United boss enjoying second honeymoon
Newcastle United 3 Reading 0
THREE months after walking back through the doors of St James' Park, Newcastle United and Kevin Keegan are finally getting to enjoy their second honeymoon.
It's taken time, but club and manager are beginning to look like a match made in heaven again.
Like any relationship, Keegan has had to work at it, just as he did when he rescued Newcastle from the doldrums in the old Division Two in 1992.
And this time around, the 57-year-old has had to face up to arguably his biggest test yet.
Patience has been key in Newcastle's revival and Keegan has already had to face up to his critics.
Some questioned whether he would stay beyond the end of the season after failing to win his first nine games.
But, after gaining their third straight win at the expense of Reading on Saturday, Newcastle have finally turned a corner under Keegan.
Of course, it will take more than a win over a poor Royals side to convince many that the good times are back on Tyneside. But after the comprehensive manner in which the Magpies disposed of Tottenham six days earlier, things in the United garden are looking a whole lot rosier.
Keegan directs Newcastle's recent renaissance down to going back to basics, doing the simple things simply, as they did at the weekend.
The football played may be far from the free-flowing style implemented during his previous reign, but the football they have played of late has been effective.
"Regardless of what anyone else thinks about football - and I'm not going down any streets there - I've always believed football is a simple game," said Keegan. "And sometimes you can complicate it, sometimes you get people who think they're more important at a football club than they really are.
"Everyone has got a place, your fitness people have, certainly your doctors, your medical staff, they've all got a place, but they all add percentages to it. I've always thought that the most important place is the training ground and the most important thing is the training."
In what has been an otherwise disastrous season, Keegan has given fans hope that there are better times ahead at St James' Park. And the 52,179 who were there on Saturday showed their appreciation by chanting Keegan's name throughout.
"I think it's a nice feeling because it means the team are doing well, but I don't get too carried away with that," said Keegan. "I know one thing - if they're happy we're doing most things right.
"This crowd are a fantastic barometer. If you're not doing things right, they'll let you know."
The three-pronged attack, which worked so well at White Hart Lane, also proved effective at the weekend.
But that was not before recent Sunderland target Stephen Hunt brought a superb last ditch tackle out of Habib Beye just as he was about to pull the trigger in the box.
It was just seconds later when Obafemi Martins put the Magpies one up.
Latching on to Nicky Butt's pass, the Nigerian striker took advantage of a slip by full-back Liam Rosenior, before cutting in and placing the ball under the body of Marcus Hahnemann.
The American goalkeeper then produced an excellent save to tip a Michael Owen header over.
But just as Reading were enjoying their best spell of the game, Owen doubled Newcastle's lead with half-time approaching.
The impressive Beye lobbed a pass into the box for Owen to run on to and the England striker was quicker to the ball than Hahnemann as he managed to squeeze the ball past the advancing Royals keeper.
Even without Steven Taylor, who pulled out on the day of the game with a virus, youngster David Edgar proved a more than adequate replacement, after overcoming some early nerves.
Mark Viduka then followed the lead of his strike partners by claiming Newcastle's third goal in the 58th minute.
By this time, Reading were already packed and ready for the coach, as Viduka was allowed the freedom of the Reading box to take one touch from Beye's cross, before placing the ball into the back of the net as if it were a training exercise.
It could easier have been more as buoyant Newcastle fans cheered every pass, but a three-goal win was good enough to warrant a standing ovation at the full-time whistle.
Keegan may finally be beginning to get the best out of his players, but that will not stop him from making wholesale changes during the summer.
And, when chairman Mike Ashley has stopped celebrating Saturday's win, Keegan will sit down with the Magpies supremo to discuss his plans.
When asked about when that meeting will take place, Keegan said: "I don't think it'll be tonight. The owner will be going down the town to have a few.
"He's the key, I think.
"No disrespect to Chris (Mort), the owner is the one who's going to have to find the finances for whatever's going to happen.
"Don't worry, we won't be behind anyone I don't think.
"Everyone's looking and thinking about what they might want to do for next year and once we've decided what we're going to do and what finances are there, we'll do our very best to get the players.
"If we're beaten by other clubs, it'll be by other clubs who can offer them more. I don't mean financially."
2:02am Monday 7th April 2008
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