Kevin Keegan has a good interview with the Times today, where he’s his usual upbeat self, and the interview was conducted before the last game against Real Mallorca last night.
Kevin Keegan – upbeat about next season – what else?
Keegan is a born leader and offers inspiration to his players, not many fans will disagree with that statement.
Kevin has also ensured that pre-season training has been grueling, and although the games in the Summer Cup have been played in terrific heat, Kevin has maintained an upbeat atmosphere in the Newcastle camp.
Kevin said:
“It’s my first summer back and it’s very exciting,†“It’s everything I expected it to be. This is a good set of players to work with and they’ve got a great work ethic.”
“There’s still a way to go before it kicks off and some things to learn, but there’s a real sense of anticipation within the camp.â€
“There are always expectations. It’s not just at Newcastle where there are expectations, but why shouldn’t we have them? “
“We have a lot of quality, international players, we have added one good youngster in Danny Guthrie and a very good international in Jonás Gutiérrez.”
“Hopefully, there will be one or two more. If we do that, we should be optimistic and the fans should be as well.â€
“People will look at the situation and make their own minds up, but our job is to try and fulfil all the promise we’ve got in the squad.”
“We don’t know what lies ahead for us in terms of injuries, suspensions and luck, but there’s no reason why we can’t have our dreams. We might do better than a lot of people think.â€
So as usual Kevin was as upbeat as ever, and is an excellent communicator.
But now we turn to Mike Ashley. the owner, who surely must start communicating with his customers – the fans – much better than he has done so far in his tenure of the club.
Ashley spoke briefly in Spain to the Times:
“I’m loving it,†“I’m excited by the new season, of course I am. I’m really looking forward to it.”
“I’m excited by Kevin, seeing the team play, all of it. I think we’re going to have a bit of fun.â€
A fairly rote response from the the owner, where he was giving nothing away.
But when asked to expand on the statement, and whether he had any message for the Newcastle fans – he replied laughingly:
“No,â€
Mike is certainly not good at communicating with the fans. and it shows in some of their current disillusionment, because they just don’t know what’s going on at the club.
And of course the gossip press is not helping one little bit.
When Chris Mort was Chairman, he did his level best to talk to the fans, and also fill in, as it were, for no words at all coming from the owner.
But now that he has gone, we have Derek Llambias in as managing Director, and no doubt another excellent businessman, but Derek seems just as bad a communicator as Mike – not good.
The club must look at how they will communicate to their fans in a much more effective way – and if they can do that it will pay big rewards.
They cannot expect Kevin to doing all of that, however brilliant he is at it.
Comments welcome.
65 comments so far
buddy
Aug 4, 2008 at 1:06 AM
Comment #1we would be giving out if mike talked too much. its not a big deal. let kevin speak and a bit more from llambias. mike doesnt need to speak is my feeling.
i hope kevin was trying to be funny when he said one or two more players
seen as kevin seems to be refusing to play youth, then 1 or 2 players is FAR from what we need
COME ON kev, wise nd d rest of you lets get realistic
Bucks_mag
Aug 4, 2008 at 1:06 AM
Comment #2mm bad that he isn’t moving to clarify over the indian takeover rumours.
Can’t believe Llambias though upon your mention Ed i realised how long ago it was he spoke
Shearer#1
Aug 4, 2008 at 1:08 AM
Comment #3I’m hoping for 2 bits of good news soon. (1) The takeover with Ambani happens (2) papers are saying Arsenal will sign Xabi Alonso, so hopefully we’ll get Inler. We need at least 5 more players on todays showing.
ObaFan2
Aug 4, 2008 at 1:20 AM
Comment #4Llambias should definately communicate more, MA has put him in a position to run the club and Llambias should be able to speak for MA.
KK as upbeat as ever and hope it’s going to be a stronger team on Wednesday. Hopefully even a new signing or two to see there also 🙂
ToonLoon
Aug 4, 2008 at 1:20 AM
Comment #5Some media is reporting Ashley wants $380 million.
And stop telling us Mike what u spent for us . I have seen some reports saying you did not perform due diligence. No one looked at Freddie’s books.
Greedy. Tight. Fraud.
ToonLoon
Aug 4, 2008 at 1:21 AM
Comment #6Paying off debt, debt you should have found, is no reason to bragg. idiot.
Malaysian Toon
Aug 4, 2008 at 1:30 AM
Comment #7The new takeover bid story (if it’s true) is not a good thing IMO. If a new owner comes in now then we can write this season off AGAIN. He’ll have new ideas and will want his own men in key positions basically unravelling everything that’s already been done. Lots of you on the blog may blast MA but at least there’s been some proper planning and building for the future. It may not be in the way we want and communication with the fans has been bad but it still seems to be going in the right direction albeit slower than we’d hoped.
