Kevin Keegan is a man motivator and that is one of his biggest strengths as a manager.
Kevin Keegan – in training with the lads
But Kevin doesn’t seem to have worked his magic since he’s been here, well not so far anyway. But Kevin has total confidence in his own abilities as a manager.
He doesn’t think he’s lost anything on the motivational side since he returned to Newcastle United last month.
Kevin told the Evening Chronicle today, when asked if he had lost his motivational skills:
“I don’t think so. They’re up for it before games and they want to win football matches.â€
“But obviously I’m having a bit of a job putting some confidence into them.†“That’s the hardest part.â€
We’re not sure you can separate confidence from motivation. Part of the motivation is surely to give the players the confidence, so they can perform to their potential and even sometimes above it. That’s what Kevin was able to do when he was manager at the club the first time around.
We think Keegan will turn this around sooner rather than later, and it’s not that the team hasn’t played good football at times since Kevin arrived. But we’ve just been unable to sustain it for the full 90 minutes, and that will be an important element of the game on Saturday against an in-form Blackburn Rovers side.
Not surprisingly Kevin has been extremely pleased with the way the crowd had backed the team through a string of poor results. It will be important again on Saturday that the Newcastle fans stay with the team, so we can hopefully pick up those so important 3 points.
It’s 10 games since we last had a win in the league – so a win must come soon – surely.
Comments welcome.
49 comments so far
cooldj
Feb 28, 2008 at 12:43 PM
Comment #1lol you know the drill by now…
thelongshanks
Feb 28, 2008 at 12:47 PM
Comment #2In fairness if i went out on the pitch looked to my left and theres nicky butt and look to my right and there is alan smith i wouldnt have much confidence.
phoonCK
Feb 28, 2008 at 12:48 PM
Comment #3The best team i feel we could put right now for Sat against Blackburn:
——- Harper
Beye Faye Taylor Enrique
– Milner Emre N’Zogbia
——– Duff
—- Martins Owen
Bench: Forster, Cacapa, Geremi, Barton, Viduka
phoonCK
Feb 28, 2008 at 12:50 PM
Comment #4No Butt, no Smith, field Enrique, and then we’ll be going the right way.
Just what is wrong with Enrique, i wonder..
George
Feb 28, 2008 at 12:53 PM
Comment #5Confidence, christ when you are getting as much a week as these are they should be full of enthusiasm and ready to die for the cause. These buggers should spend twoweeks with the working man to let them see how priviledged they are then there would be no need for confidence.
Leo* I HATE NICKY BUTT
Feb 28, 2008 at 12:58 PM
Comment #63-1 for today cooldj, i cant believe i slipped up haha.
Carr is shite
Feb 28, 2008 at 1:02 PM
Comment #7You can see there is an serious lack of teamwork in the team as the midfield never helps the defence which leave the defence so vulnerable. The players also lack the confidence in going attack as a team. How often have we seen wingers like duff, milners running against 3 or 4 defenders without anyhelp from the midfield, strikers and even defence. That results us in pumping long ball forward instead of shortpassing. Opponents can easily dealth with us as we don’t even has the pace and strength in every departments.
geordie in taipei
Feb 28, 2008 at 1:11 PM
Comment #8i like PHOONCK ‘s team……if we gonna conceed a shed load of goals we may as well try and score a few ourselves.
ChrisM
Feb 28, 2008 at 1:28 PM
Comment #9Leo – Am i wrong or were you telling someone the other day that this whole ‘first posting/verginity stuff’ was ”a bit long in the tooth”……..
You’re getting right into it the day!
Hammy
Feb 28, 2008 at 1:43 PM
Comment #10Must be tough to motivate the players when you have the undropable Smith and Butt in the team….. the only time we get any rest bite is when Smith picks up his usual 5th yellow card, Butt hasn’t had so many yellows as he struggles to catch players to chop them down from behind……
phoonCK
Feb 28, 2008 at 1:45 PM
Comment #11yes, geordie in taipei.. i believe we shld get back to our old ways, the way King Kev likes to play, the ‘IF-YOU-SCORE-ONE-WE’LL-SCORE-ONE-MORE-THAN-YOU’ attacking mentality..
even if we lose those 4-3s to liverpool in the past, it was always so entertaining. of cos we’ll need to buck up our defence and beefen up our attack now. how many 4-3s do we get to see now? no more, cos we cant even score more than one in a match nowadays..
