

Keegan isnt stupid and knows that in the current game a selection of foreign talent is inevtiable and of course has signed plenty of foreign talent before. I have felt however, that certainly in his time at Newcastle, he wanted to keep a predominantly British feel to the team.

 

Just a thought.

 

[Parky]

Who did he turn down?

[johnnypd]

okay

[TRon]

Keegan's a great motivator, maybe he would find it easier to have a connection with British players, just as Ramos or Benitez would find it easier to communicate with Spanish-speaking players. It's a possible factor I suppose, but I think Keegan probably wasn't keen on South Americans because he simply didn't know much about them. He's always been a manager who buys household names rather than unearthing players from far and wide.

[johnnypd]

Keegan bought shedloads of unknown, obscure players at city, and a lot of them didn't work out, so i don't think he has a problem with foreign players in the slightest. saying that, i think he is a very good judge of talent and him and Vetere interacting would get us very good players, Vetere unearths players keegan may not know much about, and Keegan with his innate judge of ability will be able to pick out which will do well here, effectively applying quality control over transfers. that mix provided us with Jonas and Coloccini and could've delivered more had the club not been stingy. It remains to be seen if the players brought in without keegan's consent, Xisco and Gonzalez, live up to the earlier transfers in terms of ability.

[themanupstairs]

Keegan's a great motivator, maybe he would find it easier to have a connection with British players, just as Ramos or Benitez would find it easier to communicate with Spanish-speaking players. It's a possible factor I suppose, but I think Keegan probably wasn't keen on South Americans because he simply didn't know much about them. He's always been a manager who buys household names rather than unearthing players from far and wide.

 

i see your argument, and i raise you asprilla, ginola, albert, hottiger, srnicek and peter beardsley

[johnnypd]

Keegan's a great motivator, maybe he would find it easier to have a connection with British players, just as Ramos or Benitez would find it easier to communicate with Spanish-speaking players. It's a possible factor I suppose, but I think Keegan probably wasn't keen on South Americans because he simply didn't know much about them. He's always been a manager who buys household names rather than unearthing players from far and wide.

 

i see your argument, and i raise you asprilla, ginola, albert, hottiger, srnicek and peter beardsley

 

i don't think keegan signed srnicek... might be wrong tho

[TRon]

Keegan's a great motivator, maybe he would find it easier to have a connection with British players, just as Ramos or Benitez would find it easier to communicate with Spanish-speaking players. It's a possible factor I suppose, but I think Keegan probably wasn't keen on South Americans because he simply didn't know much about them. He's always been a manager who buys household names rather than unearthing players from far and wide.

 

i see your argument, and i raise you asprilla, ginola, albert, hottiger, srnicek and peter beardsley

 

Those were pretty well known players as well though, with the exception of Hottiger possibly. I take your point though, obviously that does disprove the nationality theory.

[Colos Short and Curlies]

Keegan's a great motivator, maybe he would find it easier to have a connection with British players, just as Ramos or Benitez would find it easier to communicate with Spanish-speaking players. It's a possible factor I suppose, but I think Keegan probably wasn't keen on South Americans because he simply didn't know much about them. He's always been a manager who buys household names rather than unearthing players from far and wide.

 

i see your argument, and i raise you asprilla, ginola, albert, hottiger, srnicek and peter beardsley

 

Those were pretty well known players as well though, with the exception of Hottiger possibly. I take your point though, obviously that does disprove the nationality theory.

 

Didn't Hottiger have a strong world cup in 94?

 

I remember thinking who? when Albert signed though!

[themanupstairs]

Keegan's a great motivator, maybe he would find it easier to have a connection with British players, just as Ramos or Benitez would find it easier to communicate with Spanish-speaking players. It's a possible factor I suppose, but I think Keegan probably wasn't keen on South Americans because he simply didn't know much about them. He's always been a manager who buys household names rather than unearthing players from far and wide.

 

i see your argument, and i raise you asprilla, ginola, albert, hottiger, srnicek and peter beardsley

 

Those were pretty well known players as well though, with the exception of Hottiger possibly. I take your point though, obviously that does disprove the nationality theory.

 

Didn't Hottiger have a strong world cup in 94?

 

I remember thinking who? when Albert signed though!

 

he had the better world cup in 94 iirc. scored twice in one match if im not mistaken

 

edit: im on about Albert

[TRon]

Keegan's a great motivator, maybe he would find it easier to have a connection with British players, just as Ramos or Benitez would find it easier to communicate with Spanish-speaking players. It's a possible factor I suppose, but I think Keegan probably wasn't keen on South Americans because he simply didn't know much about them. He's always been a manager who buys household names rather than unearthing players from far and wide.

 

i see your argument, and i raise you asprilla, ginola, albert, hottiger, srnicek and peter beardsley

 

Those were pretty well known players as well though, with the exception of Hottiger possibly. I take your point though, obviously that does disprove the nationality theory.

 

Didn't Hottiger have a strong world cup in 94?

 

I remember thinking who? when Albert signed though!

 

Albert had an outstanding World Cup in '94. I think Keegan saw him then (not sure if he watched him live) and decided to sign him.

[UV]

2 made up lists, but which is the best?

 

There's only one way to find out...

 

Fiiiiight!

[ujpest doza]

Pavel was signed by Jim Smith

[Fatwax]

More likely Keegan wanted players with premiership experience first and foremost. I doubt that it was a case of xenophobia.

[themanupstairs]

More likely Keegan wanted players with premiership experience first and foremost. I doubt that it was a case of xenophobia.

 

yup. i agree with that

[LooneyToonArmy]

Keegan's a great motivator, maybe he would find it easier to have a connection with British players, just as Ramos or Benitez would find it easier to communicate with Spanish-speaking players. It's a possible factor I suppose, but I think Keegan probably wasn't keen on South Americans because he simply didn't know much about them. He's always been a manager who buys household names rather than unearthing players from far and wide.

 

i see your argument, and i raise you asprilla, ginola, albert, hottiger, srnicek and peter beardsley

 

in regards to Ginola, he was France`s player of the year that year and was quite well known from playing in the Champions League/European Cup that time with the likes of George Weah, Rai, Le Guen and co for PSG. On top of that he was in the headlines alot that year after being made scapegoat for France not qualifying for the world cup. I don`t think he was as unknown as many people are led to believe

[themanupstairs]

Keegan's a great motivator, maybe he would find it easier to have a connection with British players, just as Ramos or Benitez would find it easier to communicate with Spanish-speaking players. It's a possible factor I suppose, but I think Keegan probably wasn't keen on South Americans because he simply didn't know much about them. He's always been a manager who buys household names rather than unearthing players from far and wide.

 

i see your argument, and i raise you asprilla, ginola, albert, hottiger, srnicek and peter beardsley

 

in regards to Ginola, he was France`s player of the year that year and was quite well known from playing in the Champions League/European Cup that time with the likes of George Weah, Rai, Le Guen and co for PSG. On top of that he was in the headlines alot that year after being made scapegoat for France not qualifying for the world cup. I don`t think he was as unknown as many people are led to believe

 

Yes, but we're not talking about unknowns here are we? the thread title brings up the issue of nationality.