Kevin Keegan seemed still on a high when he talked to the Newcastle Evening Chronicle today on the fantastic display of his team yesterday in North London.
Kevin Keegan – brilliant performance from his team yesterday
A happy Kevin Keegan talked to the Evening Chronicle today:
“I thought it was a terrific performance, and everybody played their part.†“I can honestly say, even in those good old days when we were called The Entertainers, I can’t remember us playing any better than that away from home.â€
“Maybe against Antwerp, when we won 5-0 and a guy called Robert Lee scored a hat-trick.†“But this is Tottenham Hotspur, and this is a club which is also on the rise. There’s no doubt about that. “It’s the only top-flight club that’s won a trophy this year.â€
“We have come to a quality place, played quality football, put in a quality performance and, to be honest, we deserved to win by more.†“I don’t think 4-1 flatters us.†“We didn’t play on the break, we dominated a football match.â€
“We came in at half-time with the score 1-1, and it was a travesty.†“We were much the better side, but we could have been 1-0 down, and that would have been a double travesty.â€
“But the players have been playing well, and they knew it was there for the taking.†“They found a spirit and belief. You can’t underestimate how important it’s been to get the four lads back from the African Nations Cup and, of course, Mark Viduka.â€
“Suddenly, half the team is different to the first team I picked, and that’s no disrespect to the ones who played, because they’re quality players.†“But this seems to be a team with a good shape and a good balance, and a lot of goals in it.â€
“I still haven’t seen Nicky score in training. I haven’t seen his equaliser yet, but it must have gone through someone’s legs!†“Butty, Michael Owen, Abdoulaye Faye, Geremi and Alan Smith have been the leaders.”
It was interesting that on Friday Kevin was saying that he had never seen Nicky Butt score a goal, even in training and then Nicky obliges with a very well taken goal just before the break.
The pleasing thing about yesterday’s game is that it was a very strong team performance and every single player played their part.
There is a spirit and confidence in the side that could make this team very menacing indeed through the rest of this season. Hope so. 😀
Comments always welcome.
36 comments so far
Bill F
Mar 31, 2008 at 12:57 PM
Comment #1Havn’t posted for a while so please see my reaction to Sundays game below.
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
Need I say more.
Bill F
Mar 31, 2008 at 12:58 PM
Comment #2D*mn they didn’t all come out.
Jimmy N
Mar 31, 2008 at 12:59 PM
Comment #3Best away performance in a long while, probably best performance home or away since Bobby Robson days !
George
Mar 31, 2008 at 1:00 PM
Comment #4Dont blame KK for being on a high, that was an outstanding performance as far as this season is concerned.
Nobody would have dreamt that we would beat anyone 4-1 away from home letalone spurs.
KK is certainly getting them to work well together and is giving us a bit of entertainment before the seasons close.
Whilst we are still not out of danger, the signs are a lot brighter than they were at Xmas and i am now starting to look forward now to next season with a lot more enthusiasm than this season.
Jim
Mar 31, 2008 at 1:09 PM
Comment #5Fantastic performance and plenty to be optimistic about but reading the comments through the last few articles I’m worried that the rest of the season will now be taken for granted as a walkover.
Back on planet earth, I think yesterday’s performance needs the rest of the season to be built on. Since Blackburn, it’s been coming but I’m not reckless enough to think that we’ve cracked it completely. What if Berbatov’s rifle shot had taken it to 2-0?
I hope this is the start of the Messiah’s second coming ’cause I remember the first and can’t wait for another 5-0 up the Mancs (but let’s forget THAT Charity Sheild game).
I wonder who’s positions are up for the job share next season…
and who’s going to be in B&W?
And for a laugh, here’s the latest from Jonathon Woodgate before the Spurs game.:
“‘I just wanted a totally new challenge,’ said Woodgate. ‘If I had signed for Newcastle, I would have just been in the same surroundings. I didn’t want to get stale.
‘I am 28 now. Newcastle are going to be a good side in a few years but things can move faster at Spurs. I know I have made the right decision.’”
Get it right up ya, oh loyal ‘boro Cockney prat!
ELFER
Mar 31, 2008 at 1:19 PM
Comment #6why does he mention SMITH all the time? You clearly see that he’s not a starter by his first action on the pitch: a foul! He’s nothing more than a 3rd or 4th choice striker (even behind CARROL!)
CRAIGG
Mar 31, 2008 at 1:21 PM
Comment #7I do think despite some of us disagreeing with It these are the players we will sign:
Lennon
Reyes
Gomis/Fabaino
Carrick
Dawson
Olsson
Bridge
CRAIGG
Mar 31, 2008 at 1:23 PM
Comment #8To be honest i threw Carick in the middle of that but the rest are regularly linked with us and are KKs choices.
Leo
Mar 31, 2008 at 1:42 PM
Comment #9i had wondered where you had been Bill F. hows it going mate?
Whumpie
Mar 31, 2008 at 1:43 PM
Comment #10For me, the most interesting bit about yesterday’s game was that every one of our goals was the kind of strike that would have missed the target a few weeks back when confidence was low.
