Well, there’s been non-stop speculation since Monday, and yesterday Keegan finally walked out of Newcastle.
There were plenty of rumours he’d been sacked on Monday although the club were quick to make clear this wasn’t the case. But the world and his wife knew it was only a matter of time. Because whatever job Keegan’s been in, there has always been one certainty – he’d end up walking. Honestly, what is it with him? Postman in a former life maybe?
And yet, he always portrays himself as the victim and the Geordies buy into his ‘messiah’ routine. Fair enough, first time of asking he did turn them around but ultimately, he’s always fallen short of what it takes at the top. I mean, a 12 point lead over Manchester United and he managed to lose it, and his mind at the same time I seem to remember. But then, wasn’t that Shepherd’s fault?
He then stepped into the Fulham job and promptly sacked his mate, only to walk out again when offered the England manager’s post. And then, a year and a half later, as we all trudged out of the old Wembley after the defeat to Germany (with half the dismantled stadium under our arms I might add), the announcement came pretty much as expected, Keegan had admitted he wasn’t up to the task and done another bunk.
Another one of his ‘break’s from football’ followed before he was installed as Manchester City manager and he left this time by ‘mutual agreement’ amid rumours of becoming disillusioned by his players’ lack of motivation.
Despite having ‘fallen out of love with the game’, a three year break was apparently enough to change his mind and he returned to Tyneside in January this year. However, even before the recent in-house battles, it became clear he probably hadn’t fallen back in love as hard as the Toon Army hoped he had, as his rants about Newcastle’s inability to compete with the big boys indicated to those of us outside Newcastle that actually, he remained as disillusioned as ever. But still, this time, its former Chelsea player, (bizarrely Newcastle’s executive director of football) Dennis Wise, and Tony Jiminez, their vice president who are to blame. I mean, fair enough, Keegan had concerns about his authority as a manager being infringed upon, although his demands to take full control of transfers even to the point of chairing contract negotiations smacked of exactly that – Keegan’s desire for total control. And as we all know, the minute there’s a hint of him losing control, fireworks inevitably follow.
So, another management stint, another walkout. And as for Newcastle, well the Toon Army ain’t best pleased and you’d have to assume the players aren’t exactly ecstatic either considering every one of them had been put on the transfer list this summer.
Oh happy days!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW8p8xppxwA]
Blue is the colour
