United players unaffected by Keegan furore

Oct 5 2009 by Luke Edwards, The Journal

PETER Lovenkrands is adamant Newcastle United’s players were completely unaffected during the 0-0 draw with Bristol City by the furore caused by the damning revelations which emerged from Kevin Keegan’s FA hearing last week.

Although there has been an angry reaction on Tyneside after it was revealed members of Mike Ashley’s regime had deliberately lied in interviews about Keegan’s power as manager as a “public relations exercise”, Newcastle’s players are largely immune to outside distraction.

And Lovenkrands argued it was bad luck and poor refereeing that led to Newcastle’s failure to score for the first time in a league game this season as City escaped with an unlikely point.

“It was unbelievably frustrating,” said Lovenkrands, who started alongside Marlon Harewood in attack for the first time.

“We dominated the game and had numerous chances. We just couldn’t put them away. You get games like this, they come around once in a while.

“No matter how many chances you have, you just can’t put one of them away. It hit the crossbar, the post, the goalie got in the way, all sorts.

“The Keegan thing had no effect on us, though. I don’t think anyone has even mentioned anything about it in the dressing room.

“I know it’s been all over the papers up here, but none of the boys are interested in it. We don’t sit around talking about it. It’s not affected us at all. We have a strong dressing room. There has been so much going on at the club, but we don’t focus on these things. We just focus on the things we have to do out on the pitch. We haven’t thought about it at all.”

Although Newcastle have dropped four points in their last two home games, their lead at the top of the table remains at three points, and Lovenkrands insisted they would not suffer for long after Saturday’s frustration.