Always takes me wee while to compose myself after a game and reflect.

3-2 against the team who most probably will win the legue is not a bad scoreline well all said and done. I know life is always "ifs" and "buts" but IF our defending at two of the goals was not so dreadful, and IF Neville Neville Nevill hadnt got his stupid heed in the way!!!

We would be happy as pigs in spite of ourselves?/

Plus points: Shearer. Still commanding and excellent goal.

Distin. Once the defence gets their act together he will be a prime asset. Strong, good in the air. Fast on the ground and with a good distribution sense. Lee and Speed, at times ok. Solano. I thought he played well. Worked hard, tracked back, had the defence troubled. Bellamy and Dyer. Looked v dangerous at times but in all fairness the ball did not run for them.

Hughes looked a worried man and seemed lost at times. Elliot tried but is not really up to it. Dabs ok considering he got another bad tackle.

I say 3-2 cos I was convinced re the disalowede goal. Watched the reply several times and the contact from that "big hard man" Nobby was minimal. Watched also the reaction of Manure defenders. Silvestre, (I think) raised his arm and looked at the linesman more or less as par for the course, but the rest of the defence just looked dissapointed, and the crowd was muted. As we know if it happened the other way around.......

I for one, ws pleased YBR came out with a smile afterwards, makes a change from the rest of these grim faced b@stards who dont really know what disasters really are.

The press (I Must listen to you guys and not read them.....) said we were outplayed etc etc.

God what a shower. Great thing is compare us with this time last year or year b4 that??

Another sidetrack here. Recently read .com "This day in history" or whatever and few days ago ws the anniversary of KKs team thrashing Spurs 7-1. Quote was Keegan feeling sorry for his oppo G Francis. .com didnt believe that and thought something was murky in the background specially as few weeks later it was bye bybe KK. Any thoughts on that subject...What the hell actually happened?? Mafisoa? Jealous lover? erm Offer he couldnt refuse??

Anyway all the best for 200

-- Anonymous, January 04, 2002

Answers

in fact when neville got his head in the way at the end we nearly got a goal---3-3?

-- Anonymous, January 04, 2002

Derek,
I wasn't far from the Solano incident, and my instinctive reaction was that Nobby pushed Sylestre just before the ball arrived, thereby gained an unfair advantage, and that was why the foul was given. I havn't been able to face watching the video yet so haven't had a chance to check whether my initial reaction was accurate.

With regard KK's leaving from SJP. The official story was that as the Club was approaching it's flotation it was necessary for all "key employees" to be under contract for a reasonable period of time after the flotation. This is entirely normal practice in a flotation, and KK would certainly have been classed as a key employee - arguably THE key employee.

The public had been duped (ie. it was lied to!) into believing KK had signed a 10 year contract. The reality was clearly different, and I believe he was into the final year on his contract. He apparently refused to sign a major extension to satisfy the Company's Advisers, and had to go to preserve the flotation.

If this is true it is yet another terrible indictment on Club Management. However, I have never believed it was true.

As we have seen subsequently with Kevin, he is very self-analytical and self- critical. He has been called a quitter, but I believe there is more to it than that - he is very decisive, and if he doesn't believe he is capable of doing something he doesn't hang around kidding himself and others that he might be able to muddle through. Call this being a quitter if you like - personally I don't. It is being brutally honest with both yourself and those who depend upon you, and there is at least an element of honour and moral courage involved.

I believe the failure to win the PL the previous season had a serious effect on KK's confidence. As the new season got into full swing it become apparent to him that the team would need to rebuilt to have another serious thrust for the Championship. I believe he had come to doubt his ability to again wisely invest the sums of money that would be required. He may also have come to believe that under plc status the money required would not be made available.

I also suspect that a new contract had been under discussion with Kevin for a considerable time - hence the talk of him having signed a 10 year deal - but that it still hadn't been signed when the Advisers on the flotation took an interest.

At that point inordinate pressure will have been applied to KK to get him to sign the new contract. All of these issues will then have coalesced, and KK's reaction to the combined pressures of the situation will have caused him to refuse to sign under duress, and thereby effectively to resign. Tragic, imho.

-- Anonymous, January 04, 2002

Excellent assessment Clarky. KK was an emotional man to be sure and self-critical and honest to a fault. It's not being a 'quitter' to leave when one feels unable to offer less than 100% and KK, as a player and a manager, never ever gave less.

-- Anonymous, January 04, 2002

eloquently stated as alays Clarky and your being a Keegan supporter I respect your willingness to be less than critical of a former manager who has meant so much to us. You do agree with the majority of my points I put on the "would you sell your soul" thread, so we're not far off.

To put this baby to bed, it would have been a lot easier if Keegan had failed. A manager that quits knowing the team was sufferring and was in danger of relegation, would easily be more respected than a man who's motives were so evidently clear.

All this being said it must be said that I feel the most sympathy for TSM, having to come into and attempt to fill KK legacy or carry it on, whatever. He came into a new PLC and was expected to carry on what Keegan had started and more importantly to do this by cutting the payroll of the biggest payroll in the Premiership at the time. He was doomed to fail from the beginning.

You want to give out Big Balls awards... that is the epitome of nerve.

-- Anonymous, January 04, 2002

Chaps, three weeks before Keegan 'quit' I had a very boozy lunch in the City with two gentleman who were broking advisors to Messrs Hall snr. and jnr. via Cameron Hall They had had a similar lunch the week before with Hall jnr. and Fat Freddie. My two contacts knew nothing about football, and cared less. However, on discovering my interest in NUFC they informed me that KK would be leaving in January. They had been told by our Spanish bordello loving friends that in their humble opinion, KK was a crap manager, and they intended firing him straight after Christmas. I of course laughed it off, and refused to take the bookies odds, unlike my City contacts who, clearly ignorant of any insider trading regulations, picked up a winnings wadge large enough to pay for our lunch that day, plus a bit left over for a good night out. Don't believe anyone, including KK, who says he jumped. He was pushed, obviously for more reasons than just being a 'crap' manager, but pushed he was. Maybe one day the truth will out, albeit academic by then. Hall jnr. certainly has a magic touch.

-- Anonymous, January 04, 2002

....... he certainly has, Mysterious.

His stewardship of CHD has certainly highlighted his business management skills, and reinforced his role in the staggering fall (ie. 81%!) in the market value of NUFC plc.

John Harvey Jones he is not!

-- Anonymous, January 04, 2002

Mysterious - In the bordello incident didnt S and H brag about having sacked Keegan. Another version I have heard from reputably a reliable source is that a drunken sot in high position at the club (nameless for reasons of libel) approached him after a game, and in front of KK's family began to curse him. KK turned and said -- that' enough for me I do need that kind of abuse.

-- Anonymous, January 04, 2002