Keegan: I need another Killer

[Scottish Mag 3]

Kevin Keegan has laid bare the biggest frustration of his return to Newcastle United – not being able to sign another Brian Kilcline.

The clock was already ticking on the transfer window when he arrived at St James's Park in mid-January.

 

With time against him, Keegan failed to bring in a senior player before the transfer window slammed shut.

 

The 57-year-old was left to get the best out of a thin-looking squad, which was suffering a crisis of confidence well before his arrival.

 

And the Premier League winless run of his shattered team – just three points clear of the relegation zone after Saturday's home defeat to Blackburn Rovers – now stretches to 11 games.

 

Keegan has contrasted the situation with that in February 1992 when he arrived as manager first time around and quickly spent £250,000 to sign rugged defender Kilcline – then languishing in Oldham Athletic's reserve team – to shore up his back four and lift dressing room morale.

 

He knows the lack of incoming players has left the club vulnerable, with many of the teams around United at the bottom of the table having strengthened their squads in the window.

 

He told the Echo: "The biggest change from that situation to this, was that I could buy players then.

 

"If I thought there was a problem somewhere, I could do something and improve the squad.

 

"This time, we have got what we've got, and it's slightly different in that respect.

 

"I fetched Brian Kilcline in to lift the dressing room, because I felt we needed a character like that. He wasn't my greatest signing, but he was probably one of my most important ones. On the pitch, sometimes he cost us games, but around the club he built it up.

 

"He knew it wasn't a long term signing when he came, but he was a vital piece of the jigsaw to start us off – it was like finding an edge piece."

[Norbert Colon 0]

Kevin Keegan has laid bare the biggest frustration of his return to Newcastle United – not being able to sign another Brian Kilcline.

The clock was already ticking on the transfer window when he arrived at St James's Park in mid-January.

 

With time against him, Keegan failed to bring in a senior player before the transfer window slammed shut.

 

The 57-year-old was left to get the best out of a thin-looking squad, which was suffering a crisis of confidence well before his arrival.

 

And the Premier League winless run of his shattered team – just three points clear of the relegation zone after Saturday's home defeat to Blackburn Rovers – now stretches to 11 games.

 

Keegan has contrasted the situation with that in February 1992 when he arrived as manager first time around and quickly spent £250,000 to sign rugged defender Kilcline – then languishing in Oldham Athletic's reserve team – to shore up his back four and lift dressing room morale.

 

He knows the lack of incoming players has left the club vulnerable, with many of the teams around United at the bottom of the table having strengthened their squads in the window.

 

He told the Echo: "The biggest change from that situation to this, was that I could buy players then.

 

"If I thought there was a problem somewhere, I could do something and improve the squad.

 

"This time, we have got what we've got, and it's slightly different in that respect.

 

"I fetched Brian Kilcline in to lift the dressing room, because I felt we needed a character like that. He wasn't my greatest signing, but he was probably one of my most important ones. On the pitch, sometimes he cost us games, but around the club he built it up.

 

"He knew it wasn't a long term signing when he came, but he was a vital piece of the jigsaw to start us off – it was like finding an edge piece."

 

Aye we've signed a few pieces over the years unfortunately alot of them were of the ring variety rather than the edge or corner type

[Asprilla 96]

Kevin Keegan has laid bare the biggest frustration of his return to Newcastle United – not being able to sign another Brian Kilcline.

The clock was already ticking on the transfer window when he arrived at St James's Park in mid-January.

 

With time against him, Keegan failed to bring in a senior player before the transfer window slammed shut.

 

The 57-year-old was left to get the best out of a thin-looking squad, which was suffering a crisis of confidence well before his arrival.

 

And the Premier League winless run of his shattered team – just three points clear of the relegation zone after Saturday's home defeat to Blackburn Rovers – now stretches to 11 games.

 

Keegan has contrasted the situation with that in February 1992 when he arrived as manager first time around and quickly spent £250,000 to sign rugged defender Kilcline – then languishing in Oldham Athletic's reserve team – to shore up his back four and lift dressing room morale.

 

He knows the lack of incoming players has left the club vulnerable, with many of the teams around United at the bottom of the table having strengthened their squads in the window.

 

He told the Echo: "The biggest change from that situation to this, was that I could buy players then.

 

"If I thought there was a problem somewhere, I could do something and improve the squad.

 

"This time, we have got what we've got, and it's slightly different in that respect.

 

"I fetched Brian Kilcline in to lift the dressing room, because I felt we needed a character like that. He wasn't my greatest signing, but he was probably one of my most important ones. On the pitch, sometimes he cost us games, but around the club he built it up.

 

"He knew it wasn't a long term signing when he came, but he was a vital piece of the jigsaw to start us off – it was like finding an edge piece."

 

Aye we've signed a few pieces over the years unfortunately alot of them were of the ring variety rather than the edge or corner type

 

"ring piece" = one of the best insults ever IMO.

[Dr Kenneth Noisewater 0]

Aye we've signed a few pieces over the years unfortunately alot of them were of the ring variety rather than the edge or corner type

[grasshopper 0]

Aye we've signed a few pieces over the years unfortunately alot of them were of the ring variety rather than the edge or corner type

 

[Happy Face 29]

Senegal international defender Lamine Diatta (pictured) spent four days training with Newcastle last week, with Kevin Keegan assessing whether to make the free agent his first signing since returning to SJP.

 

And the 32 year-old was due to appear in a practice game at the training ground yesterday (Tuesday) before a final decision was made on whether to offer him a playing contract.

 

Diatta made one appearance at the recent Nations Cup Finals alongside Toon duo Habib Beye and Abdoulaye Faye.

 

However, he was reported to have announced his international retirement after Senegal failed to qualify for the later stages of the event.

The defender began his professional career with Toulouse before moving on to Stade Rennais via a brief spell at Marseille.

 

2004 saw him join Lyon, where he played alongside Claudio Cacapa, winning two French league titles.

 

Two years later he made the switch to St.Etienne before a stint in Turkey with Besiktas which ended last year, when he bought himself out his contract.

 

Were Diatta to join United he would become the fourth Senegalese international to play for us, after the afore-mentioned Faye and Beye and old boy Amdy Faye.

 

It's speculated in the press that Newcastle have offered Diatta a one year deal, amid interest from fellow Premier League strugglers Wigan and Birmingham City.

 

http://www.nufc.com/

[Bombadil 0]

Will be handed a short-term deal and will go straight into the squad for this weekend, according to Oliver.

[smoggeordie 0]

Give him a chance alongside Faye in the middle.

[Jusoda Kid 1]

The new Killer tbh

 

 

At least the defence can't say they've never played together before.