Newcastle United 'Sacks' Keegan

Premier League football club Newcastle United has sacked its popular manager Kevin Keegan, Sky sources reveal.

 

The ex-England boss and captain's second reign with the Magpies came to an end after his hopes for three or four major signings failed to materialise.

 

The transfer window closed at midnight on Monday.

 

Sky sources had said the 57-year-old quit after talks with club owner Mike Ashley. But the latest revelation is that the manager was dismissed.

 

Ex-Newcastle player John Beresford told Sky News: "Keegan needs money to invest... but he has not been able to get the players he wants to make that difference and it seems to be that's the reason why they've had this conflict.

 

"Dennis (Wise) is not the answer to be the manager of NU. Then again, nobody would be able to come in and follow Kevin Keegan, it's as simple as.

 

"The only person who'd have half a chance of being accepted would be (Alan) Shearer."

 

Keegan was appointed Newcastle manager for a second time on January 16 after the sacking of Sam Allardyce.

 

As a player, he had enjoyed a glittering career with Liverpool, Newcastle and England, retiring in 1984.

 

But he returned to the game as Newcastle boss in 1992 before also going on to manage Fulham, England and Manchester City.

 

He went back to St James' Park earlier this year but was thought to be unhappy with restructuring at the club which saw Dennis Wise appointed as executive director (football).

 

Geordie folk-hero Keegan recently claimed James Milner would not be sold - only for the midfielder to join Aston Villa in a £12m deal.

 

But, having been unable to add to the signings of Argentinian pair Fabricio Coloccini and Jonas Gutierrez with several big-name stars, he was believed to have become disillusioned with his lot at Newcastle.

 

Fans blasted Newcastle’s board over the news.

 

From Sky News.

:lol:

 

To be honest I don't think he ever really WAS the one in charge at that club..

They might get a decent manager now and knock us further down the pecking order :o :o

Newcastle will never be successful sacking the manager every year - it is a proven fact the longer a manager has been at a club the more chance there is of success. A director of football is always a cause of conflict at a club and rarely works (i.e. Dennis Wise).

 

Arsenal, Man Utd (and Bristol City :) ) to name a few have kept faith with managers through thick and thin and reaped the rewards - Newcastle are a laughing stock now, which is a shame.

Well if I was a Newcastle fan i'd be majorly pissed. I thought Newcastle were beginning to go places again, but definitely not now... might as well write this season off already.

I saw this coming actually, oh well.

 

Is Steve McClaren free :unsure:

Newcastle bosses are now denying that he has gone anywhere :unsure:

From Newcastle's website:

 

Kevin Keegan - Official NUFC Statement

 

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.

^ What that meant is that they haven't sacked him, and want him to stay. Old news now anyway, he's walked. Methinks they were going to get rid and backpeddled when the shit hit the fans.

 

Not surprised Keegan's walked like, he knew nothing about any of the transfers going through. There's absolute hell on in Newcastle atm. Riots, protests, it's all kicking off. Something tells me Fat Ashley won't be standing with the fans during any more games. Not without protection anyway

 

Oh, and one more thing

They might get a decent manager now and knock us further down the pecking order :o :o

 

Thursday, 4 September 2008 18:52 UK

Keegan resigns as Newcastle boss

BBC Sports News

 

Keegan's departure will be a massive blow to Newcastle fans

 

Kevin Keegan has resigned as manager of Newcastle United after just eight months in charge.

The announcement follows lengthy talks between the 57-year-old and the board.

 

"I've been working desperately hard to find a way forward with the directors, but sadly that has not proved possible," Keegan said in a statement.

"It's my opinion that a manager must have the right to manage and that clubs should not impose upon any manager any player that he does not want."

 

The resignation of former England boss Keegan comes after three days of intense speculation about his future.

About 200 angry fans gathered outside the club's St James' Park ground on Thursday night after hearing of his departure.

They chanted Keegan's name and called for club owner Mike Ashley and director of football Dennis Wise to quit.

 

A Newcastle statement said the club was "sad and disappointed" that he had resigned.

It added: "Over the last few days, the club has devoted itself to the discussions it has held with Kevin and as a result of those discussions had put together a set of practical suggestions for how to move forward.

 

"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."