I for one hope we at last get some stability and not a new takeover. Even if he does promise 100 million quid for new players.
ObaFan2
Aug 4, 2008 at 1:32 AM
Comment #8Malaysian Toon, agree, stability is something this club hasn’t had in a long long time.
harrier
Aug 4, 2008 at 1:36 AM
Comment #9Guys, if a takeover happens realize that there will be a bedding in period for the new owners who then will perform due diligence and look over the operation. Usually that will mean a freezing of funds, so in all likelyhood we would see the end of the transfer window without any more tranfers
Matt
Aug 4, 2008 at 1:38 AM
Comment #10How often do Roman Abramovich, Malcolm Glazer, Randy Lerner, Thaksin Shiniwatra, Björgólfur Guðmundsson and Alexandre Gaydamak hold press conferences?
The only club owners who pass comment in the press on a regular basis are Hicks and Gillette and that’s only to slag each other off.
Get a grip people.
Shearer#1
Aug 4, 2008 at 1:43 AM
Comment #11How is the takeover a bad thing? This guy is twice as rich as Abramovic. We won’t have to make do with Guthrie & Bassong. We would actually have the finance to be able to sign world class players who become available, eg; Eto’o, Robinho, Arshavin, Veloso, Berbatov. It would be amazing if this takeover could happen.
buddy
Aug 4, 2008 at 1:45 AM
Comment #12nicely said matt
BUT llambias needs to open up. has he spoken at all?? seems to me llambias is pullin a bit of a smith on it. doing nothin:D
Malaysian Toon
Aug 4, 2008 at 2:00 AM
Comment #13Shearer #1…Guthrie and Bassong seem to be very good and who’s to say won’t be as good as Gerrard and Vidic one day. Just a comparision for affect not their style of play of course.
I for one think that all 3 new signings so far has been brilliant but that has to be seen in actuall league matches of course.
Just a reminder for those who’ve forgotten…Robert Lee was bought for 750k only and turned out to be one of the most solid midfielders we ever had. Think Ginola was also less than 5 mil (not too sure).
Expensive does not equel good people. Big names coming to Newcastle also does not equel good performances i.e. Kluivert.
ksmit
Aug 4, 2008 at 2:05 AM
Comment #14A bit off topic but just thought I would mention that there are two classic nufc games on Setanta in Canada tomorrow evening (assume in the states as well and maybe elsewhere as well?) They start at 8PMET and are with Aston Villa and Tottenham.
ToonLoon
Aug 4, 2008 at 2:33 AM
Comment #15Sure, in retrosprect, we have been run badly for many years, and suffered. Steady, capable mangement, is a good thing. But do we have that?
To me Ashley has a secret agenda. The way he is operating, and the comments he makes on investmet. He is not being straight with the fans.
matt
Aug 4, 2008 at 2:36 AM
Comment #16in about two months time, the number of players keegan was spouting was heard rightly as a “squad overhaul”
then it went to four quality players
last week it went to two
now it’s one or two
im not a pessimist with nufc at all, but this is just getting a bit ridiculous. keegans comments for the season are about as underwhelming and deluded as, i dont know, it’s not good. tell us the truth.
ScottyT
Aug 4, 2008 at 2:46 AM
Comment #171 or 2 players isnt enough. 1 or 2 players imo will mean another difficult season and top half will be hard to achieve. weve sold more than weve bought and our squad was small last year man! if we only sign 1 more player then im worried..
also these comments frm ashley arent tha most promising. ‘fun’ and ‘no’ being bad words to use.
None4Toon
Aug 4, 2008 at 2:49 AM
Comment #18agree that there’s no wrong signing Guthrie, Bassong and probably Gutierrez as well. it’s always good signing hungry rising young stars than ageing world-class stars living on past reputation and ridiculous wages, from both businessmen or fans’ view. this summer the signings seem to be of very good value, just not enough in numbers and in certain areas we r particularly depleted (e.g. pace and creativity in midfield). another problem we just have too much dead wood to rid, Smith n Shola for SURE, and probably Geremi and Cacapa as well, tho to a much lesser extent. Milner should be sold at Villa’s offer.
Malaysian Toon
Aug 4, 2008 at 3:01 AM
Comment #19Agree with Matt and Scotty T….too few signings. Unless KK expects big changes from the likes of Smithy, Shola, Geremi and sudden burst of youth from likes of Butt and Cacapa, I think it aint gonna be enough as well.
