Just read that thread and cannot believe the unashamed Kegan W***fest I have witnessed. I think some of you lot are seriously niaive. Agree he played the beautiful game it was a delight to watch when it went well but I'll never forget the enduring images of grown men crying match after match when we lost the premiership that season when we were 12/15 points ahead. He was naive and you lot are also. Remember he had no youth set up and no reserves. Just got the cheque book out with Sir John to bank roll him and financially crippled the club in the process. Left an awful legacy for the men following. That is the main reason why we slid into obscurity under Kenny and Ruud boy Hullit. The money was gone! Imagine how Bobby would have done with that sort of backing? For me Bobby Robson is head and shoulders above Keegan. A diplomat, first class manager of the highest order and a winner by the way, likes his teams to score goals with good attacking football, a bloody nice bloke and if anyone will go down as a legend in these parts then it will be Bobby. Superkev bailed out when he realised he had blown it or should I say Sir Johns wad and don't ever forget it. He bailed out at Fulham, and England as well. Bobby will never do that. Celebrate the manager we have now instead and be glad, he's more likely to win us something than Kevin ever was. Tossers.

-- Anonymous, January 28, 2002

Answers

Keith - Seeing as how you've regurgitated your post from the other thread, I may as well regurgitate my response.

Keith - you're perfectly entitled to your opinion: the insult for those expressing a different one wasn't really necessary.

I think if you check your facts you'll find that KK's transfer balance (£out - £in) wasn't too bad. What created a far bigger financial problem for the Club was the profligacy of Dalglish and Gullit who failed utterly to take the Club on from where KK had taken it.

Were we can all agree is that if BR had come in straight after KK we would undoudtedly have won the PL before now because he would have used the funds wasted by TSM/TDO to restructure KK's team and improve it.

No one to my knowledge is denigrating Bobby's efforts, but it would have been infinitely harder for him if KK hadn't saved us from the old Div. 3 and established a new platform for us to build upon.

-- Anonymous, January 28, 2002

ditto.

-- Anonymous, January 28, 2002

Aye, have to agree with Clarky there. Althought there were undoubtedly some negative points to Keegan's reign, there were so many more positives.

Kevin Keegan has provided us all with some fond memories that we'll take to the grave and without him there is a possibility that we might not even exist today. We could have been the Peterborough United yesterday, instead of the other way round.

I hope, and almost definitely know, that KK will get a huge cheer when he comes back.

-- Anonymous, January 28, 2002

in my lifetime Keegan is the only manager to get us to finish in the top 6 of the top division, just as I applauded a red and white striped sub about 4 years i will always applaud those who have made me happy.

Bobby Robson is 20 years older than Keegan and from a different school of gentlemen, I'm glad he's our manager, but Keegan had an open honesty that I liked, for me epitomised when he came out after we lost a cup replay at Luton and applauded the victors, compare with any other top 10 manager of the Premiership in the last ten years

-- Anonymous, January 28, 2002

Apart from Dog Leesh I presume? But please Keith. Are you seriously saying that KK was a waste of space at NUFC? (I might return to that phrase later on).

Are you Sparxx in disguise??

-- Anonymous, January 28, 2002

Enduring images of grown men crying match after match?? Just how many matches are we talking about here? What a load of bollocks, and offensive bollocks at that with your little insult for people who presumably stood on the terraces with you supporting the same team.

In my football watching lifetime (about 20 years) the BEST season WITHOUT Keegan's involvement I can recall was finishing 8th under McFaul with a young Gazza pulling the strings. Read that again, best in 20 years. And what happened the following season? Gascoigne sold, relegation in last place, play-off defeat against the Mackems, one of the dullest seasons on record then near relegation and extinction.

We never got past the 5th round of the FA Cup. We never got anywhere in the League Cup. We never played in Europe. We rarely - in fact almost never, Mirandinha aside, signed anyone to get excited about. We were a selling club - Waddle Beardsley, Gascoigne (has there been a more gifted trio in English football in a generation?) and nobody good ever wanted to join us because we were a mid table side at best or a yo-yo side at worst.