I think it exonerates those of us who just said it would take KK time to rebuild shattered belief and having the team clicking again.
Having said that, I still suspect we’ll play at least one more stinker before the season’s out, as it’ll take a lot longer to get consistency. But as long as we get some more performances even in the same room as the one yesterday, I’ll be very, very happy.
Awesome stuff!
James
Mar 31, 2008 at 1:45 PM
Comment #11I’d like us to go after Huntaleer as well. Tough but worth a try. And also Bentley.
But first and foremost secure the long term futures of Owen and Martins. Both of them are indispensible to Newcastle and we cannot afford for clubs to come trying to tempt them in the summer.
Bill F
Mar 31, 2008 at 1:53 PM
Comment #12Leo, thanks for asking. I’m fine, I have just retired from full time working and now can concentrate on my second ocupation as a complementary therapist.
Have had a stinking cold for last three weeks and have felt like sh*t, much better now so hope to blog a bit more regular like. Have dropped in to read the blog though with the usual mixture of amusement, amazement and what the F8ck is being said. But it is always interesting, warts and all.
Great to see us winning at last
HeronMag
Mar 31, 2008 at 2:20 PM
Comment #13There seems to be an increasing chance that David Bentley could sign for us in the summer.
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11676_3365465,00.html
Although there’s no link to us in the article KK has already come out and said he is a fan of Bentley. It would be great to see Milner and Bentley fighting it out for a right wing spot.
spyro
Mar 31, 2008 at 2:24 PM
Comment #14Craigg Lennon would be a good signing as Ramos doesn’t seem to rate him like Jol did, if KK can do his stuff then Lennon would be a great asset, we definitely need an injection of pace
spyro
Mar 31, 2008 at 2:27 PM
Comment #15heronmag did u miss the part where it said european football?
HeronMag
Mar 31, 2008 at 2:31 PM
Comment #16Good point spyro haha!
Paul P
Mar 31, 2008 at 2:45 PM
Comment #17i would be happy with aaron lennon, yes he has bags of pace and can dribble with the ball. but can he cross. no, so he would have to improve that for me. Bentley would be the one down the right for me, a great signing for newcastle in the midfield. I would also go for diego and carrick. They would add more creativity to our side, which we have lacked this season. the back 4 needs to be obviously strengthend. bridge/baines/shorey/goian at left back to cover for enrique, who i must hold my hands up and say i was wrong about him. he has turned out to be a quality player for us in the last 4/5 games. I did’nt think he was up to much, but he has shown he is good and has proved me wrong. centre half is a must, couple of centre backs to replace cacapa and rozenhal. yobo, lescott, campbell (although ageing now), dunne, richards, onouhu, upson, maybe a few others i could hope for as well, with us now playing 3 up front, we may need to bag 2 forwards/attacking players so when we have a couple of injuries, they can fit in, so would have to be a one who can hold up the ball, and a one who has the pace. it all of a sudden looks brighter for us, and now we can hopefully beat reading saturday to guarentee that we are going to play premiership football next season and we can look forward to it. roll on the good times ahead. 🙂
Bill F
Mar 31, 2008 at 2:54 PM
Comment #18I was speaking to a Spurs fan today who was dissappointed but not too upset at losing to us. I mentioned that we might be after Dawson, he said he would not be bothered if he left. What does that say about the player, I would rather see us go after Cris of Lyon, much more skill and guile as well as being a solid defender.
Also what about Clerc, a lot of people scoffed at my suggestion that we should go for him pre-season, do they still think he is rubbish.
rlw
Mar 31, 2008 at 3:00 PM
Comment #19Keggen love rob lee doesent he
Ross
Mar 31, 2008 at 3:09 PM
Comment #20thats because rob lee was brilliant.
i’d love it to happen, but sadly i dont think we’ll ever get our hands on bentley like. i dont think he’d go anywhere top 4 apart from liverpool, but i dont think we’ll be able to lure him.
if we did, i think he’d walk into the team tbh.
THELONGSHANKS
Mar 31, 2008 at 3:15 PM
Comment #21dawson was skinned by martins for last goal and didnt hava great game i wudnt buy him.mcgeady,van buyten,bridge and carrick/bentley and id be happy.no harm in going for modric,huntelaar and kompany aswell
JJ
Mar 31, 2008 at 3:30 PM
Comment #22I agree with going for Cris Bill F, he would be a Hyppia style DC and would be a great asset. Or Alex from Chelsea.
I would really like to see Barton playing in Geremis position on the right and Gareth Barry on Bartons midfield position on the left.
We have more chance of getting Barry than Carrick who is a regular starter for Man U. And I would still make a bid for Hargreaves who cant be happy sitting bench for Man U and could be a top quality holding midfielder.
As for the strikers I like Gomis (or even Saha). And we still need a creative midfielder for the position Owen is playing now. I think Zog could be great there but otherwise look at Shaun Wright Phillips or Gerrard (Just kidding I wish).
Is there a poor mans Gerrard (i’d take him).