I’d loved to be proven wrong and I’d love to start the season off with a unexpected win at old trafford….but hard to see that happening at the moment.
Still can’t blame me for having hope after all I am a newcastle supporter. Haha.
Even though most of us are bitchy as hell sometimes on the blog….come the start of th season I’d still have my voice sore cheering (n shouting obcenities at Smith) after the first game.
Howay the lads.
ToonLoon
Aug 4, 2008 at 3:13 AM
Comment #20As i have said b4. What if Beye falls over:
Enrique/Taylor/Faye/Geremi
Can u imagine it. Taking this back 4 anywhere, against anybody, would seriously unerve me.
andy
Aug 4, 2008 at 7:57 AM
Comment #21a win at old trafford, um, stranger things have happend . . . um, right. Aaahhh f##k it, why not, 3 points from ManU here we come. (allow me my dreams)
ToonEskimo
Aug 4, 2008 at 8:01 AM
Comment #22Does anybody know if we’ll actually be fielding a first choice 11 BEFORE the season starts?
and what happened to the Colocini deal?
WIGAZ
Aug 4, 2008 at 8:13 AM
Comment #23Good point eskimo, i hope on wed against PSV we see owen oba possibly colochinni? given jonas etc! i’m getting seriously worried bout next season with the team i’m watchin in pre season! i hope colo signs 2day that will make me feel better but thies takeover needs to happen imo, ashley is a very rich man but he doesn’t want to splash whats needed to get the toon back to where we need to be challeging for title’s & qualifying for champs league, for that team needs serious facelift & that would take about £100m +. Mind you when ashley took over didn’t we hear loads of crap about “there will be money for players” & rumours of £50-60m being slung around, well mike where is it? in your bank gaining interest thats where! sell up your not the man for the job! feel free to splash £50m on berbatov & arshavin & prove me wrong!
Ian
Aug 4, 2008 at 8:18 AM
Comment #24I would be upbeat if I thought the World’s sixth richest man wants the club.
I dont trust Ashley not to mess it all up, he will probably argue about the price of a printer or something.
Ashley has kn*b written all over him, rich or not.
The sooner he is history the better and we get someone who can operate an ongoing business, as in an entertaining football club in the better.
Clarke_19_rangers
Aug 4, 2008 at 8:39 AM
Comment #25Last night From what i saw of the game ( damn bad sopcast!) we despretly needed:
1 left back
1 Defensive mid
1 attacking mid
1 winger who can actually cross
1 right back
1 striker
Sorry if im stating the obvious
We were so bad last night im starting to doubt, if we dont sign anyone , that well be able to acheive to get into the top 7 which is where we should be aiming
and i have just heard a rumour saying we last night have put a bid in for Julio ‘the beast’ Baptista, of real madrid, in the region of 10 million
tyneside tommo
Aug 4, 2008 at 8:41 AM
Comment #26Can we please please recognise this latestt”toon takeaway” story for what it is – absolute crap from The Sun’s stable companion.
Every self respecting hack would have approached the alleged parties for a comment.
Yet none of the toon’s supposed suitors have made a comment. Why?
Cos every scum hack knows that if their story is untrue you don’t give anyone the opportunity to flatly deny it before rushing into print.
Trust me guys. It’s not true. Like Mike Ashley would not have completed “due diligence” before buying NUFC? Like he would not of had a clue about the debt he was inheritating from Fat Boy Fred?
Get real. The man’s no fool. Just don’t you be fooled by The Sun or the News of the Screws.
Still got doubts? Then how come no other media outlet has followed up this nonsense up? Cos it’s absolute bull.
Josh T
Aug 4, 2008 at 8:46 AM
Comment #27Man City have got a very rich owner and he didn’t spend a lot of money. Who’s to say this bloke would finance anything.
I am happy with Ashley, we are one of a handful of clubs with no debts. We are building slowly like Arsenal did. If we do it like Chelsea in 15 years they will either be bust or playing in league 1.
Foreign owners are dangerous, i would rather support a club in the bottom half of the premiership than one that has gone bankrupt.
No wonder we are ridiculed by other fans and the papers, a big percentage of our fans are idiots who want glory now and don’t care where we are in 20 years. GET A GRIP!
sirjasontoon
Aug 4, 2008 at 8:50 AM
Comment #28I think with the present squad we will struggle not just against the top teams but also the bottom teams as well.
