Latest: Keegan quit after blaming Wise for driving him out
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Newcastle United deny Kevin Keegan has been sacked as manager.
Confusion surrounds the future of Kevin Keegan after Newcastle United issued a statement tonight denying that they had sacked him as manager. Earlier in the day angry fans had gathered outside St James' Park to protest against his departure after widespread speculation that the club had dismissed him.
The club, however, finally issued the following statement this evening: "Newcastle United can confirm that meetings between members of the board and manager Kevin Keegan were held both yesterday and today.
Kevin has raised a number of issues and those have been discussed with him. The club wants to keep progressing with its long-term strategy and would like to stress that Kevin is extremely important, both now and in the future.
Newcastle United values the effort and commitment shown by Kevin since his return to St. James' Park and wants him to continue to play an instrumental role as manager of the club.
For the avoidance of doubt the club has not sacked Kevin Keegan as manager."
It had been believed that the Geordie favourite was shown the door after showdown talks with club owner Mike Ashley. But with Newcastle denying this to be the case, it is unclear whether Keegan has in fact resigned or whether he is considering his position.
Speculation mounted all morning that Keegan’s second reign as Newcastle manager was drawing to a close after his main transfer targets failed to materialise when the window closed at midnight.
Fans chanting "sack the board" arrived at the ground to show their support for the man they hailed as their "Messiah" but media were forced by security guards to leave the stadium grounds as the club initially declined to comment on the reports.
Keegan’s unhappiness relates to the club’s transfer policy and the level of influence he is afforded as manager, which has been reduced since the appointment of Dennis Wise as executive director of football.
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Ashley tried to sell Owen
MICHAEL OWEN and Joey Barton are at the centre of the explosive bust-up that has torn Newcastle and Kevin Keegan apart. TV stations incorrectly reported yesterday that Keegan had been sacked as boss — though it is unclear whether he offered to resign or will stay at Toon.
But we can reveal a bitter row DID break out between Keegan and Newcastle owner Mike Ashley on Monday. Without Kev’s approval, Ashley tried to sell striker Owen — and controversial midfielder Barton.
Both Mark Hughes at Manchester City and Everton boss David Moyes declared their interest in Owen, while Portsmouth chief Harry Redknapp moved in for Barton. But Keegan was incensed when he found out what was going on — especially as he had already been forced to accept the £12million sale of star winger James Milner to Aston Villa.
A Toon source said: “Kevin believed he would get money to spend from Milner’s sale but it was clear he wasn’t going to get a penny to spend on the last day of the transfer window. “So when he found out the club were trying to sell Owen and Barton, he hit the roof. It was the final straw.”
In an astonishing showdown with the board, Keegan insisted that Owen and Barton had to stay. He argued there was no time to get in replacements and that they were essential for the club’s wellbeing.
Our source added: “It was a tense and angry showdown and Kevin wasn’t giving any ground. He was determined players were not going to be sold without his say so. “He felt that, while he had little control over the players coming in, he could certainly do something about anyone going out.
“But the board didn’t like his attitude. As far as they are concerned, Keegan was being paid handsomely to accept their decisions.” Keegan’s future was not totally clear last night, although the club issued a statement insisting he is still in charge.
It read: “Newcastle can confirm that meetings between members of the board and Kevin Keegan were held both yesterday and today. “Kevin has raised a number of issues and those have been discussed with him. “The club wants to keep progressing with its strategy and would like to stress that Kevin is extremely important, now and in the future.
“Newcastle values the effort and commitment shown by Kevin and wants him to continue to play an instrumental role as manager of the club. “For the avoidance of doubt, the club has not sacked Kevin Keegan as manager.”
The reality may be that the rift between Ashley and Keegan cannot be repaired and that a deal to part company may still be struck. If that were to happen, it is understood Newcastle would want Spurs assistant boss Gus Poyet as team boss — working alongside his old pal, Toon executive director Dennis Wise. Both are friends of Magpies vice-president Tony Jimenez.
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FURIOUS Newcastle fans have threatened a bitter backlash against what they regard as attempts to force Kevin Keegan out of the club. Around 500 supporters gathered at St James’ Park yesterday as rumours the man they call The Messiah had been sacked spread through the city.
Their chants of ‘There’s only one Kevin Keegan’ and ‘Sack the board’ left no one in any doubt where their sympathies lay. They want owner Mike Ashley and his chief lackey Dennis Wise out of the door.
Ashley was seen downing a pint in one on TV at the weekend. But last night Toon fans reckoned he must have been smashed out of his head even to think about dumping Keegan as boss. Even the club’s statement insisting Keegan had not been sacked did little to appease them.
Earlier Keegan’s No 2 Terry McDermott allegedly told the players King Kev was off, that James Milner was sold against the manager’s will and that the board did not go for a single one of the players on a wanted list he gave them.
The fans vowed there would be a mass boycott of the home match against Hull on September 13, saying as far as they were concerned he is being forced out by Ashley.
There is no doubt Ashley, a hero when Keegan returned to the club last January, is now public enemy No 1 on Tyneside. Season-ticket holder Ray Evans, 37, said: “I’ve supported Newcastle all my life and can’t ever remember being this angry about the goings-on at the club. “When I heard the rumours on the radio about Kevin going I decided to take time off work and come to the ground to see what was going on. The mood here is very ugly — and rightly so.
