John Gibson, Evening Chronicle

He's forever remembered as part of the Kevin Keegan dream team which, with the passing of time, has become even more treasured in the memory of deprived Toon Army fans.

However, John Beresford is a troubled soul, depressed that Newcastle United have fallen spectacularly off the mountain top in a few short years.

Bez is still heavily involved in the North East soccer scene as a respected TV pundit and regards the six and a half years he spent on Tyneside as the pinnacle of his playing career.

That love of all black and white still beats in his heart but he believes that an influx of what he considers are second-rate South Americans, plus the rejection of a bevy of talented Geordie youngsters, has been significant in a downward plunge into mediocrity.

"United have lost so much ground since I played at St James's that they are at least four years behind Manchester United, have been overtaken by Liverpool and Arsenal and in terms of the future are light years behind Leeds," Beresford said.

"I'm not arrogant enough to say that if we'd all stayed together we'd have overtaken Man U, but if the Keegan years had been built upon then Newcastle would have pushed them to the very limit.

"Now what we've got is a lot of foreigners whose heart and soul simply isn't in the club. I've seen it happen at Southampton and now it's happened at United.

"What Newcastle have got in the main are the second-raters from South America. United are not in Europe so they can't attract the very, very best.

"Instead they get players who are looking for a good pay day and then go back home. And who can blame them for making a killing? What happens on Tyneside doesn't matter in Rio or Buenos Aires.

"When the sticky stuff hits the fan are they going to pull out every ounce like the English players will?

" That commitment isn't there because such players can't identify in the same way.

"When we got foreigners they were of the calibre of David Ginola, Philippe Albert and Tino Asprilla. "Now it's different. Manchester United sign quality ones but Newcastle aren't in the same position to attract the real top-notchers. That virtually stopped a while ago when we began getting the likes of Temuri Ketsbaia and Jon Dahl Tomasson."

And he added: "I remember when Alessandro Pistone signed for United. I told Stuart Pearce I had no chance of getting back in the team with him and now another good player in my way.

"But Stuart said: 'Wait a minute, if he's so good why did a club as big as Inter Milan let him go?' And he was right."

Bez, who admits his brutally honest assessment gives him no pleasure because it spells failure, believes the heart was ripped out of the club when the likes of Steve Watson, Lee Clark and Robbie Elliott were rejected.

"They'd bleed for Newcastle United and they still love the club as I do," said John.

One of the problems, he believes, is that the natural bonding which came with Geordie and English players has now been dissipated.

"It doesn't happen any more, be it language difficulty or whatever reason," maintained Beresford.

"People raise an eyebrow when there's talk of players going for a drink together, because alcohol is involved, but that's rubbish. A drink at the right time increases team spirit. That sort of camaraderie was worth 10 to 15 points a season to us.

"Now the foreign lads don't mix in the same way. If they go out it's with others of their own nationality."

He went on: "I was at a do recently and a few United players suggested we went on to relax. It was a terrific idea - but the foreigners, who had stayed together in their own group, went off home!

"When I talk to players they tell me it's always the same but Michael Gray insists it's different at Sunderland. He insists as skipper that the likes of Julio Arca are dragged along whether they like it or not.

"I knew how big a club United were and how their huge fan base was fanatical but I still wasn't prepared for what was coming. It took me six months to fully realise the score - until I played in a derby match against Sunderland and until I began to meet fans on a regular basis in town. I had to live it to appreciate it.

"Lee Clark, Steve Watson and the rest knew all about it. I was talking to Steve McLaren recently and he says the same about Man U. He can't see Paul Scholes, Wes Brown or the Neville brothers ever leaving because they're so important. Their pride in the club rubs off on others."

Beresford, who made the England squads of Graham Taylor and Terry Venables without ever winning that elusive senior cap, believes that Bobby Robson faces a massive rebuilding job once the season closes with two home games this week.

"Bobby's biggest problem is how to approach it," he said. "I hope he doesn't do what Middlesbrough did - sign players like Alen Boksic and Christian Karembeu and forget the rest. Even if Rivaldo came to Newcastle it wouldn't make much difference. It's the overall team and squad that matters.

"There's a massive amount of work to be done. Bobby did an unbelievable job in steadying the boat last season but with that success came expectation because the supporters had had a little taste of Europe in the past and wanted it again. However, Newcastle aren't a threat any more.

"Rob Lee was probably my best friend at Newcastle but when he's currently the club's figurehead at 35 years of age and beginning to pick up injuries then United aren't going to challenge Man U.

"I believe that Rob would be the first to say that. He's been a magnificent servant and is still a quality player but you can't hold back time and at this stage of his career, while still having a part to play, he shouldn't be the best we've got ."

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2001

Answers

pretty conclusive

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2001

Sign him up, sign him up, sign him up......

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2001

Very, VERY well spoken. Couldn't agree more! I still think tho you can build team spirit with foreign players. It's up to the captain, manager and the leaders in the club.

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2001

Not one for mincing his words, wor Bez. Perhaps he's just articulating what many of us have been trying to say for a while.

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2001

some good points but i don't buy his conclusions.

team spirit is a function of how good the team is, if we buy good players and the team does well then every player has an extra incentive to perform and get on the starting XI sheet.

the notion that the answer is to buy a few over achieving geordie journeymen who can all go out and get pissed together is ridiculous and may give an insight into why we didn't win the league in '96.

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2001

Bez for Head Coach, Asst Coach, Manager-in-waiting, Chairman. Take yer pick. Wherever his sense can best be used, please.

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2001

How do we expect the team to soar like eagles when it contains so many turkeys. The difference between then and now is that Keegan brought together a bunch of players most of whom were of high quality. By his leadership skills he was able to weld them into an almost devastating attacking force which was able to terrorise most of the opposing sides. The comradeship to which dear Bez refers was merely the icing -- the real spirit sprang from their success on the field and Keegan's inspiration. This lot we could house in a brewery for the nexr quarter of a century without winning a sausage roll.

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2001

Can someone please email that to themanagementteam@nufc.com

Get Wor Bez in as a coach, in any capacity, even with the young 'uns!

We NEED people like this around the club, that's what KK did so well, make the players proud to play for the club!

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2001

I suspect Beresford won't be made too welcome at St James while Bobby is in charge after these comments and Robson's outburst.

-- Anonymous, May 15, 2001

re reading that, wasn't Ginola a virtual outcast? And didn't Tino leave after a rather sniffy incident? Whilst Phillippe was a tower of strength.

-- Anonymous, May 15, 2001

Although it's not that long ago that Bez was saying that we could compete with Man Uted (we'd just stuffed Southampton 5-0).

-- Anonymous, May 15, 2001