The squad clearly needed bulking up last January but nothing was done,we where promised a signing on friday within “24 hours”,that hasn’t happened.
You can’t delve to deeply into the friendlies but what it is saying to me is we are very weak not just in numbers but also in quality..i mean what if the duke,Owen and Martins pic up knocks next season…it worries me.
Toon1978
Aug 4, 2008 at 8:54 AM
Comment #29Indians have denied any take over of NUFC, what a bummer. Constant downs and no ups for NUFC and the british press ripping the proverbial out of the geordie fans. Why do they do this they want shot. Fecking liars who cannot do their job properly.
GM
Aug 4, 2008 at 8:55 AM
Comment #30No Takeover – indians just denied it
http://uk.reuters.com/article/footballNews/idUKDEL21549720080804?rpc=401&
Ian
Aug 4, 2008 at 8:59 AM
Comment #31sirjasontoon
Exactly, we need someone such as Cisse, if we wont spend the money then we need someone such as Jason Roberts to at least give us a hope of a win.
Roberts and Sibieski both did good jobs in their respective teams when they were called upon, in premiership costs they are buttons,we need at least one person similar if we arent buying another proven striker.
Viduka was on the cheap and is what he is, but when fit an excellent player, Carroll is crap, Shola wont leave, Fabio hasnt been tried-why?
That really leaves us with two full time and full cost strikers, Owen and Martins, unless a team has amazing prolific scoring midfielders it is not enough in the modern game.
Toon1978
Aug 4, 2008 at 9:02 AM
Comment #32Will never buy the NOTW of the SUN ever again, why do they spout constant lies they will end up seeing a drop in sales of their newspapers. There’s more truth in the BEANO than the NOTW or the SUN. If i could get hold of the person who spouted these lies in their papers i would rip his head off and s..t down his throat.
Toon1978
Aug 4, 2008 at 9:05 AM
Comment #33Ashley “enjoying fun with the magpies” is this bloke for real, he wants to look a round at the fans and realise we are not having fun watching crap.
Chicken
Aug 4, 2008 at 9:09 AM
Comment #34Our squad was seriously thin on numbers and quality last season. Since then we have shipped out 6 and only replaced 3 of them.
If we are to have any chance of competing in the top half of the table after Christmas we need to buy 6-9 quality players – no exaggeration.
Not in my wildest dreams do i see that happening. Another relegation dogfight beckons I think.
Toon1978
Aug 4, 2008 at 9:18 AM
Comment #35Ashley seems all take and no give, the money he has spent on players so far is probably money made from other sources. We are STILL short even when we sign Colocinni, we need another 3 players at least. By what we have seen in Ameobi and Smith we have no chance. Viduka is injured all the time, Owen is always linked with other clubs, Ameobi is a terrible footballer and Smith is even worse. Martins is the only striker i have any real faith in. WE NEED a creative midfielder,a good striker and a left back. If Ashley can provide another few quality signings then i believe the tide will turn for him.
WesToon
Aug 4, 2008 at 9:18 AM
Comment #36Still No Colo…still no goals scored…still no creativity… & BFA(big fat ashley) says his having a great time at NUFC??? WTF is Fekking going on Lads…24 hours they said for a NEW signing well 48 hours later im still waiting!!! Now the Indians dont want us either…probably cause BFA asked for 400 mill quid…What a plonker
WesToon
Aug 4, 2008 at 9:23 AM
Comment #37EVEN QPR have snapped up a real madrid youngster….THANK U SO MUCH Mr.Vetere…MR EX REAL MADRID SCOUT…FFS,yet another CRAP weekend…watching us perform so dismaly…
AAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHH we need atleast 5 players…MINIMUM
sirjasontoon
Aug 4, 2008 at 9:23 AM
Comment #383 games against inferior teams and no goals.
Ashley has lost the plot
He might be having fun but i don’t think us fans are enjoying this Ashley era,certainly not a much as him anyway.
We where told on friday a signing in 24 hours…still no signing !
Where the F is Coloccini?
Toon1978
Aug 4, 2008 at 9:25 AM
Comment #39I believe we will see Colocinni sign today Sirjasontoon mate i feel your pain.
daiv
Aug 4, 2008 at 9:25 AM
Comment #40Well its good that the owner is having “fun” at NUFC. Have you asked the fans what they think of your tenure so far Mike. Try opening your mouth to speak. Very few are having fun mate. KK is starting to look like Mike’s plaything who is scared to say anything. What he is saying and thinking must be worlds apart. This club is pushing the self destruct button. Still, as long as MA is having fun, we should all be happpy.