Players wanted to hurt eachother

[The Fish 11080]

Kevin Keegan: players 'wanted to hurt each other'

George Caulkin

 

Kevin Keegan has offered a vivid illustration of how low morale had sunk at Newcastle United before his appointment, claiming that certain players had “wanted to hurt each other” during training sessions. While the manager insisted yesterday that physical disputes were far from abnormal at struggling clubs, it puts in context the extent of the task he has undertaken on Tyneside.

 

Keegan did not criticise Sam Allardyce, his predecessor, but his comments highlighted the corrosive mood that can infiltrate an underachieving group of players. Few would argue that it has been anything other than a desperate period at St James' Park, although after three consecutive vibrant performances, Keegan aims to conclude the season with a flourish.

 

Having replaced Allardyce in January, Keegan immediately brought uplift to the city, but it has taken longer than he expected to instil confidence in his players. He is asking his players to “send out a statement” against Reading today by winning their third match in succession and crystallising the club's momentum, but the situation he inherited was vastly different.

 

“They are more together now,” Keegan said. “I can see it. When I first came here I thought a couple of them wanted to hurt each other in training. I had to stop it sometimes and say, ‘Hey, you know, while I want the training to be realistic, you should not want to hurt each other because you might need that guy, you want to play with that guy on Saturday.'

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“I felt there was a bit of frustration, which you do get when you are down at the bottom, but it's all gone now. The club is so together at the moment. You can see the respect they have for each other. You have got to get that, you've got to realise what training is. Training is working together, sometimes against each other for a match, but not working together to hurt each other, trying to get a bloke ... I felt there was a bit of that.”

 

Keegan did not pinpoint individuals and nor did he equate what he witnessed with a lack of professionalism. “It's not that,” he said. “You shouldn't be surprised. It happens at a lot of clubs when results aren't going well. Players think they should be in the side, others have opinions of each other which are sometimes misguided by the situation they're in and the frustration comes out.

 

“I'm not saying they were maniacs or anything like that. By hurting each other, I just mean with their tackling and stuff like that, but it's not there now. It's gone. That is just what I saw.”

 

Supporters will not be dismayed by the thought of players showing passion; Keegan's priority has been to utilise it more productively. “All that aggression that was there was probably not quite channelled right,” he said. “It is now and that is why we got this performance against Tottenham [whom they beat 4-1 last weekend]. And the guys who are not in the side are doing what is right to get back in.

 

“And they can't argue. I haven't had anyone come knocking on my door saying they should be in the team, but certainly in training, the ones who aren't in are doing it right. That is the next thing you need. It is not about 11 players and all the other guys falling out with each other or throwing the towel in.

 

“We have real good spirit and that is why we have got the results, I'm convinced of that. You can't have one without the other. If you haven't got everyone rowing the boat the same way, you ain't going to win.”

[Park Life 71]

Kevin Keegan: players 'wanted to hurt each other'

George Caulkin

 

Kevin Keegan has offered a vivid illustration of how low morale had sunk at Newcastle United before his appointment, claiming that certain players had “wanted to hurt each other” during training sessions. While the manager insisted yesterday that physical disputes were far from abnormal at struggling clubs, it puts in context the extent of the task he has undertaken on Tyneside.

 

Keegan did not criticise Sam Allardyce, his predecessor, but his comments highlighted the corrosive mood that can infiltrate an underachieving group of players. Few would argue that it has been anything other than a desperate period at St James' Park, although after three consecutive vibrant performances, Keegan aims to conclude the season with a flourish.

 

Having replaced Allardyce in January, Keegan immediately brought uplift to the city, but it has taken longer than he expected to instil confidence in his players. He is asking his players to “send out a statement” against Reading today by winning their third match in succession and crystallising the club's momentum, but the situation he inherited was vastly different.

 

“They are more together now,” Keegan said. “I can see it. When I first came here I thought a couple of them wanted to hurt each other in training. I had to stop it sometimes and say, ‘Hey, you know, while I want the training to be realistic, you should not want to hurt each other because you might need that guy, you want to play with that guy on Saturday.'

Related Links

 

* Keegan forced to wait for funds

 

* Owen relishes captain's role under Keegan

 

“I felt there was a bit of frustration, which you do get when you are down at the bottom, but it's all gone now. The club is so together at the moment. You can see the respect they have for each other. You have got to get that, you've got to realise what training is. Training is working together, sometimes against each other for a match, but not working together to hurt each other, trying to get a bloke ... I felt there was a bit of that.”

 

Keegan did not pinpoint individuals and nor did he equate what he witnessed with a lack of professionalism. “It's not that,” he said. “You shouldn't be surprised. It happens at a lot of clubs when results aren't going well. Players think they should be in the side, others have opinions of each other which are sometimes misguided by the situation they're in and the frustration comes out.

 

“I'm not saying they were maniacs or anything like that. By hurting each other, I just mean with their tackling and stuff like that, but it's not there now. It's gone. That is just what I saw.”

 

Supporters will not be dismayed by the thought of players showing passion; Keegan's priority has been to utilise it more productively. “All that aggression that was there was probably not quite channelled right,” he said. “It is now and that is why we got this performance against Tottenham [whom they beat 4-1 last weekend]. And the guys who are not in the side are doing what is right to get back in.

 

“And they can't argue. I haven't had anyone come knocking on my door saying they should be in the team, but certainly in training, the ones who aren't in are doing it right. That is the next thing you need. It is not about 11 players and all the other guys falling out with each other or throwing the towel in.

 

“We have real good spirit and that is why we have got the results, I'm convinced of that. You can't have one without the other. If you haven't got everyone rowing the boat the same way, you ain't going to win.”

 

 

Yeah Kev we got it now.

[Guest alex]

Probably on about Barton.

[Dr Gloom 22535]

i wanted to hurt most of them too tbh

[sweetleftpeg 0]

I reckon having Barton and Butt on seperate training teams must have been a bit tasty..