Keegan's managerial record shows that he kept us up from a decidedly tricky situation, got us promoted as champions in the following season (which is an extraordinary achievement), took us into Europe, and took us to within a game of winning a championship that has eluded Newcastle for 70-odd years and counting. Our worst finish was 6th. He brought us Shearer, Beardsley, Cole, Ginola, Asprilla, Lee, Albert & Ferdinand. He gave us a team with local lads in the side - Beardsley, Shearer, Watson, Elliot, Clark, Howie. 5-0 against Man United. Off the top of my head I can recall us putting 7 past at least 3 sides, how often do you see that? What's more he did all of this playing a brand of football that was wonderful to watch. It's a cliche, but we were everyone's second favourite side and I for one was immensly proud to follow Newcastle.

As for the rubbish about the money being spent, add up how much we've blown on Andreas Anderson, Silvio Maric, Farcelino, Jon Dal Tommason, Carl Cort & Ian Rush (I'm sure I've missed a donkey or two somewhere) plus the money that has been spent on the likes of Kieron Dyer, Gary Speed, Andy O'Brien, Craig Bellamy & Laurent Robert. Doesn't sound like the coffers were entirely bare does it? And, as has been pointed out, Keegan rarely bought a player that didn't have a resale value - look at the money we recouped selling Ferdinand, Asprilla, Ginola, Fox, Elliot, Watson etc. We even made profits on David Kelly & Paul Bracewell!

Was he naive? Perhaps. Flawed? Absolutely (but who isn't?). Did produce silverware? No, not quite (nor has Bobby Robson as yet - fingers crossed). But was he the best Newcastle manager of my lifetime (and I suspect of a lot of people older than me)? Without a shadow of a doubt.

Don't get me wrong, I love Bobby Robson and nothing would make me happier than seeing him eclipse Keegan, because to do that he'll have to win something and we all want that. But don't forget were we were when Keegan took over, and ask yourself if Robson would have fancied the job at the time.

-- Anonymous, January 28, 2002

Excuse my lengthy rant - I'm in my last week at work so have time on my hands!

-- Anonymous, January 28, 2002

In the twentieth century there were four greatNewcastle Unted teams. The one that dominated the first division in the first decade, the secong -- the Hughie Gallagher era, the third -- the great cup winning side of the late forties early fifties and the Keegan era which achieved a position in the top division never achieved since the beginning of that century. People are certainly entitled to their opinion about KK, but the facts seem to indicate that he was one of our greatest managers. Hopefully BR can produce the fifth greera.

-- Anonymous, January 28, 2002

I remember the day he joined as one of the greatest days I have ever had as a Newcastle United fan. We were down in the depths of division 1, staring in the face of division 2 and possible extinction. The fact that we stayed up is down to Keegan and that alone is worth the respect we give him. What followed was extraodinary. Virtually the same team went on to win the first 13 games of the next season and we were back in the big time where we belonged.

Have a look at Fulham this season, they stormed division 1, have spent loads in the summer and are languishing in mid-table. We made a few signings, spent a bit and stormed up the table.

I could go on, but you all know what happened, one great season after another. Yes there were disappointments on the way and he made mistakes but so what?

Look at what he gave us and look at what he made us. We are a big club. One of the biggest in Europe. And it's down in no small part to Kevin Keegan.

I truly hope that I am there to cheer him on and to say thank you for making Newcastle United the team it is.

-- Anonymous, January 28, 2002

Dalglish took over a side 4th in the League and over the January to end of season kept the playing staff unchanged and halped them to 2nd. He bought one player in that time, Des Hamilton, but never picked him. Dalglish's first full season was the following one when we finished 13th scoring 35 goals in 38 games.

-- Anonymous, January 29, 2002

Keith, insulting people for their opinions is the hallmark of a prize tosser. Suggest you stick to Rivals or the Official Site if you expect respect for insulting people.

-- Anonymous, January 29, 2002

I think I know who the tosser is.

-- Anonymous, January 29, 2002

Yawn Keith. Best response from the man himself:

"I'm not sure if it's a good draw or not - I love Newcastle United Football Club and I'm getting to love Manchester City," said Keegan. "We will go there and if their players get a video of us playing here they will know we have earned the right to play them.

"I will enjoy the day, win, lose or draw, and if we lose to them I want them to go on and win the Cup.

"I think their fans deserve it more than any other supporters in the country."

-- Anonymous, January 29, 2002

Brings a tear to the eye.

-- Anonymous, January 29, 2002