Those who watched the Liverpool game at the weekend on ESPN will have been treated to the punditry of two-time NUFC manager, Kevin Keegan. During his presentation he chose to comment on club matters, which he is entitled to do of course. Unfortunately those comments weren’t very complimentary towards our current ownership. To remind you, here is what KK had to say:
On the cash received for Andy Carroll:
“It is not going to be reinvested is it, I think that’s obvious. As a Newcastle fan, if Carroll is the only one you are going to lose you have to be pretty thankful.”
Before he then moved on to other club matters:
“There may well be other players going as we speak. I think they’ll sell two more players and then he will sell the club. And that’ll be the best day Newcastle fans have, when he sells the club. I’d love to be able to give Newcastle fans some encouragement but I can’t see it getting any better in the short term.”
Now I don’t expect Keegan to be particularly complimentary about Mike Ashley and Co after their well publicised fallout, but I do have a gripe with people passing off opinion as fact. To me Keegan has done just that.
Whether it’s bitterness or not you can’t really argue that Keegan will be more familiar with how Mike Ashley works. He is the guy who has worked with him whilst we sit on the outside and observe so you would guess that Keegan would have a more advanced starting point to make a judgement from.
Yay and nay. On one hand I understand his concerns as they mirror our concerns, but quite how he can second guess a man who is as unpredictable as Ashley is beyond me, especially after so much time has lapsed since Keegan had any involvement with the club.
I’m interested to know what people think on this to be honest. It has potential to be an emotionally charged exchange of comments so I’ll remind you all to be considerate of each others views.
Does Keegan have a valid point? Does he echo your concerns? Or is the man who once put in a £25 million compensation claim against the club just coming across as a bitter individual?
Your thoughts please…
yes he was bcos keegan knows what is goin on at newcastle , ashley hasnt a clue!!
Army69(Quote)
Keegan knows what he knows, from when it happened. That was a few year ago now and things move on.
KK is a proper legend, but these comments just come across as bitter and twisted. I just think he should wait and see rather than put himself in a position where he could yet be made to look an idiot.
Maybe that’s part of the plan? Ashley won’t stick for what Keegan says and he’ll spend more to prove him wrong says 😉
And teh I woke up 😥
toonsy(Quote)
Leeches always seem to find sustenence: 👿 😈 🙄
http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/football/862216l
CC(Quote)
Everyone has an opinion, this is just KK’s. For me though it isnt worth any more than mine or yours. I think Ashley has learnt the hard way, and I am hoping he signs some cheques this summer. I am an optimist but lets just give him the chance to buy some players before we slag him to the hilt
raffo(Quote)
to me it comes across as bitter n sad. How would keegan know if ashley was even thinking of selling the club? Think keegan , like most ex players or managers , needs to pipe down a bit
johno toon(Quote)
MA is waiting for a right offer, for sure. Just look what he has done with all the debts. He is making it attractive to potential buyers, otherwise it makes no financial sense.
Widowmaker(Quote)
toonsy – Ashley is very predictable. He never fails to put his foot in it with someone ridiculous.
As for KK, he has a right to his opinion as the next man and you cannot blame him for being bitter either could you? He’s been the victim of Ashley’s rather strange practices shall we say.
Does anyone actually disagree with what he’s said though? I mean it’s likely we’ll get bids for Tiote and it’s likely they’ll accept one of the bids. Nobody could say they’d be shocked if it did happen. Also I see it as pretty logical that Ashley could sell up too.
All in all KK isn’t too far off the mark I reckon.
Stuart79(Quote)
It could be a case of better the devil you know
raffo(Quote)
Or is the man who once put in a £25 million compensation claim against the club just coming across as a bitter individual?
————————-
You answer your own question there. That picture of him sums it up.
MDS(Quote)
KK a man in the middle of a long drawn out breakdown imo
Stardust(Quote)
Everything KK has said is accurate imo.
Ashley is setting the club up to be sold ASAP .
Long contracts, low wage bill, minimum debt, pushing for extra season ticket sales.
I believe he will sell within a season or so before his cheap buys and the player exodus implodes.
Bobby Shinton number 9(Quote)
@stardust
Not at all.
You just have a hate agenda against him. 🙄
Bobby Shinton number 9(Quote)
“Long contracts, low wage bill, minimum debt, pushing for extra season ticket sales.”
———————-
Isn’t that the proper way to run a club?
MDS(Quote)
Keegan is right. Ashley haven’t done anything to improve game on the football pitch! Thats could change this summer but its Ashley anything happen. What if he sells couple of our players and finally sells our club in the summer ? possible!
mithun_toon(Quote)
Poor lil Booby – you can not see what’s in front of you because your wig has slipped 😆
Toonsy – please ban Booby
Stardust(Quote)
@mds
You missed off the cheap buys and player exodus strategy which will implode within a couple of seasons.
🙄
Bobby Shinton number 9(Quote)
@stardust
I’m here to keep you in check with your pro Ashley views. Oh you haven’t got them now have you.
Can you remember bombarding the Blog a couple of years back with pro Ashley views .
It’s the greatest, you’ve now admitted you made a right fool of yourself and hate Ashley .
Which side of the fence are you on this week dusty? ❓
Bobby Shinton number 9(Quote)
I worked in the legal world for 5 years and maybe I assume people know more than they do, but it’s fairly clear on the compensation point.
If you are in a situation like Keegan and you know you are right. You make an initial claim that’s ludicrous, the other side reject and low ball. You then haggle down and they haggle up. You then meet a point in the middle where you accept their offer.