“It’s an absolute disgrace. Kevin Keegan is one of the few good things about this club and they’ve treated him like dirt. “He has had no money for players, no support for what he’s trying to achieve and no respect from Ashley and the rest of the board.
“Ashley likes to represent himself as a man of the people, who sits with the fans and buys us a pint. We’d prefer it if he bought a few decent players instead. “I will be giving the Hull match a swerve in protest at what is going on. And from what I gather, there will be a good few thousand more empty seats.”
Another lifelong fan, Michael Sweeney, declared: “The board haven’t given him a fair chance and there’s a definite feeling among the fans they are trying to force him into a corner so he will resign. “Kevin is a man of principles and the board probably feel if they push him too far he’ll tell them to stuff it. “We would understand him doing that but, of course, it’s the last thing we want to happen.
“Keegan IS The Messiah, the only person who can lead us out of this mess and get the club back to a position where we can hold our heads up with pride.”
Frank Gilmour, of the Independent Newcastle United Supporters’ Association, said: “It’s a farce. You cannot run a football club like this. With all the interference and messing about he has had to put up with, I wouldn’t blame Keegan for going.”
The ugly mood at St James’ Park yesterday, with hysterical television coverage inaccurately claiming Keegan had been sacked, was in stark contrast to the celebrations eight months before.
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keegan is not the right man to bring newcastle forward. and frankly i wonder if the owner is serious about challenging for honours. newcastle seem to be running round in cirlces.
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Since the retirement of Shearer and scaking of Sir Bobby Robson, Newcastle has been in a spiralling decline.
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Originally posted by deathwish:
Since the retirement of Shearer and scaking of Sir Bobby Robson, Newcastle has been in a spiralling decline.
X2
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actually, what newcastle needs is time.
when was the last time a newcastle manager stayed for at least 3 seasons?
with time, newcastle does have what it takes to be great. just look at wenger and ferguson.
if you dont have the time, pray you have the money. oil money preferably.
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money cannot buy success - Chelsea and Real Madrid are living example. I think the Newcastle need to give the manager time to stabilise the squad. Currently, the Newcastle team is not stable - Owen must stay and the team to be built around him. Barton can leave if he wants and also importantly, buy the correct players - horrors like Baumsong shld not be repeated. Currently, I think Duff is good, Milner is good & he shld not have been sold. And there is Huntington - he is good for future. Martins is quick and he shld not go as well.
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Originally posted by red_amoeba:
money cannot buy success – Chelsea and Real Madrid are living example.
I think the Newcastle need to give the manager time to stabilise the squad. Currently, the Newcastle team is not stable – Owen must stay and the team to be built around him.
Barton can leave if he wants and also importantly, buy the correct players – horrors like Baumsong shld not be repeated.
Currently, I think Duff is good, Milner is good & he shld not have been sold. And there is Huntington – he is good for future. Martins is quick and he shld not go as well.
er? Real Madrid is already a sucess. With money OR NOT.
Chelsea? if they are willing to spent 120m pounds a season. i am sure EPL will be theirsMilner is leaving Aginst the clubs will
Duff is good.. but ever since he left chelsea i hardly see him eprform
Boumsong bad player? think again. i remember he saved newcastle asses alot of time when the reserve goal keeper is in
Barton is a great player.. seen him play a few times its not bad.. but he have to change his stupid habit... -
they should just sack their chairman instead, wtf is he thinking?
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FURIOUS Toon fans put Newcastle under siege last night as boss Kevin Keegan quit after blaming Dennis Wise for driving him out. Supporters swore revenge on owner Mike Ashley as ‘Geordie Messiah’ Keegan walked away and accused football director Wise of buying players he did not want.
Gus Poyet has emerged as favourite to replace King Kev but the biggest problem facing Ashley is the furious reaction of supporters. Toon fans flooded The Sun with texts and e-mails vowing to boycott the club while their wealthy owner again stayed quiet.
Thousands are now calling for sportswear tycoon Ashley and unpopular former Millwall and Leeds boss Wise to quit Tyneside for good. Following another day of talks between Keegan, the board, lawyers and the League Managers’ Association, the Toon legend called time on his eight-month spell early in the evening.
But during the bitter split there was no deal struck for compensation and Ashley is now ready to sue Keegan for £2million for breach of contract — a clause the club insisted on inserting because of his history of walking away from jobs.
Keegan said: “I’ve been working desperately hard to find a way forward with the directors, but sadly that has not proved possible. “It’s my opinion a manager must have the right to manage and that clubs should not impose upon any manager any player that he does not want.
“It remains my fervent wish to see Newcastle do well in the future and I feel incredibly sorry for the players, staff and most importantly the supporters. I have been left with no choice other than to leave.”
Frank Gilmour, chairman of the Independent Newcastle United Supporters’ Association, warned: “Ashley doesn’t realise the love that man Keegan has for this football club. Fans have long memories and I don’t think he’ll ever be forgiven for this.” It took the club nearly TWO HOURS to issue a short statement confirming their manager had left.
It read: “Newcastle United is sad and disappointed that Kevin Keegan has resigned. “Over the last few days the club has devoted itself to the discussions it has held with Kevin.
“As a result of those discussions it had put together a set of practical suggestions for how to move forward. “On Thursday the club made it clear to Kevin that if he had any outstanding concerns on its proposals, he should raise them with the club. “The club regrets that Kevin has, instead of taking up that offer, chosen to resign.”