by bigmick » Mon Apr 21, 2008 10:27 pm
I don't know if Keegan has "lost the plot' to be fair. I saw the interview and my take on it was he was saying that the players couldn't move to bigger club "at this stage of their careers", and in all honesty he's probably right. Blokes like Alan Smith, Nicky Butt, Mark Viduka and probably Owen as well are at about as big a club as they are ever likely to be again, on huge money with a fanatical support.
In many ways, it must be the absolutely perfect scenario for players who've kind of been there and done it. If Keegan continues with his policy of playing three up top then they are going to be involved in some really exciting matches, are going to score and concede a shed load of goals and will no doubt pack the ground out every week. They'll like as not have decent Cup runs, take a few big clubs scalps along the way and the fans will love it, removing any pressure from the players and quickly forgetting about the odd little run they go on where they get tonked 3 or 4 a couple of times.
FWIW I think Keegan has a refreshing outlook on the whole thing and I think many other clubs would do well to emulate his philosophy. Given the status quo in the Premiership, Newcastle are like a whole host of other clubs who are never going to win it and have only a miniscule cahnce of the top four. What's more, with cannon fodder such as Derby coming into the Premiership on a conveyor belt, and "cling on by their fingernails" teams like Fulham and the like kicking around, they aren't going to go down either. I mean essentially if Owen stays fit for most of the season, it would almost be a physical impossibility for Newcastle to go down such is his scoring prowess. Stick in Viduka and Martins as well, and they've got mid-table security/mediocrity written all over them. Now in those circumstances, why not remember that you are actually asking people to pay to get in. Give 'em a game to watch FFS, some of these coaches take themselves too seriously I reckon and always have.
Teams like Middlesboro, Blackburn, Newcastle, West Ham etc etc should be playing the game with a smile on their face and having a go. The thing is as well once you get on a roll you never know where you'll get with it. Truth be told Keegan and his daft tactics came a sight closer to winning the Premiership than we ever have.
* All that said, and as a disclaimer I'm not saying for a second that we should adopt similar tactics before the thought police are all over me like a cheap suit *
Last edited by
bigmick on Mon Apr 21, 2008 10:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"se e in una bottigla ed e bianco, e latte".