Danny Guthrie has been talking to the Sunday Sun quite a bit and he talks today about his former club Liverpool, and how much he loves working with Kevin Keegan, at Newcastle.
Danny Guthrie – Keegan is brilliant to work with
Guthrie insists the Newcastle United football club bears comparison with the very biggest:
“I was at Liverpool for seven or eight years — I grew up there — so to leave for anywhere else is a big change.”
“But I can see very big similarities between here (Newcastle) and there.”
“You can judge the size of a football club by its fans, and the attitude of the city and the people here to football is so similar to Liverpool.”
“This is a football city. It’s the main topic of conversation — everyone has an opinion on it.”
“But the thing here is that everyone is obsessed with just one club, rather than two like in Liverpool or Manchester.”
“That, the way the ground sits looking down on the town, the amount of people walking around in black and white shirts . . . everything about it is big.â€
Some would say that football isn’t the main topic of conversation in the city – it’s the only topic of conversation in Newcastle – apart from the beer, of course.
And Guthrie seems to have formed a tremendous working relationship with his manager Kevin Keegan, and he has great respect for the former Liverpool and England legend.
Guthrie believes Newcastle now have a manager capable of matching the very best, as he continued:
“Kevin Keegan is just brilliant to work with. As soon as I met him, we got on.”
“Even in training, he is so positive that players just spark off him. It’s a pleasure to come in every day.”
“I just can’t wait to be in the dressing room before the manager gives his team talk and I walk out at a full St James’ Park.â€
Danny was finally asked if he had any regrets that he finally had to leave Liverpool:
“I always hoped it would happen for me there, even as recently as a few months ago, having done well at Bolton.”
“But they (Liverpool) have got a lot of players in central areas and the gaffer wanted to strengthen again this summer.”
“As I say, it still needed a good offer for me to want to leave.”
We’ll have to see how Danny does this season, as it will not be easy for him, but if he follows the guidance and advice of Kevin Keegan, he cannot go far wrong.
Comments welcome.
185 comments so far
Tom_Toon
Aug 10, 2008 at 11:05 PM
Comment #41I was just over the fence towards Ashley the whole time simply because of the foundations he put in place and still am, however i feel much more optimisitc since watching Gutierrez v PSV 🙂
Scotty 1986
Aug 10, 2008 at 11:07 PM
Comment #42Why is everone down beat We have cleared 90% of the dead wood out of our club ( carr , Baba , Rozenhal , dyer , bernard , bowyer ) now we only have ameobi left and maybe smith, but we have replaced them with good quality youth.
Mix the youth with the wise heads of Butt , Given , Geremi & Owen and we might be a little shocked this year maybe top eight is a realistic goal.
Spyro
Aug 10, 2008 at 11:07 PM
Comment #43do you mean ‘on the fence’ TT?
ksmit
Aug 10, 2008 at 11:11 PM
Comment #44Let’s keep it civil lads… don’t want to go back to that dark day of no comments again…
Ross
Aug 10, 2008 at 11:11 PM
Comment #45tom toon-did you see him last night? the lad doesnt stop running, and he’s so strong with the ball, good first touch, good passer, i was sitting there saying to my dad
“we’ve done it, we’ve found someone with a bit of flair, alot could rest on this lads shoulders next season” lol.
Tom_Toon
Aug 10, 2008 at 11:12 PM
Comment #46Not i mean just over, like i said.
I wasn’t so over that i thought he was God or he was the best thing that has happened to us but i wasn’t so against him that i wanted him to sell up. Slightly closer to te god side than sitting on the fence.
Tom_Toon
Aug 10, 2008 at 11:13 PM
Comment #47Ye Ross but i thought he was better vs PSV to be honest, still top yesterday though, love it how he tries to run through players when he takes them on, not around them. Very powerful runner, fun to watch.
AndyNUFC
Aug 10, 2008 at 11:19 PM
Comment #48The reason why we love Gutierrez is because he does the one thing thing we never had for any games last season. He has the confidence to just run at people directly, take them on, and you know he’ll have a quality final ball as well.
Spyro
Aug 10, 2008 at 11:23 PM
Comment #49and he does it well too Andy
Spyro
Aug 10, 2008 at 11:25 PM
Comment #50anyone seen this on Nile Ranger? lol
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nile_Ranger
Alex
Aug 10, 2008 at 11:30 PM
Comment #51i cant wait for the season to kickoff all Kevs signings look good . With Guthrie , Spiderman , Milner & Barton i think our midfield will create & score a load of goals . Owen & Oba are going to go goal crazy on the passes of guthrie and crossing of Spidey . Lets get the season started
AndyNUFC
Aug 10, 2008 at 11:32 PM
Comment #52Have to say like i’m not too stoked on this Nile Ranger kid, would have loved it to have been Gomis or Bangoura.
Leeg123
Aug 10, 2008 at 11:36 PM
Comment #53well that pic of the black kid at st james looks nowt like that nile ranger at all and how cud he have been mistaken for gomis looks shit all like him.
