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Keegan in the dark about new signings

Jimbo

By Jimbo,
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Jimbo

Jimbo 175

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Louise Taylor

 

For a club boasting a state-of-the-art telephone system, numerous private meeting rooms and high-speed internal email there seems a peculiar lack of frank communication at Newcastle United.

 

Kevin Keegan may be the team's manager but he appears in the dark about certain important issues. Although Fabricio Coloccini watched this flattering 2-1 win over Valencia from the main stand and Mike Ashley, the club's owner, wore a replica shirt emblazoned with the Argentinian defender's name, Keegan appeared remarkably ill-informed about the progress of his £10m transfer from Deportivo La Coruña.

 

"There's nothing official," he said. "I can't tell you anything at the moment, I don't think. He was here, that's for sure. I like his haircut - it's like mine and Terry Mac's were in the 70s. I can't say any more than that at the moment."

 

Then there is Jonás Gutiérrez, an Argentinian winger who upset his former employers, Real Mallorca, by buying out his contract to join Newcastle. The La Liga club are appealing to Fifa for extra compensation and, while Gutiérrez is free to play in friendlies, Newcastle have yet to receive the registration papers from Mallorca that will enable him to play in the Premier League.

 

Asked if this issue would be resolved in time for Sunday's trip to Manchester United, Keegan merely said: "I don't know, I hope so."

 

There was less elaboration about Arthur Cox's sudden departure from the club. On returning to St James' Park in January one of Keegan's first acts was to hire his mentor to a backroom scouting role. Cox, though, is believed to have become disillusioned by the amount of power devolved to Dennis Wise, Newcastle's executive director (football).

 

"Arthur Cox?" said Keegan. "Yeah, he's left the club. That's it." Any explanation? "No. He's left the club."

 

Newcastle's manager does, for the moment, appear to have succeeded in preventing Alan Smith's proposed sale to Everton. While Ashley proved keen to see Smith's £60,000-a-week salary removed from the payroll and David Moyes, Everton's manager, was eager to sign the former Leeds and Manchester United forward, Keegan dug his heels in.

 

With Wise proving an ally and agreeing that Smith should stay, this is one battle the manager might just have won. "Alan Smith is a Newcastle player, no doubt about that," said Keegan, who had late goals from Damien Duff and James Milner to thank for Saturday's victory.

 

While Smith's versatility is important in a shallow squad his Newcastle career has so far lacked guile and goals and Keegan, who hopes for "two more" signings post Coloccini, admitted: "I definitely think there's a lot more to come from Alan. He knows that.

 

"Alan's a player who wants to be successful. He's got a lot of desire. If he didn't have any desire, I'd say 'you're wasting your time'. I've known lots of players turn themselves around, I know Alan will. Alan may not always be the best player on the pitch but no one tries harder."

 

Similarly no one is sure whether Michael Owen will be involved at Old Trafford. The England striker has not played a single pre-season game but should start a full-scale training ground practice match on Thursday. "It'll be Michael himself deciding whether he's fit enough," said Keegan. "Even then we may just decide it's not the right thing to do."

 

Emile Heskey has a thigh injury after limping out of Wigan's 2-0 win against Utrecht in Holland. The England striker lasted just 19 minutes of Wigan's final pre-season warm-up game yesterday before being substituted by Steve Bruce. But the Wigan manager insists that Heskey should be fit to face West Ham in the Premier League on Saturday.

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sammynb

sammynb 3640

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Stupid makem bitch is unable to see the sarcasm in Keegans words.

 

 

 

Fuck, I hate that woman. Shes about as much use as journalist as I am as a dwarf.

 

Too true Captain Carrot*, too true.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Carrot

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Wavey Davey

Wavey Davey 0

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Stupid makem bitch is unable to see the sarcasm in Keegans words.

 

 

 

Fuck, I hate that woman. Shes about as much use as journalist as I am as a dwarf.

 

Too true Captain Carrot*, too true.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Carrot

 

I see what you did there.

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NJS

NJS 4446

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She laid the groundwork with a piece on Saturday which just mentioned completion of the transfer and Cox leaving (ie the facts). Today's effort is just added snipey bullshit.

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Guest alex

Guest alex

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Couldn't bring myself to read that this morning. Funny how Wise is now KK's ally though.

 

Smith should have been sold.

He still might be. I can see both sides to it though. We haven't got a very big squad and we haven't got many fit forwards. I have little doubt he'll be away, even if it isn't in this window.

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Jusoda Kid

Jusoda Kid 1

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I can't find a pic anywhere of her and if I do I'll do something suitable with it in photoshop.

 

 

Did find these quotes she made on keane though:

 

Louise loves Roy. But does Roy love Louise?

 

(Roy is) immaculately turned out but never flashy (link here)

 

(Roy is) generous to a fault towards those within his inner circle (link here)

 

Keane is simply refreshingly honest. (link here)

 

(Roy’s) Touchline style (is) glowering, prowling, brooding, jaw-clenching - but always immaculately turned out (link here)

 

Sunderland’s manager (Roy Keane) - fast proving almost as snappy a dresser as the Portuguese (refers to Jose Mourinho) (link here)

 

One of Roy Keane’s most attractive qualities is his honesty (link here)

 

Sunderland’s eloquent manager (Roy Keane) (link here)

 

his (Roy Keane’s) invariably cliche- and platitude-free musings are always worth hearing and delivered in flowing, eloquent sentences that never seem to descend into grammatical black holes. (link here)

 

Not the type to rely on notes or props, Sunderland’s manager (Roy Keane)invariably ad libs his team talks. By all accounts they are frequently transfixing and sometimes quirky but the Irishman’s speech during Saturday’s interval was his most powerful yet. “The gaffer was as passionate as I’ve ever seen him,” said Kieran Richardson, a one-time Manchester United team-mate of Keane’s. “He gave us a history lesson at half-time. He’s a great manager.” (link here)

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