Oh yeah. And Konchesky as cover for Enrique at left back.
HeronMag
Mar 31, 2008 at 3:49 PM
Comment #23When we first signed Barton JJ the first thing I thought was that we’d signed a box-to-box player very similar to Gerrard (a ‘poor man’s Gerrard’).
If Barton can knuckle down, develop his game and fulfill his obvious potential you could already have your wish.
He’ll probably be banged up soon though haha!
steve
Mar 31, 2008 at 3:50 PM
Comment #24Dawson is awful and has been responsible for a number of gaffes this season, I can’t see what he would bring to the team as he’s certainly no better than Faye, Taylor or even Cacapa in my book – the idea in the summer is to improve the squad and get people fighting for places. Some of the suggested signings (Konchesky!!!!! )will mean going backwards instead of forwards if they take place
JJ
Mar 31, 2008 at 4:13 PM
Comment #25Alright then, Aaron Hughes as cover at left back, right back and centre back. Then we only need a quality DC to sort out our defense.
One thing Steve, we arnt in Europe and are not going to attract big names until we are. We cant be looking at unrealistic buys.
AndyT
Mar 31, 2008 at 4:15 PM
Comment #26For me the biggest thing I have seen is the difference between SA and KK in man mangement. SA piled presure on the players from the start, but in a very negative way. KK accepted the presure was there, but helped hisplayers cope with that. He puts out positive statements about them, their leadership and builds on it. SA would whip someone out of the team or out of a positions after one poor performance. KK has given people the opertunity to prove themselves over a number of games. Enrique, Butt, Barton are three that I think have really benifited from this. Smith so far hasn’t, and retrospectively I think maybe KK was right to give him the amount of chances he did before benching him, 75% success rate in improved players is good from my viewpoint.
Also good to see is the progression. From the good performance with bad luck at Blackburn and the good performance and cave in at Liverpool, through the resilliant draw at Brum, the win against Fulham and finally an away day with confidence and conviction. When you can look over the course of games and see the perfomances coming together, the teamwork and team ethic starting to come through, the belief coming back. To me thats management. I dont care if the game has moved on and KK isn’t the best tactician in the world, he’s a damn good manager!
Vitorbarbosa
Mar 31, 2008 at 4:21 PM
Comment #27I believe a lot of English player are over-rated. Among those mentioned here, Konchesky, Upson, etc. I’ll be sad to see them coming as they are no where near our standard. To be honest, not everyone with England cap is good enough to play for us. Hehe, we might not be European Football next season but will will definitely lift the most coveted trophy sooner rather than later.
It depends on who want the challenge the most. Every player is a great player if the attitude is right.
Tom_Toon
Mar 31, 2008 at 4:41 PM
Comment #28Koncheskey is a shocking player.
Id have Ilsinho for cover of the wings and both full back positions, he could also be a useful dm although ive never heard of him playing there.
spyro
Mar 31, 2008 at 5:28 PM
Comment #29if we want cover for the wings and full back positions then Adriano from Sevilla would be the best buy we could pull off if we splash the cash. if we ever hav a chance of getting him it would be now with the crazyness at their club concerning managers and backroom staff etc.
Between 8 to 13 million with relatively high wages and he would be ours
spyro
Mar 31, 2008 at 5:29 PM
Comment #30Cover at left back, Christian Pander, A more attacking full back in comparison to Enriques no nonsense defending.
Tom_Toon
Mar 31, 2008 at 6:17 PM
Comment #31Ilsinho is better than Adriano as much as i rate Adriano.
CRAIGG
Mar 31, 2008 at 7:46 PM
Comment #32Spyro we need central midfielders more than wide players
If we brought in Aaron Hughes he would kill 3 birds with one stone Right, Left and centre back.
Rob
Mar 31, 2008 at 8:12 PM
Comment #33i was named after rob lee my ma thought he was great
spyro
Apr 1, 2008 at 2:29 AM
Comment #34isnt Edgar a right, left and center back?
spyro
Apr 1, 2008 at 2:31 AM
Comment #35Ilsinho is nowhere near as versatile as Adriano Tom Toon
Ian
Apr 1, 2008 at 9:28 AM
Comment #36All played well, Barton was impressive and I usually think he is crap, while a few people scored Martins to me is still the spark that sets the tempo, when Ameobi goes in the Summer if we arent going to sign another top flight striker ie Djibril Cisse or someone similar or better then we should at least have a solid striker for the bench even if it is someone like Jason Roberts at £2.5m, if Viduka and Owen throw another sicky at the start of next season Martins would have a lot to do on his own and Carroll doesnt look first team material (yet), so while it was a great match and we have improved dramatically we still have two injury prone strikers and even if we found to amazing central midfielders their injuries could ruin our next season.
I would try and buy Bellamy to replace Nzogbia as Bellamy used to play down that wing for us, he could cover as a striker for injuries and if anyone is off form, he is like Martins, loves the club and never says die, plus his stomach operation may make West Ham think about selling as they have an injury list as long or longer than our list under Roeder, we would have trouble enticing a player better than Bellamy for that role.