 

Keegan made clear his feelings about Newcastle's summer transfer activity at a meeting with the board on Monday, the day the summer transfer window closed.

Following those talks, he was again summoned by the hierarchy on Tuesday - and at one stage it was widely understood and reported that he had parted company with the club.

Amid protests by fans, the club was forced to deny it had sacked him, while the League Managers' Association insisted he had not resigned and that talks would continue.

 

However, in a statement released by the LMA late on Thursday, Keegan duly announced his departure from the club for a second time.

 

He added: "It remains my fervent wish to see Newcastle United 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."

 

The LMA statement read: "The letter which Kevin received today from managing director Derek Llambias has failed to resolve the matters in issue between him and the club and accordingly he feels he has no alternative other than to resign."

 

Keegan's departure comes in a tumultuous week for English football.

On Monday, Manchester City - backed by prospective new owners the Abu Dhabi United Group - broke the British transfer record to complete the £32.5m signing of Robinho from Real Madrid from under Chelsea's noses.

And on Wednesday, Alan Curbishley beat Keegan to become the season's first Premier League managerial casualty when he resigned from West Ham only three games in.

 

A lack of control over transfer policy was also behind Curbishley's decision.

:angry:Keegan returned for a second spell as Newcastle manager in January, to the delight of an adoring faithful on Tyneside.

 

He led the Magpies to safety last season and the club had made a solid start to this season - but Keegan had become increasingly unhappy with the club's management structure.

 

Shortly after appointing Keegan, Ashley brought in Wise as a "football-related" executive director while Tony Jimenez was appointed vice-president of player recruitment.

 

"This is a club in disarray, turmoil, and twas ever thus it seems," commented BBC Radio 5 Live football correspondent Jonathan Legard.

 

Newcastle have employed seven managers since Keegan's first spell ended in 1997.

 

Kenny Dalglish, Ruud Gullit, Sir Bobby Robson, Graeme Souness, Glenn Roeder and Sam Allardyce all came and went before Keegan's return.

 

At what turned out to be Keegan's last game in charge at Arsenal on Saturday, Ashley stood with the fans wearing a Newcastle shirt with 'King Kev' on the back.

 

But many supporters are now directing their anger at the chairman following the departure of a man who has been idolised on Tyneside since he led them to promotion to the top flight as a player in 1982.

 

Keegan took over as manager for the first time in 1992, once again leading them back to the top flight before narrowly missing out on the title in 1995.

 

Less than two years later, Keegan stunned the sport by resigning, saying he had taken the club as far as he could.

 

His return in January this year was hailed by the Newcastle fans as the "return of the Messiah", but just eight months later, he handed in his resignation for a second time.

 

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So that yob of a chairman prefers that obnoxious midget a disgrace to humanity and Football that is that former Wimbledon "Crazy Gang" member Dennis Wise as I'm sure most Leicester City (where he broke a felllow team mate nose & jaw - such a class act), Leeds United & QPR fans would agree. Still he was loved at Chelsea & Millwall - not that it is worth bragging about on your CV as a character reference over a former twice European Player of the Year who is still highly regarded at Liverpool, SV Hamburg, Southampton & Newcastle.

 

Remember Kevin Keegan took over Newcastle when they were lying bottom of the second tier (then Second Division) and took them all the way to runners up place in the Premiership.

 

Throughout his career Kevin Keegan defined Pride, Passion & enthusiasm for the game. Whilst unlike most selfish self centred individuals in the world of Football, the fact that he has resigned therefore missing out on a hand out of £2 million shows that as a human being he is a class act and a man of honour & principle (some very un Conservative principles there then :lol:).

 

I hope Ashley, Wise & co get what they richly deserve this season and that is Relegation from the Premiership.

 

 

With Man City being bought by a big fish worth 5 times more than Abramovich; and the resignations of honourable British managers Curbishly & Keegan, the Premiership has moved much further to the abyss & eventual decline it is heading for.

 

RIP English Football.

The owners have too much control, it's an absolute joke. It makes me think that the Liverpool's owners are decent, as at least they don't go behind the manager's back when offers come in (a la, Alonso & Torres on the last day). I can't blame either manager for resigning, and Newcastle have an absolute t*** of an owner in charge, I don't actualy believe he knows anything about football.