Safety first for Kevin ... then expect excitement

Mar 8 2008 by Luke Edwards, The Journal

Kevin Keegan’s triumphant return to Newcastle United has not gone according to plan but Terry McDermott is adamant it is only a matter of time before it does. Chief sports writer Luke Edwards reports.

AFTER the excitement and expectation which greeted his return as manager, all Kevin Keegan has managed to do so far is lead the club to yet another crossroads in its history.

In one direction there is another expensive rebuilding project, exciting new signings from across Europe and another tidal wave of optimism and expectation. In the other there is the disaster of relegation, potential financial ruin and the prospect of new arrivals from such illustrious footballing outposts as Colchester and Gillingham.

In 1992, the returning hero was faced with the bleak prospect of relegation to what is now League One in the Football League, 16 years later and Newcastle United are better off than that, but a drop into the Championship for a club with Newcastle’s wage bill could still bring it to its knees.

Keegan has been here before, of course, and succeeded and – for those who know him best – there is no reason at all why he will not be so again. When Keegan saved the Magpies in the 90s, Terry McDermott was at his side to share every spine-tingling, jaw-dropping, heart-breaking moment – and he is there again this time.

“In 1992, they were in a relegation fight already, odds on to go down,” said McDermott who, having survived the cull of staff which followed the departures of former managers Graeme Souness, Glenn Roeder and Sam Allardyce has – and not always affectionately – been nicknamed the Black Box because he always survives the crash.

“Our remit was to keep them in that division or there might not be a Newcastle United. That is not the case now because of the size of the place, but it is similar because we have the same problems. We are in a relegation fight and no one can deny that. But if anyone can turn it around, it is Kevin.

“No one expected us not to win any of his first seven games, it’s astonishing. We were not in the equation to go down when he came back, but we are now. We know and the players know the situation we are in, but we have the players to get out of trouble and there is no doubt in my mind that we will.”

As second comings go it cannot be disputed that Keegan’s has been a massive anti-climax, a bit like welcoming Jesus back only to discover he can no longer heal anyone, let alone walk on water or turn it into wine. In his seven games in charge, Newcastle have scored just three goals, conceding 17. By the time they travel to Birmingham City a week on Monday they could be in the bottom three if they do not get anything from today’s trip to Liverpool.

It is a precarious situation, but for McDermott, there is still as much excitement about the future as there is concern about what the present may bring – particularly with the vast financial backing of owner Mike Ashley to look forward to if United do stay in the Premier League.

“I am looking forward to next season,” said McDermott. “Mr Ashley has promised there are funds available. The calibre of player we are looking for, it will excite this club when it does happen. Firstly, though, we have to get into a safe position, we have to get out of this relegation dogfight and then talk about the players we can bring in for next season. You can talk about Ronaldinho or (David) Beckham, but if we go down we will be signing players from Colchester and Gillingham. There will be a big relaunch in the summer and Mr Ashley has promised him funds and he is looking forward to doing that. We will be safe, but until then ...”

McDermott trails off at the end of his last statement, as if the thought of relegation is simply too much to bare for a man who, like his close friend, prefers to concentrate on the positives. Sadly, it is not a view shared by everyone and there has been an unparalleled amount of negative publicity directed the club this season, particularly since Keegan stunned the rest of the country by replacing Sam Allardyce in January.

If there was a kitchen sink it would probably have been thrown in his direction these last few weeks, although chairman Chris Mort and Ashley have also had there fair share of criticism to duck. “I am baffled by people saying ‘No points, no goals, no hope’,” added McDermott. “If we have brought five players in and we are in the same situation next season okay, you are not wrong. But at this stage, no hope? That is beyond belief for me. People say, ‘Will he leave, is he going to walk out?’ There is absolutely no chance, he thinks too much about this club to do that. If the powers that be decide he goes then that is a different story.

“He is an emotional personality. He cares about the club very deeply and it hurts him when players and the club get criticised. He wears his heart on his sleeve, but that is his character. He has signed a three-and-a-half year contract and I would be shocked if Kevin is not here for the whole of that. But some people want him to fail. I have no idea why.

“People from down south who are not Geordies do not understand that it is not just football people that love Kevin in Newcastle, it is the city. They love him because of who he is. He talks to people, he loves doing it. The general public love him because he is so honest and warm to them, he never refuses them anything. That typifies him.”

And McDermott is right, for all of Keegan’s supposed flaws, it is impossible not to want to share in his vision; to want to see Keegan succeed; to want those halcyon days of the 90s to return.

“He brings a unity about the place,” says McDermott. “It is his charisma. There is a feel-good factor back, but that would be even better if we were getting results. Once we have sorted out this season you will see a big, big change at this football club, in its mentality and players. We will get this football club back to being the football club it should be because we know what this football club is about.”

Safety today, tomorrow the world – it should be the Keegan family motto.