Keep the Faith
Howay the Lads
ronaldeano
Feb 28, 2008 at 2:04 PM
Comment #12Ive seen your team phoonCK and i reacon that would work well like. I would put Geremi in Emres place if he is unfit for Saturday, N’Zogbia needs to be down that left wing putting crosses in, and i recon Duff would do well playing behind the strikers, he has more experience and is a very creative player on his day. I hope KK trys something diferent because its not working at the moment. KEEP THE FAITH
phoonCK
Feb 28, 2008 at 2:11 PM
Comment #13yes ronaldeano, i think N’Zogbia is more effective on the wings, such as putting in crosses and going past players, than in a centre role. and i think the same as u, Duff would be able to create for Martins and Owen, and Emre to link up the play in midfield. Having Geremi as a backup is great too, as he might be able to provide some defensive duties for us, helping out the defence and linking up play.
Hopefully both Emre and Martins are fit to play. And i desperately wants Enrique to feature too, as i think he has the potential and he looks good when on. He’s our only natural left back!
Keeping the Faith
Howay the Lads
cooldj
Feb 28, 2008 at 2:15 PM
Comment #14lol leo – there’s still time though- i might clinch it on the last article.
just imagine “cooldj closing in…”
lol
Michael
Feb 28, 2008 at 2:15 PM
Comment #15Well thia means no confidence and no tactics. Pointless having keegan then no?
ronaldeano
Feb 28, 2008 at 2:17 PM
Comment #16Definately mate, i dont know why Enrique dosent get a start, he has done nothing wrong, in fact he has done very well in my opinion. We need Martins back fit again, we have missed his pace, it seems like he has been away for fookin months! Il be glad when he starts banging them in again!
ronaldeano
Feb 28, 2008 at 2:18 PM
Comment #17What Micheal????? explain
Steeley
Feb 28, 2008 at 2:38 PM
Comment #18ph0onCK – agree with the formation – I think it would work very well. I do however, think that Taylor should be dropped to the bench (he genuinely isnt that good!!) with Faye and Beye as CB and Geremi as RB, although I would of course forgive KK if he played your suggested team as it would still be a massive improvement on the Butt/Smith involvement which has been disastrous for us.
I dont think Barton even deserves a place in the 16 coz he has been truly, truly shocking so far – I hope to God he eithers pulls his finger out, gets locked up, or gets flogged.
And DEFINITELY get bloody Enrique on the sodding pitch!! No mention of injuries for him, so I see no reason why he isnt playing….he has played better than Zog/Carr at LB every time he’s been on!!
ronaldeano
Feb 28, 2008 at 3:00 PM
Comment #19Steely, he got excelent reviews in Spain before he signed for 6 million, if the kid has that much potential, PLAY HIM, he will only get better with games under his belt
toon1978
Feb 28, 2008 at 3:05 PM
Comment #20Why does KK need to motivate these so called pro players, i’m sure if i was on forty to fifty grand a week i could motivate myself, these spoit players we have should try getting up at 6 in the morning go to work for 11 hours and go home to a family 6 days a week for under £400. These idiots who play for us dont know how lucky they are, what do they do, get up when they want go to training for a few hours and go home and wait for the weeend, and they cant motivate themselves UNBELIEVABLE get rid of the wasters we have ALL OF them and get ppl who appreciate what the have and wear our colours with pride and passion.
Carr is shite
Feb 28, 2008 at 3:28 PM
Comment #21Aye, i agree with toon1978. Players should be the ones that motivate themselves and not by the manager. It’s hard for kk to tell them that they are good enough when they are actually shite.
figsdad
Feb 28, 2008 at 3:33 PM
Comment #22Its clear to me lads the players dont give a shit about newcastle only there wages….
Leo* I HATE NICKY BUTT
Feb 28, 2008 at 3:49 PM
Comment #23yeah chrisM another good observation lol. just really got nothing to do today so im just sitting watching films and checking news, am watching bruce almighty at the moment its sooo funny
Astidores Sanchez Blanco
Feb 28, 2008 at 4:14 PM
Comment #24Just think in a few weeks it’ll be Wise’s turn to motivate these players, would love to by a fly on the wall of that dressing room
Leo* I HATE NICKY BUTT
Feb 28, 2008 at 4:19 PM
Comment #25what you trying to say astidores sanchez blanco? you think wise will be put inplace as the manager? or do you just mean in connection with bringing in the new players?
