Confusion reigns over King Kev
Kevin Keegan in limbo as Newcastle United insist he has not been sacked following rumours over his resignation
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Tuesday, 02, Sep 2008 10:44
Newcastle United have insisted they have not sacked Kevin Keegan as manager, confounding earlier reports he had left the club.
A statement issued by the Magpies on Tuesday evening said Keegan remained "extremely important" to the club, "both now and in the future".
Earlier, the consensus was that the 57-year-old had walked away from his second spell at St James' Park after just eight months.
The Magpies boss had been locked in crisis talks with the club's owner Mike Ashley after a number of high-profile transfers failed to materialise, with the former England manager unhappy over not having a final say on transfer activity.
James Milner left for Aston Villa in a £12 million deal last week, apparently against Keegan's wishes, while on the board's part; Keegan's backing of ex-con Joey Barton had proved irksome.
While fans and journalists awaited confirmation from Newcastle over Keegan's exit, a statement from the club, released for the "avoidance of doubt", confused matters further.
"Newcastle United can confirm that meetings between members of the board and manager Kevin Keegan were held both yesterday and today," the message on the club's official website said.
"Kevin has raised a number of issues and those have been discussed with him.
"The club wants to keep progressing with its long-term strategy and would like to stress that Kevin is extremely important, both now and in the future.
"Newcastle United values the effort and commitment shown by Kevin since his return to St James' Park and wants him to continue to play an instrumental role as manager of the club.
"For the avoidance of doubt the club has not sacked Kevin Keegan as manager."
Despite a lack of big names arriving in the north-east, the Magpies have signed Argentina internationals Jonas Gutierrez and Fabricio Coloccini, while Spain under-21 striker Xisco and Uruguay international midfielder Ignacio Gonazalez arrived on transfer deadline day.
Angry fan protests sprang up outside St James' Park on Tuesday as the Keegan resignation rumours appeared.
Keegan, who famously said he was "too short" for the England job when he announced his resignation live on air, enjoyed a successful but ultimately fruitless spell at Newcastle from 1992 to 1997.
His reappointment in January saw was proclaimed as the second coming, but those waves of optimism have now crashed.
Keegan, who may still yet become the first Premier League managerial casualty of the season, could be replaced by either Dennis Wise – already at the club in an executive role – or Newcastle's other favourite son, Alan Shearer, if he were to leave.
A Magpies fan told inthenews.co.uk he blamed board members with little or no knowledge of the game over Newcastle's present situation.
"The only hope for our club is to replace Mike Ashley with a wealthy Arab businessman who also knows nothing about football," the supporter added.
Since sacking Bobby Robson in 2004, the Magpies have had four permanent managers.
A resident of the city told inthenews.co.uk that Keegan had felt "undermined" by Wise.
"Ashley should have let him run the club as he sees fit – including handling Barton.
"I guess it wouldn't be Newcastle without a bit of drama! KK is not the messiah after all, but then whoever truly believed he was?"