Keegan

Best stuff (as always) comes from the independent www.nufc.com

So, he's not been sacked, according to the club. That presumably means that Kevin Keegan has walked away from Newcastle United of his own accord - or at least that's what the official line is.

And were he somehow to be persuaded back to SJP, then it would surely be postponing the inevitable parting of the ways between him and the current administration.

It remains to be seen whether the public opinion that manifested itself on Tuesday has played any part in a U-turn by the club's hierarchy. One suspects not.

In reality, the wording of the club statement appears to be an attempt to distance themselves from the actions of KK, presumably to avoid paying his contract up (a figure of £8m being bandied around late on Tuesday night).

It was then claimed that Keegan was in a Manchester hotel on Tuesday meeting with legal advisors and that were he to have walked away, that he'd actually be contractually obliged to pay the club compensation.

A backlash had quickly followed the emergence of the departure story, in the form of texts and emails to media organisations and fans making their way to SJP.

If our inbox is any indication, the trickle of anti-Ashley comments received in recent days has become a torrent.

And unlike Sky etc. and their random fan feedback (some of which is obviously mischief-making by fans of other clubs), many of those emailing us are active supporters.

By that we mean those who have endured recent ticket price rises, relocations and negotiated various other obstacles in their quest to shell out and watch this team.

Their responses can be described as bewildered, seething, embarrassed, bitter and generally "gutted" - not just at the fact KK had apparently gone, but that we'd imploded once again within weeks of the start of another season.

They all agree on one thing though - that Dennis Wise has never been a friend to Newcastle fans and would enjoy zero support were he to assume control of the team.

PS: SkySports played their joker on Tuesday afternoon by interviewing Freddy Shepherd live on the phone - a timely reminder that we've been through this pantomime before.

The faces (and accents) of the cast may change, but script remains farcical, scarcely believable and unique to this particular theatre of nightmares.

All the knockers, all the doom-mongers and everyone who labels us "unmanageable" will once again have a field day, as we manage to push news of two £30m+ acquisitions by the Manchester clubs off the top of news bulletins.

What an utter mess.

Trying to make sense of this mess is a frankly impossible task, but the departure of Milner, attempts to get rid of Barton on Monday and the ongoing situation where players are sought and signed without input from Keegan all seem to play their part. The Owen factor remains unknown.

As regular readers will know, we're not Kevin Keegan's greatest fans and don't necessarily subscribe to the notion that his way is the only way we will progress.

The question that continues to perplex us is simple:

Why did Ashley appoint Keegan in the first place?

Simply as a Avram Grant-type stop-gap to placate the crowd post-Allardyce and steer the club through to the end of the season in the top flight?

Because he mistakenly believed the presence of KK in the dugout would sell every matchday seat, every corporate table and every club shirt?

We've said before that we just refuse to believe that people bending the owner's lug in the away end at Wigan, Stoke or wherever were urging the club to dump Allardyce and replace him with KK - it just wasn't on the agenda.

Within a fortnight of him arriving, Wise was brought in and the cracks started to appear. That was partly due to a deliberate policy by some journalists to discredit Ashley and his staff by revealing details of their movements etc.

And don't forget the almost gleeful manner in which KK's failure to win his first nine games was reported nationally - from people who were willing the club to fail.

But in addition to that there's an apparent discomfort on the part of KK that his powers and influence were limited - and that Dennis Wise seems to have power of veto on everything other than the actual selection of the first team starting XI and subs.

That includes not only player sales and acquisitions, but contractual matters for existing players and staff.

The recent internal restructuring of the playing side of the club was designed with stability longevity in mind - not being dependent on the identity of the manager.

That being the case, the departure of that manager wouldn't be a major issue ordinarily. When that manager
is KK though, things become radically different - as is becoming apparent from the general dismay that has accompanied unconfirmed claims of his departure.

Had KK never been tempted back to SJP, then he'd be as much yesterday's man as Sir Bobby. Unfortunately for the club's hierarchy, the whole cult of personality that was re-ignited back in January by his return means that any popularity competition at present would be a no contest.

Regardless of whether he jumped or he was pushed, they will pay the price in supporter discontent and yet more negative media coverage.