Given spells it out to United faithful

Jan 31 2008 by Luke Edwards, The Journal

IT was supposed to be a triumphant second coming but Kevin Keegan’s return to Newcastle United has yet to muster a goal, let alone a sudden upturn in fortunes and results.

Whether Newcastle have celebrated a stunning victory, or suffered a humiliating defeat, Shay Given has always been one of the Newcastle United dressing room’s most reliable talkers. He also has a knack of delivering a brutally honest assessment of current affairs at St James’s Park when it is needed.

It was Given who shed some light on the reaction of United’s players to the news of Keegan’s return to Newcastle a fortnight ago when he revealed how the hairs on the back of his neck had stood up in excitement.

But after three games without a goal and successive 3-0 defeats at the hands of Arsenal, it is also Given who has felt the need to deliver a well-timed reality check to the euphoria which swept across Tyneside when Keegan initially made his unexpected return. And it needed only two brutal words “relegation battle”.

“There is a danger now of getting sucked into the relegation battle,” said Given, who has conceded 17 goals in eight games as the Magpies have failed to win a Premier League game since December 15. “We are very aware of that. We are looking over our shoulders.

“The good thing is that we are not playing Arsenal away every week, even though it seems like it after the last two games.

“We have got a massive game now on Sunday against Middlesbrough, it’s a local derby and they are in and around us in the table, so it is huge game. I think everybody has got carried away a bit. There’s a lot of work to be done and Kevin has not got a magic wand. It is not going to happen overnight.”

The likelihood of any new arrivals today – transfer deadline day – is remote and, having been on the receiving end of two successive humbling defeats at the hands of the Gunners, Given admitted United’s squad simply was not good enough to compete with the best teams in the country.

Newcastle’s cause has not been helped by the departure of four players – Habib Beye, Geremi, Abdoulaye Faye and Obafemi Martins – to the African Nations Cup. But Given, like Keegan, had expected the squad to be strengthened this month.

Instead, the Magpies will have to make the most out of what they have got which, at the moment, is a small squad desperately short on confidence.

“To play Arsenal twice away in two of your first three games as a team under a new manager is a big ask in anyone’s book,” added Given.

“It has been a frustrating few days, some very tough games and to be fair to Arsenal they have been deserving winners on both occasions. At the moment they are streets ahead of us.

“I don’t know how long it will take, but hopefully if Keegan gets his way and gets the players in that he wants, we can get a bit closer to them. But at the moment we have been easily beaten by the better team. That’s frustrating for us as players.

“It is going to take time for him to get in the players he wants and get his ideas across and hopefully build a stronger squad. When you look at a team like Arsenal, the squad they have, they could probably put out two teams for both occasions against us and still have been strong enough to win. We are very low in numbers at the minute.”

Nevertheless, while Given’s appraisal of the present situation at St James’s Park is a gloomy one, he remains convinced that brighter days lie ahead under Keegan. He added: “Kevin is starting to get his ideas over to us, but it has only been 10 days. It is going to take time for him.

“We can’t be too hard on ourselves, losing to Arsenal, it is a hard place to go to, they have some great players.

“The boss was saying after the game just forget about it and look forward to Sunday and the game against Middlesbrough.

“It will take time, but Kevin’s enthusiasm, and his aura – when he walks into the dressing room you sort of stand up – will pay off. He has got that sort of charisma. I believe that, in the long run, we will be a much better team for it.

“He is always so positive. It is amazing. Even after the game he was saying, we don’t play them every week, we have to move on, look to the next game. He always sees the positives in every sort of game.

“I believe there is enough talent in the squad as it is. I suppose confidence is a bit low at the moment, with the results going the way they have – but there are some very good players here.

“There’s a lot of Premier League teams which would swap some of their players for some of ours. We can’t be too hard on ourselves. We are not looking too far ahead now – just to Sunday. We need to get a result.”

There’s a lot of work to be done and Kevin has not got a magic wand. It is not going to happen overnight