Kevin Keegan has transformed Newcastle since he came back to the club a short three months ago.
Kevin Keegan – believes football is a simple game
Kevin talked to the Newcastle Journal this morning:
“Regardless of what anyone else thinks about football, and I’m not going down any streets there, I’ve always believed it is a simple game,â€
“Sometimes you can complicate it, sometimes you get people who think they’re more important at a football club than they really are.â€
“Everyone has a place – your fitness people, certainly your doctors, your medical staff – but they all add percentages to it. I’ve always thought the most important place is the training ground and the most important thing is the training.â€
Kevin has gradually slimmed down the staff he inherited and slowly dismissed quite a few of the people Sam Allardyce brought into the club. But Kevin doesn’t seem too interested in what went on during Sam Allardyce’s short reign.
Kevin continued:
“I’ve never asked, from the day I walked in, what went on before,†“I’ve seen people write it in the papers and heard people say things, but I’ve just come in and done it the way I think it should be.â€
“What I think we’ve done is trained more, played more football and by doing that we’ve got the lads confident to play football, and that’s what you can see.”
“Even against Reading, we were probably only 80% but it still produced a lot of exciting football because of their belief.â€
Kevin seems to have the players a lot fitter then they were, since they’ve strolled through their last couple of games and seem to have played so well as a team. The training that has taken place seems to be showing through because they seem to know exactly what each other is going to do, and they are very patient and almost clinical in their build up.
Saturday’s third goal was a wonderfully created goal for Mark Viduka to finally put the ball away with a clinical strike. And right back Habib Beye got into the action and had two assists for the goals by Owen and Viduka.
Kevin talked about Habib:
“He came back first from the African Cup of Nations on the Sunday,†“The others were two or three days after. He came back earlier because he wanted to be part of it. His training and professionalism have impressed me.”
“We’ve got a lot of leaders in the dressing room and he’s one of them. Abdoulaye Faye is at the back, Nicky Butt, Michael Owen, Geremi. These are five senior players who have good experience.â€
Newcastle have made just a great turnaround with three easy wins in a row, but they will be tested on Saturday at Fratton Park. However, we feel they’ll be looking forward to that test, and maybe can even make it 4 wins on the trot against Portsmouth, if they can raise their game a little from last Saturday.
Comments welcome.
12 comments so far
paulthepom
Apr 7, 2008 at 10:44 AM
Comment #1lets get them back for embarrassing us at home.that would be in my team talk.
Nomis_jade
Apr 7, 2008 at 10:48 AM
Comment #2Wow, thats so good to hear! KK comes in and does what he does best, gets the players playing football.
All the players look so happy! When they score a goal they all celebrate together. Beye picked up MO the other day!
My favourite is Viduka. In the Tottenham game, he was calling everyone over to celebrate nicky butts goal and on saturday he ran off, then turned round, arms in the air and a big smile on his face as everyone went to hug him!
On a humerous note, did anybody see Agbonlahores rather embarressing celebration? It was a side roll. He’s obviously not up to the more technical forward role. What an idiot.
What do people think about Crouch? Should we get him?
Eric
Apr 7, 2008 at 10:49 AM
Comment #3This where we must look to work out the players KK will bring in. They will be quality but we have no names as of yet. He is saying that whoever they will be, they will not be prima donnas. All we know is that certain positions will be strengthened and covered. At present it seems that KK wants simple craftsman-like football – but NOT simple footballers. So, it may be that not too many will leave after all. I still think that KK will opt for proven and skilfull players and that is why I think the Nolans of the Prem are not what he is after. The media made too much out of the trip to Rangers. God knows what the Mail would say if KK came round my house.
Toonlad
Apr 7, 2008 at 11:04 AM
Comment #4The Mail might indeed get some mileage out of it Eric. What position do you usually play and what do you think you are worth?
Viper
Apr 7, 2008 at 11:10 AM
Comment #5I was there and enjoyed almoast every minute! (their opening kick-off nearly lead to a wrong goal, quickly rectified!)
It was, to me, good to actually visibly see confidence. Different team no doubt! Now lets take all to bloody crapnot’arf (read backwards btw!) and take them apart!
HeronMag
Apr 7, 2008 at 11:15 AM
Comment #6Brian Clough was also an advocate of the ‘simple game’.
Look what he won!
Bill F
Apr 7, 2008 at 11:24 AM
Comment #7Should we get Crouch, Is the Pope a catholic.
Yes and I think so.
Iv’e said it so many times its getting to be like a stuck record. (Crouch not the Pope)
Eric I agree, if KK was to sign Nolan it would send completely the wrong message out. Same with Dunne I would rather see Arshavin or Van Bommell, Ribery, players like that.
Gary
Apr 7, 2008 at 11:50 AM
Comment #8Football is and always has been a simple game. IMO part of the reason the players are “str0lling” through matches now is because they are actually making the ball do most of the work. If you have the ball and move it around, accurately and with pace, the physical work you put in is less. Don’t get me wrong I’m not saying the players aren’t working hard, they cearly are. But they’re working intelligently and with each other more. Not constantly chasing the ball cos the other team have it all the time.
Zx
Apr 7, 2008 at 1:52 PM
Comment #9Well…sports science…sports science…so much on sports science…can sports science win games for us? obviously not…
m.
Apr 7, 2008 at 3:59 PM
Comment #10Clough told once to the dog wanker Keano that all he had to do was run and pass the ball to another red shirt – and the shitehead built a career over that. Simple football is great. who needs tricks when the ball is in the back of the net?
Leo
Apr 7, 2008 at 4:05 PM
Comment #11basic football is king
kev is king so it goes hand in hand really
madyaka
Apr 7, 2008 at 5:50 PM
Comment #12Something weird, notice that there are less players injured now compared to when Big Sam was at the helm?