United boss desperate for signings

Aug 27 2008 by Mark Douglas, The Journal

NEWCASTLE United manager Kevin Keegan admits his optimism at strengthening his squad is receding as he gets closer to the transfer deadline.

After last night’s thrilling victory at Coventry City, Keegan once again stressed the need to bring in players to add to his depleted side – but admitted he was far from certain of success on the transfer front.

“My optimism gets less the nearer that you get to the deadline. I’m still hoping that we’ll get a couple in, but if we don’t we’ll just have to soldier on,” he said.

“I haven’t got enough players. I have lost five forwards and I’ve not got any people to come in. We had two teenagers on the bench tonight. I suppose that if we don’t get any new players, I’ll just have to wait for all of those strikers to come back.”

However, while it appears in the balance whether United will add players, Keegan will head into a meeting with owner Mike Ashley and managing director Derek Llambias today armed with all the evidence he needs to convince them that Michael Owen and James Milner are deserving of new contracts which will keep them at St James’s Park.

In particular, the need for progress on Milner’s deal is pressing – Aston Villa boss Martin O’Neill was at last night’s game and is readying a new £10m bid if he senses a lack of resolve on Newcastle’s part to keep him.

That will not be a problem on Keegan’s part – he believes losing Milner is “unthinkable”.

“He’s got a three-year contract with us,” said the Magpies manager. “I don’t want to talk about losing James Milner – he’s absolutely top-notch. He’s getting better and better with every game. He was probably playing out of position but if I asked him to play right-back he would.

“When you’ve got his enthusiasm and his willingness to work hard and play football he would play anywhere, to be fair.

“I definitely think he’s got I think he’s been too long in the England Under-21s. He’s one that Mr Capello should have a serious look at.”

On the pitch, Keegan was delighted with the character shown by his team against a spirited Coventry City side.

“It was a hell of a cup-tie. There was a lot of good stuff for us. We played some great football and we probably over-played for the last few minutes, to be fair,” he said.

“We won the game three times but we showed character. We just haven’t got enough players, simple as that.”

As well as maintaining United’s unbeaten start to the season, the win keeps the club in a competition that represents one of their best chances of ending a generation without a trophy.

Keegan insists that, even with a small squad, the club will continue to take the competition seriously and believes that they have a realistic chance of winning it. “The road to Wembley is not easy at all. We might win this and this might be our toughest match – I wouldn’t want any tougher, lets put it that way,” he said.

“I told the players before the game started that as much as I would like to kid everyone on and tell them that we’re going to win the Premier League, we’re not going to. If I said that, you might think that I’m not quite the full shilling,” he said.

“I like at the FA Cup and the Carling Cup – neither of them were won by one of the big four last season. So why can’t Newcastle win it? We’ve won nothing for ages either. We’re in there again and if we play like that and have a lot more luck, then why not?”