Keegan’s brought back fun at United

May 3 2008 by Mark Douglas, The Journal

NEWCASTLE United assistant boss Chris Hughton has revealed the secret behind the Kevin Keegan-led renaissance that has electrified St James’s Park over the last two months – a change in emphasis on the training pitch aimed at getting his players to enjoy their work again.

Hughton was brought into the United coaching staff on Keegan’s orders after Sam Allardyce’s deputy Nigel Pearson departed to take over at Southampton, and he has been credited with playing a key role in the defensive improvements that have been behind Newcastle’s run of seven unbeaten games.

And the former Tottenham coach, who was speaking to promote the Show Racism the Red Card initiative yesterday, believes the changes on the training pitch since Keegan took over from Allardyce have been pivotal to their improved form. Keegan does not take a lead role on the training pitch, instead allowing coaches Steve Round and Hughton to do most of the sessions while the manager takes an overview and amends things where he believes they need to be changed.

And that has proved a successful formula with the players, who have responded with better results and much-improved morale.

“At some clubs you have a manager who does all of the training and it’s very difficult to do,” said Hughton. “When you watch Kevin he allows myself and Steve Round to take most of the training and he then has an overview and changes things that need changing.

“Kevin has a way of working – he wants players to enjoy training and to get fulfillment from training. He wants them to have a spring in their step and a smile on their face – that’s what he wants and I think that is what he’s got now.

“What I’ve seen from the time I’ve been here is that he has focused on that and from that you can go on to get results. Once you’ve cracked that it gives you the confidence and that is such an important thing – it helps you win football matches.

“One thing I saw from the outside when Kevin first came in was that he had some terribly-difficult matches when he was settling in. The big change was the Birmingham game away from home – we should have gone on and won it but despite not winning we gained terrific confidence from that.

“We changed the system to go to a three up front and it came off. Confidence is a big thing – you look at Sunderland and it wasn’t one of our best performances but we won the game. It was the same (when we drew) against West Ham. They are the type of results you get when you’re confident.”

Meanwhile, Keegan has doused fears

Mark Viduka will need an operation that could affect his pre-season preparations. But the striker will be offered the chance to sit out next weekend’s final game of the season with Everton to give him a head-start in his recovery from an Achilles injury.

The Australian needs an injection on the injury and will be given the opportunity to have it next week to aid his hopes of being fully fit in time for the start of pre-season training on July 7.

“When I say we will decide, that will be the doctor at the club, myself and Mark in particular,” said Keegan. “If he wants to play the last game and he is fit enough to do so, then he will have that choice. But it is an injection and he can go away and by the time he comes back to us he should be then free of any pain there and ready for pre-season.

“That’s what he wants to do. Obviously, every player wants a good pre-season because it is the basis of the season, it’s the foundation upon which the season is built for a player. We are just looking ahead, but if Mark came and said, ‘Look, I would like to play at Everton for x, y, z reason’, then it (the injection) will be after Everton.

“But I am going to give him the option to miss it because that week may just make a difference to him in the seven or eight weeks before he comes back.”