Ross
Aug 10, 2008 at 11:36 PM
Comment #54T_T and andynufc-totally agree. he doesnt shy away or try and go round players, if theres a group, he’ll run right at them, he’s strong and skillfull enough to go through them,and if not, he wins the foul. he’ll play the ball, keep running, and look for it back. he works so hard by the looks of things, i was thoroughly impressed.
Toontoonblackandwhite
Aug 10, 2008 at 11:44 PM
Comment #55my aussie friend Scott chipperfield fc basle mid has said the durdyok has said his goodbuys and said he will sign for newcastle on tuesday.
Spyro
Aug 10, 2008 at 11:45 PM
Comment #56can we stop calling him “the black kid” please, its disrespectful and unnecessary.
furrygiblets
Aug 10, 2008 at 11:58 PM
Comment #57what if he was a white kid Spyro. No offense but thats the best way to describe him as no one knows who he is.
God i hate this PC bollocks
micknufc
Aug 11, 2008 at 12:02 AM
Comment #58weve gotta trust what kev ashley and wise are doing,i think things are really happening but not like they used to.weve got to be calm and really trust them.i know kev’s got our best interests at heart(even though the booing of smith) shamefull episode.. they are doing things on the hush coz theyre trying to completely remove this panto weve become over the last few years. trust me lads were gonna be fine
Tom_Toon
Aug 11, 2008 at 12:05 AM
Comment #59Furrygiblets – About to write the same thing, well said.
Have you heard that gingerbread men have to be called gingerbread people now, what a joke and its not bah bah black sheep anymore its bah bah rainbow sheep. This PC nonsense gets right up my nose.
AndyNUFC
Aug 11, 2008 at 12:06 AM
Comment #60Well said Giblet, sorry Spyro. It’s just a way to describe somebody, and the quicker everyobdy becomes comfortable with skin colour and talking about it the better.
Colo's Curly Locks
Aug 11, 2008 at 12:13 AM
Comment #61completley agree. ive got black mates who have no problem being called black.
Spyro
Aug 11, 2008 at 12:13 AM
Comment #62if he was a white kid would people on here say “the white kid”? doubt it. They would say, “the kid”, why should this be any different?
Ganiyu
Aug 11, 2008 at 12:14 AM
Comment #63Owen is not a dedicated toon.i see dat we av 1 striker and dat oba
Tom_Toon
Aug 11, 2008 at 12:14 AM
Comment #64Colo – same, they get annoyed if they are called coloured because it is very patronising.
micknufc
Aug 11, 2008 at 12:14 AM
Comment #65aye its about time the whole pc thing was hung out to dry,if the lads black, he’s black..i know jack charlton is a ignorant bafoon but when he called tony cunningham blackie milburn coz he was stupid to remember names it was hillarious. but who’s the fool jack or tony c.. my political party has turned us into fanny’s.. shame!
Ganiyu
Aug 11, 2008 at 12:16 AM
Comment #66Wat abt chamakh
Tom_Toon
Aug 11, 2008 at 12:17 AM
Comment #67Chamakh doesnt score enough he is a good back-up target man though because he is very good at holding up a ball.
AndyNUFC
Aug 11, 2008 at 12:18 AM
Comment #68There wasn’t any talk of a white kid at the match though, but people were aware of a black kid at the match which people were rumouring who he was. If somebody went to somebody else, who had seen the picture,”seen that kid at the match we’re supposed to be signing?” it doesn’t distinctly identify him. However, if somebody said “did you see that black kid at the match?” it means you’re identify what he looks like.
How is it derogatory to call a black kid black, when he is actually black? That is suggesting that either the person is using it in an offensive way… Or that to be black is a disadvantage, which i’m sure you didn’t mean
I’m sorry, but I will never give in to political correctness, whether you tell me it’s wrong, or the police say it is, I will never refrain from describing things as they are.
Ganiyu
Aug 11, 2008 at 12:19 AM
Comment #69Wat abt chamakh.kk pls any players 2 compete for lb n rb
micknufc
Aug 11, 2008 at 12:20 AM
Comment #70cracking shout that andy son
Spyro
Aug 11, 2008 at 12:23 AM
Comment #71fair enough points Andy, i will call it quits here before it turns into a mega discussion and discourages some bloggers from posting
Ganiyu
Aug 11, 2008 at 12:25 AM
Comment #72Here in nigeria Newcastle is not popular cos of champions league.they all support d top 4.few bolton fans p.mouth.
gordond
Aug 11, 2008 at 12:25 AM
Comment #73The ex Celtic & Ireland goalkeeper Pat Bonnar gets called Paki Bonnar nothing was said about that being racist.
Ganiyu
Aug 11, 2008 at 12:29 AM
Comment #74People in here in nigeria blame big sam 4 last season misfortune.can any body help me get d new kit cos it not here in nigeria
AndyNUFC
Aug 11, 2008 at 12:31 AM
Comment #75Nice one mate, we’re both obviously entitled to our own opinions… But I win! haha joking.
Anyway I hope that High Flyer bloke is right about us signing Derdiyok. This transfer window has been all about signing the “next generation” of stars. Arsenal for Ramsey and Nasri, Liverpool with Ngog and them other weird sounding names, and I don’t think we’ve been left too far behind, if at all!
