Newcastle United Live Online

Kevin Keegan's second spell as manager of Newcastle United has been met with varying opinions and emotions; from outright elation from the Geordie masses, to the occasional raised eyebrow. Love him or hate him 'Special K' brings excitement and enthusiasm to the table wherever he goes. But has Mike Ashley made a business decision, or as a supporter, has his heart ruled his head?

I have read lots of articles over the last few days, with just about every half-witted hack managing to get the phrase "I'd love it" in there somewhere. Many more have simply been trying out their very best one-liners in an attempt to be deemed witty by their peers - but have simply become the butt of their own jokes as their forced attempt at humour blows up in their face like the proverbial egg.

'Did Ashley appoint Keegan as a fan or as a company director? Only moneybags himself can answer that one'


Very few are actually approaching the subject with a level head and an unbiased approach; and not many of those can accurately grasp the reason for the euphoria surrounding St James' Park at the moment.

Let's examine the facts. Keegan rescued the club from the brink of relegation to the old Third Division (League One to all you youngsters), and sparked a Geordie revival that awoke the sleeping giant and propelled it all the way into European football, and within an inch of the Premier League title. Not bad, you may say, but add to that the label of "entertainers" the team had earned for playing relentless attacking football that was exciting to watch, regardless of who you support.

Newcastle were to the late '90s what Arsenal are today - fantastic to watch and everybody's second team.

The entertainers of the '90s were also (as everybody already knows) the defensive misfits, conceding countless goals and being involved in virtually no 0-0 draws. So while Keegan played the kind of football that most teams only dreamed about, they were often found wanting against superior opposition, and part of the reason for the Magpies' success during the late '90s was the fact that there was very little in the way of competition. Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool were little more than cannon fodder for teams like Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle.

While taking a nostalgic moment to look back over the better days at Newcastle is nice, the important question still remains. Did Ashley appoint Keegan as a fan or as a company director? Only moneybags himself can answer that one but here are a few questions that can be answered:

Will Keegan shore up the Newcastle defence, creating a team that is hard to score against? Don't bet on it!

Will Newcastle become an attacking side that entertain the masses? I'd stick my mortgage on it!

Will Newcastle win any trophies under King Kev? I doubt it; but you can bet they'll cause sleepless nights for managers of the top four while trying!