Astidores Sanchez Blanco
Feb 28, 2008 at 4:39 PM
Comment #26I’m just referring to the growing rumours that Kevin Keegan is going to walk out and Dennis Wise is going to be installed in his place.
Tom_Toon
Feb 28, 2008 at 4:41 PM
Comment #27http://www.tribalfootball.com/article.php?id=80793
KK has lost the plot, near the bottom of that article, Scottish league similar to english league? He also implies he rates the welsh league, lost the plot.
Bosck
Feb 28, 2008 at 4:41 PM
Comment #28anyone else seen this drivel?
http://msn.football365.com/story/0,17033,8652_3208280,00.html
no facts to base any thing on, and keegan already came out and said he knew about them bringing in people in wise’s role when he took the job.
if keegan didnt know and/or didnt approve he would just not comment, not fully endorse the move. nor would he talk about how he thinks hughton and round will be good working together on the defence. the press really should find something else to write about.
ScottyT
Feb 28, 2008 at 4:52 PM
Comment #29tom toon where the fk in that article does it say anything about the welsh league and anything about the scottish league being similar to the english league? all he says is there are some decent prospects in the british isles and that if he cant get premiership players he may look to scotland
its unbelievable some people call themseleves fans when they make up stuff to have a go at our own manager and say hes lost the plot after only a month! shocking
Tom_Toon
Feb 28, 2008 at 5:01 PM
Comment #30hes says quite clearly if he cant get premiership players he will look in scotland.
Thats stupid as the sottish league is worse than the dutch.
M. Stockley-Nicky Butt for Accrington Stanley!
Feb 28, 2008 at 5:06 PM
Comment #314 phoonCK- i agree with your team buddy… but you know as well as me that kk will pick butt and smith…. but i love the idea of nzogbia down the left with duff just behind the strikers…. id personally be tempted to leave tayls on the bench,push beye to cnterhalf with faye anf have geremi at rb… but like i say sadly bad players will be selected.
cooldj
Feb 28, 2008 at 5:07 PM
Comment #32i’d be embarressed if kk walked but i wouldn’t be that upset…
M. Stockley-Nicky Butt for Accrington Stanley!
Feb 28, 2008 at 5:09 PM
Comment #33cooldj-i 110% agree with that
ScottyT
Feb 28, 2008 at 5:09 PM
Comment #34fair enough i agree scottish league is shite tbh but you wouldnt mind if the players we bought from scotland were players like mcgeady nakamura etc
and he really doesnt say anything about the welsh league so thats made up. also its not very ‘supportive’ when people try to put a negative spin on a managers comments just stick with him
toon1978
Feb 28, 2008 at 5:33 PM
Comment #35FIGSDAD i am not obsessed with wages mate, this is my opinion these players dont know how lucky they are. I would play for free just to put the black and white shirt on and lay for the team i love, we have a team full of wasters ie Barton, Duff, Owen, Ameobi, Smith. These players dont care an iota about NUFC .
GP
Feb 28, 2008 at 5:34 PM
Comment #36Tom_Toon you prick, he said nothing at all about the welsh league. Trying to spin things to suit our sad, childish agenda, are we?
cooldj
Feb 28, 2008 at 5:39 PM
Comment #37thelongshanks
// Feb 28, 2008 at 12:47
In fairness if i went out on the pitch looked to my left and theres nicky butt and look to my right and there is alan smith i wouldnt have much confidence.
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.
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the song line “clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right…” springs to mind!!
Southside Jordy
Feb 28, 2008 at 5:43 PM
Comment #38Stop being a bunch of f-ing girls will you…….confidence will come once we win a game…until then support your team and stop bitching about player’s and tactics and etc etc etc….zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!
BORING!!!!
Tom_Toon
Feb 28, 2008 at 5:48 PM
Comment #39‘from within the british isles’ – is wales not in the british isles.
cooldj
Feb 28, 2008 at 6:27 PM
Comment #40where you from southside-london?