What really fills me with confidence though is the actual quality mixed the youth of the lads. On top of that, EVERY player we have signed has had the right attitude. Gutierrez is already a fan favourite, Bassong actually said if need be he’d wait on the bench to prove himself, Guthrie is saying all the right things, and Coloccini well… his hair’s lovely 🙂
And here’s some of us bloody worrying about the mackems signing Diouf and Malbranque! We surely won’t do worse then last season, and looking at the quality of the clubs these days, top half isn’t that small of an achievement really.
Spyro
Aug 11, 2008 at 12:36 AM
Comment #76Andy
The media are trying to say the mackems are showing more ambition than us because they are spending big, what a joke. Why should we spend big on Spurs rejects? Diouf is a good player but you never know who is going to come out the tunnel with him, could be the quality, proven premiership player, or could be the below average sulker. Apart from him the rest of their signings are crap and i wouldnt even want them on our bench.
Colo's Curly Locks
Aug 11, 2008 at 12:37 AM
Comment #77lads…really good article in the times 2morra. not the usual drivel the press puts out…although when i saw the headline thts what i thought it was…..very well written article about the toons current state.
—————————————————————–
Twelve months ago it was the summer of Sam; this year it was meant to be the summer of love. Yet six days before Newcastle United begin their season with a testing visit to Old Trafford, certainty, stability and purpose are yet to be established at St James’ Park. This is a club with boundless potential, but a split personality, with a strong team and a threadbare squad.
For those supporters blessed (or cursed) with a buoyant outlook, the signs have rarely been rosier. No man taps into the Geordie psyche with more emotional resonance than Kevin Keegan, who, as a player and manager, twice previously persuaded Newcastle to reach for the stars. He is the ultimate salesman; he could charm insomniacs into dreaming. When Keegan succeeded Sam Allardyce in January, a city exhaled.
The optimists point to Mike Ashley and cheer. The owner is a billionaire with enough financial muscle to invest £250 million in the club, erasing a crippling, threatening debt. A man of the people, he sports his replica shirt in the boardroom and talks of having fun and winning trophies, but he will not be held to ransom by mediocre players. Fans have been reengaged, the academy attended to.
Yet the pessimists are not lacking material and what, after all, is the public perception of Newcastle’s close season? A failure to secure leading transfer targets such as Luka Modric, Arda Turan and Pablo Aimar. Relentless takeover rumours. Joey Barton’s imprisonment and subsequent release, when attempts to trim wages and impose discipline were blurred and botched.
Yes, Keegan is the right manager to reenergise the club, but why is there distance between him and the acquisition department? Does that really play to his strengths? Are Keegan and Dennis Wise, the executive director (football), pulling in the same direction? Who is making the decisions? Why has football’s greatest communicator not been encouraged to deliver a more upbeat message? Injuries are already a concern.
For those who tread a middle line, the overall effect is perplexing. Theoretically, Newcastle have never had it so good, but there is little sense of cohesion on Tyneside. In Majorca eight days ago, Keegan spoke with the same boyish enthusiasm that has characterised his professional life, but after Saturday’s 2-1 friendly victory at home to Valencia, the tone was different. It jarred.
Could he confirm that Fabricio Coloccini had completed his move from Deportivo La Coruña? “There’s nothing official,†Keegan said. “I can’t tell you anything at the moment, I don’t think. He was here, that’s for sure.†Earlier that afternoon, Ashley had been wearing Newcastle’s new change kit with the Argentina defender’s name on the back. Does it get more official than that?
Last week it was confirmed that Arthur Cox, a trusty Keegan lieutenant throughout his coaching career, had left the club. Was it retirement (Cox is 68) or cost-cutting? “He’s left the club,†Keegan said. “That’s it.†Is there any explanation? “No. He’s left the club.†Under Allardyce, Newcastle hoarded staff; now they are shipping them.
And what of Alan Smith, who appeared close to joining Everton after Keegan had stated that he did not wish to lose him and was then jeered against Valencia? “Alan Smith is a Newcastle player and that’s it,†Keegan said. “He’s a Newcastle player, no doubt about that. What happens in the future, you’ll be the first to know – you people usually know before we do.â€
The players are patently enjoying Keegan’s methods, but there are not enough of them. As James Milner, the Newcastle winger, put it: “We’ve got the ability in the squad, it’s about the numbers.†Two more weighty signings and a bit of good news – Michael Owen is scheduled to play in a practice match on Thursday – could transform the mood, but the omens are conflicting.
Is there momentum? And in which direction is it propelling the club?
legends1892
Aug 11, 2008 at 12:39 AM
Comment #78Fcuk the mackems its spurs n villa we should be competing against. Must be europe next year surely!!
Spyro
Aug 11, 2008 at 12:39 AM
Comment #79i read that and thought the same Colo, was expecting the usual ‘nufc fans set for another yr of misery as blah blah blah’
Tom_Toon
Aug 11, 2008 at 12:39 AM
Comment #80Yep Colo just read it, i saw he headline and thought ‘The Times, more like The Sun!’, but then i read it.