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Opinion

Newcastle United Managers best AND worst – Kevin Keegan to Sam Allardyce

1 year ago
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The subject of Newcastle United Managers is always one to provoke a decent debate…

Recently I have seen various comments about who actually are our worst and best ever managers

I have contemplated these conundrums and decided that it was only fair I judged Newcastle United Managers within my lifetime, concluding with giving each a mark out of ten.

Splitting this into three articles, on Thursday it was Joe Harvey through to Ossie Ardiles (You can read that HERE).

Now in this second part, we follow on after Ossie….

Kevin Keegan 1992-1997

Sir John Hall gambled everything when he appointed Kevin Keegan to replace Ossie Ardiles.

Keegan immediately got off to a winning start and form picked up. By the end of March, Newcastle were still hovering around the Second Division relegation zone, but had been buoyed by a derby win against Sunderland.

We then went on a calamitous run heading into the last two games of the season against promotion chasing Portsmouth and Leicester City.

Keegan and his team then produced a miracle, winning both to avoid relegation in a dramatic finale.

Issue 53 – August 1993

After some astute signings ,Newcastle got the 1992/93 season off to a flyer and went on a record eleven game winning streak.

They never looked back and were crowned First Division champions as they charged into the Premier League.

The 1993/94 season started steadily before Newcastle United finally clicked into top gear.

Spearheaded by Peter Beardsley and Andy Cole, by the end of the campaign Newcastle had finished third and qualified for Europe.

Issue 65 – July 1994

By the 1995/96 season Newcastle United had been in the market for top signings and the likes of Les Ferdinand and David Ginola had duly arrived.

Keegan’s team played with a swagger and finesse that had the whole country on the edge of their seats as they opened up a 12 point lead up at the top of the Premier League by February.

Alas it wasn’t to be, the lead was cut down and Newcastle agonisingly finished runners-up to Manchester United.

After the summer signing of Alan Shearer, Kevin Keegan led Newcastle out at Wembley in the 1996 Charity Shield where we suffered a heavy defeat to Sir Alex Ferguson’s side.

This would be avenged two months later by a 5-0 hammering of the reds at St James’ Park.

In early 1997 it had been decided that Newcastle United would be joining the stock market as a PLC and it was at this point that Kevin Keegan handed in his resignation to send the whole of Tyneside into mourning.

9/10

Kenny Dalglish 1997-1998

When Kenny Dalglish arrived, he proclaimed that he had taken over a fine team from his predecessor.

Newcastle finished runners-up again to Manchester United and qualified for the Champions League.

Dalglish then went about systematically breaking up the fine side Keegan had assembled.

A team that was almost unrecognisable from a year beforehand, somehow stumbled to the 1998 FA Cup final where we were beaten by double winners Arsenal.

After a dismal start to the 1998/99 campaign the unpopular Dalglish was sacked.

5/10

Ruud Gullit 1998-99

Ruud Gullit had a massive ego and a bit like Gordon Lee and Malcolm Macdonald in the 1970s, Gullit didn’t see eye to eye with Newcastle United’s star man, this time Alan Shearer.

Gullit guided us to the 1999 FA Cup final where we were beaten by treble chasing Manchester United.

At the beginning of the 1999/2000 season Gullit let his ego out of the bag one final time, culminating in a derby defeat to Sunderland on a rain soaked night at Gallowgate.

5/10

Sir Bobby Robson 1999-2004

For many observers Sir Bobby had arrived almost three years too late.

He quickly steadied the ship and guided Newcastle back to Wembley and an FA Cup semi-final in 2000.

What followed was a year’s consolidation in the Premier League, before Robson’s entertaining team, with the new additions of Robert and Bellamy, had a great 2001/2002 season.

Bobby had us top of the league on Christmas Day and we eventually finished 4th.

He took us one better the following year and a third placed finish.

Issue 126 – September 1999

In 2003/04 we reached the UEFA Cup semi-final where we were defeated by a Didier Drogba inspired Marseille over two legs, and finished 5th in the EPL.

After a poor start to the 2004/05 season and with rumours of player discontent, Sir Bobby Robson was sacked.

9/10

Graeme Souness 2004-2006

Graeme Souness had been managing Blackburn when Freddy Shepherd came knocking.

Souness jumped at the chance to manage Newcastle and stated that it “felt like the football equivalent of winning the lottery”.

Although league form was genuinely unspectacular, Souness guided us to a UEFA Cup quarter-final and an FA Cup semi-final in his first year.

Souness was well backed in the transfer market but the football played in the first half of the 2005/06 season bordered on being atrocious.

With the natives becoming increasingly restless, Souness was sacked early in 2006.

5/10

Glenn Roeder 2006-2007

Former fan player favourite Glenn Roeder was promoted into a caretaker role after Souness’ departure and somehow managed to secure a 7th placed finish in the Premier League and an Intertoto cup spot.

Newcastle went and won it and in so doing, qualified for another bash at the UEFA Cup.

By this time Glenn had secured the manager’s job on a full-time basis but his first full season in 2006/07 would prove to be difficult.

As a mediocre season for Newcastle fizzled out, Roeder was then relieved of his job.

6/10

Sam Allardyce 2007-2008

Sam Allardyce was appointed by Freddy Shepherd just weeks before Mike Ashley’s takeover.

He was given money to spend but appeared to be a tad scattergun with his recruitment.

Issue 222 – 23 December 2007

Notorious for playing direct football at his previous clubs, this was never going to go down well with the St James’ Park faithful.

After only eight months in the Newcastle hot-seat, Big Sam became the first managerial casualty of the Mike Ashley regime.
4/10

(On Saturday – Part 3….Kevin Keegan(return) to Eddie Howe.)

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