Kevin Keegan seems not too down-hearted about Middlesbrough’s late goal on Sunday, even though it was clearly offside.
Kevin Keegan – lack of confidence the problem
After Kevin admitted that Middlesbrough’s controversial late equalizer at St. James’ Park had denied the Magpies the boost they needed, Keegan thinks results is what’s needed to turn things around at Newcastle. So this would have been a massive boost if we could have just hung on, or the officials had done their job better.
Keegan said after the game:
“This team just lacks a little bit of self-belief because results haven’t gone our way – it’s confidence more than anything.â€
“That’s something you get from playing well, getting results, and even sometimes pinching results. But there are no major problems there.”
“There are three officials out there and there’s no doubt about it in my mind that they got it wrong,” “We are always going to be talking about these things if they don’t get them right.â€
“But the one point isn’t a disaster – it just keeps us where we are. While it’s not the result we wanted, it’s the result we got, and we can’t change it.”
Because we’ve only taken 3 points from the last 8 league games the confidence of the squad is not high, but they going to have to dig deep to get some results in the next couple of games at Aston Villa next Saturday, and against the Red Devils at St. James’ Park two weeks after that.
We have to keep picking up points to ensure we’re not dragged into a relegation scrap. Fulham, Bolton and Wigan all won over the weekend, and those are teams currently below us in the league.
What do you think?
Comments welcome.
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15 comments so far
gloryhunter
Feb 4, 2008 at 1:10 PM
Comment #1Journey to the centre of the earth
Bobby Ollox
Feb 4, 2008 at 1:10 PM
Comment #2Although there is only 6 or so points to the drop zone, there are a lot of clubs who would need to come past us before we should think we are getting into any real trouble.
Most of Sunday, we looked uninspiring, without creativity. For maybe 15 minute in the second half, there were signs of how we could play, but it was all too fragile. The same in defense – signs that things were holding up better, but then fell apart.
I think we have to face up to it – give up on this season – spend the summer reconstructing into the sort of team that Keegan wants – most of them are not the sort of player he would want to have.
Build a new team around Zog, Duff, Milner and Taylor. The rest can come or go I’m not bothered – with the exception of Owen, they are journeymen cashing in on an average reputation.
Roll on August….
JP - GIB
Feb 4, 2008 at 1:11 PM
Comment #3Very unlucky against Middlesbrough we deserved to win. Stupid decisions by the referees cost us dearly AGAIN!!
broon ale
Feb 4, 2008 at 1:13 PM
Comment #4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Oliver
Victor Meldrew
Feb 4, 2008 at 1:16 PM
Comment #5If it’s to be a relegation scrap then we’d better keep Barton, Smith, and Butt. I wonder what Brian Kilcline is doing these days.
scottish mag
Feb 4, 2008 at 1:28 PM
Comment #6at least we wil ave oba, beye nd faye back next week.
did u hear the guy on sky say that he thinks butt has been the most consistant player for us this season
i agree
consistantly crap lol
John
Feb 4, 2008 at 1:28 PM
Comment #7Victor Meldrew..YOU CAN’T BE SERIOUS? BUTT is the reason were in this position with the amount off times he gives possession away…
He’s soppose to protect our defence, if anything he makes things worse for them..
I really hope he’s the 1st gone in the summer.. 50 grand a week for that…If thats the kind of money for playing like that I might through in an application..
John
Feb 4, 2008 at 1:29 PM
Comment #8scottish mag LOL agree 100% ..
consistent my arse…
keith
Feb 4, 2008 at 1:48 PM
Comment #9consistent… yes butt is consistently performing poorly!!! 😀
Leo*
Feb 4, 2008 at 2:34 PM
Comment #10personally i hate the ref and i hate NICKY ARSE (i mean) BUTT
ToonKing
Feb 4, 2008 at 3:00 PM
Comment #11need to dig deep ??? sure we need to do that………….in Mike Ashley’s wallet…..
Newcastle United Credit Card
Feb 4, 2008 at 3:04 PM
Comment #12I am sure Kev and Newcastle is safe from relegation battle.
But please do not expect anything more than that with the set of players he is having.
It’s basically a team build to play like the ugly Bolton under Big Sam.
Newscastle team need a major rehaul to be a serious contender of the top six in the first year.
Then only can we talk about the top 4 spot.
Even Arsene Wenger or Alex Ferguson cannot revive the current squad Kev inherited from Big Sam.
yet_another_indian_toon
Feb 4, 2008 at 5:56 PM
Comment #13http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/n/newcastle_united/7227055.stm
anyone to quiz boss?
hanzemre
Feb 5, 2008 at 8:19 AM
Comment #14Butt consistant eh? hehe … quite funny how pl see it. agree with keith,scottish mag others Butt is crap!
Whumpie
Feb 5, 2008 at 9:33 AM
Comment #15I honestly think we’re going to see a steady improvement from here to the end of the season and finish in the top half. We’ve got good players coming in, and KK is working out who works well with whom and where.
Each match will be better than the last. We’ve got a couple of nasty ties coming up, which will take us uncomfortably close to the bottom of the table. But then we’ll pick up points steadily for the last dozen games.
Then it’s into the summer, when KK and Ashley will spend a lot of money but – AT LAST – on good players.