If anyone honestly think Keegan expected or even wanted £25m from the club, they are rather thick and have a limited life experience.
funkyjesus(Quote)
Willo, Collo, Nolan, Jonas, Tiote, Ben Arfa, Best, Simpson, and Gosling were pretty good signings don’t you think?
Would have been nice to keep Bassong and Milner, but outside of that, can’t say I really miss anyone who left. I like Given, but Harps and Krul have done well.
MDS(Quote)
I partially agree with Kevin, because Mike Ashley has been doing good thinghs at the club. Financially speaking, he has brought some stability. Let`s give Mike Ashley a credit. and I believe that the money from the sale of Andy Carroll will be reinvested in the club, we do need more quality players, otherwise we shall not be able to remain in the Premier League next season because we have got a weak squad.
@marcos_nufc_rj.
marcos(Quote)
Bitter bottler
whoarya(Quote)
Pro Ashley for almost everything but sacking CH Booby – and you know it!
Still can’t believe some would rather have other owners when they haven’t the foggiest of if they’d really asset strip a la FFS.
Ashley is a lot of thing but a football profiteer he is not – if he exits with a profit and the club is debt free – I will be forever grateful. So are you Booby but you just try to stir trouble on the blog 😉 😆
Stardust(Quote)
Stardust changes his tune more times than the radio, Bobby.
The man has no credibility left on any of these blogs, yet he still comes on and refuses to see the ridiculousness of his views and opinions.
When Osama Bin Laden was shot hiding behind his wife yesterday I reckon he had more dignity then than Stardust has now.
He really brightens my day though – not as much as when he threatened to ‘Smash my face in’ though… Now that was comedy gold!
Stuart79(Quote)
Potty – Boobys a good friend of mine – just stick to your melons and mannequins woo hoooooooooooo
Stardust(Quote)
spot on king kev ,take no notice of the **** wipe called stardust
batty(Quote)
@stu
Classic!
You must dig that threatening post out and let’s all laugh at Stardy.
Woo hoo hoo hoo 😛
Bobby Shinton number 9(Quote)
For anyone who want’s to see the interview:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/13268486.stm
jose intresting 😀
shearer(Quote)
hope stays i think he trying to forcse ashley hand in to him getting a new contract
shearer(Quote)
I hope Enrique stays, in fact I think we all hope Enrique stays 🙂
Can’t see it though unfortunately 😥
toonsy(Quote)
I like Keegan, but I can’t forget the ludicrous amount he tried to sue from Our Club-not just Ashley. Think he’s just coming out with his opinion, which is fair enough, but its bloody annoying the way he chirps on all the time if I’m honest. He isn’t helping the squad by these ridiculous claims either.
NewkieBrown(Quote)
Stardust
Posted May 3, 2011 at 4:45 PM
Potty – Boobys a good friend of mine – just stick to your melons and mannequins woo hoooooooooooo
There’s quite a bit wrong with what you just typed.
I think I find it easier to believe that I shag mannequins and use melons in a ever so rude way than it is to believe you actually have a friend, let alone a good one!
Close the door on your way out, Osama.
Stuart79(Quote)
KK has always been an emotional, heart on sleeve guy and you just know he doesn’t want to be painted in a bad light. What he says is fair enough considering what he went through and more importantly – what could have been.
However….I have a lot more respect for Chrissy Hughton who isn’t throwing daggers at the club causing unrest than I do with Keegans approach. He got his compo, what did we get?
Don’t rub it in our faces.
Moreno(Quote)
Moreno-Agreed.
NewkieBrown(Quote)
I think KK could have done with qualifying some of his sentences with “if my experience is anything to go by” or “unless he’s completely changed”, but that’s about it. He’s paid for this kind of thing.
Oh, and thanks to Funky @18 for putting the £25m brigade straight. I still thank him for having the stones to take it all the way and show us all what really happened. There was never any real danger of the club forking out that kind of sum and everyone involved knew that.
Let’s face it, none of us – even KK – knows what’s going to happen. Even Ashley himself has apologised for his “awful decisions” back then, and you have to take your hat off to the way he’s got us financially stable. I still think Llame-**** is a liability and between them they still make god-awful football-related decisions. I think their risk tolerance is far too high, and 5 wins in 20 hardly speaks volumes for their strategic switch in managers. But compared to some owners, that’s small beans.
We just have to wait and see. I hope KK is wrong, but I won’t blame him for speaking his mind. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t be KK.
Whumpie(Quote)
Long Live the King
Toonsy I diagree that he is passing his opinion as a Fact
‘There may well be other players going as we speak. I think they’ll sell two more players and then he will sell the club.’
He clearly states ‘There may well be’ and ‘I Think’ in them 2 sentences so to me he is only stating his opinion which as you said he is entitiled to do.
I wish I could stick around for this but I have to get back to do a bit 👿 so hopefully we will still be on this thread after 9 😉
Big Dave(Quote)
we can sell 2 more players for me, Smith and Xisco 🙂
Jobey07(Quote)
It’s the statements about the “Low Debt” that I find annoying…..we have low debt to Banks etc… however the sale of the club will trigger repayment of the “Loan” Ashley has given the club which reportedly stands at 157 million. So we don’t have low debt, we have an interest free debt.
I also agree with a couple of other posters regarding KK’s 25 million claim, that was the only way to have his say in court, if he’d claimed 2 million MA would have settled with a gagging order and that would have been it, so he bangs in a high claim that MA then has to fight knowing full well that his contract had a 2 million clause in it, that way he gets the information into the public domain.
amitchell(Quote)
Keegan Keegan Keegan……. I hope to **** there’s more than 2 on the way oot 😉 😆
richietoon(Quote)
rich 😉 😆 😆
batty(Quote)