INCREDIBLE: I didn’t know Obafemi, others - Keegan confesses

By Saliu Gbadamosi - 02.05.2008

DESPITE his heroics for Italian side Inter Milan and his performance at Newcastle United under Glenn Roeder and Sam Allardyce, manager Kevin Keegan has admitted that he knew virtually nothing about Nigerian international, Obafemi Martins and other players he was going to work with at St James’ Park at the time he took over from Allardyce.

This notwithstanding, the ex-England international said he knew the club very well before coming as he had played for it as well as coached it before.

Keegan arrived Newcastle early this year, after being out of job since he left Manchester City in 2005.

“I didn’t know all the players, I’ll be honest with you, and I was honest enough to say that at the time,” Keegan told The Telegraph, revealing that he had not watch live games since leaving Manchester City.

“I hadn’t watched a live game for three years,” he added. “To me, that’s not necessarily a big deal.

“I told the owner when I took the job here that I knew this club and I knew what was required. I wasn’t coming in cold. I’d played for it, I’d managed it before. I’d played here when it was quite successful and I’d managed it when we went from the division below and could and probably should have won the Premier League. Those things I knew, and that was important.”

Keegan’s arrival, however, was not immediately rewarding for the Toon Army as the club went on for 10 matches without recording a win. It even lost two games scandalously, losing 4-1 to Aston Villa and 5-1 to English Premiership leader, Manchester United.

Things have changed now for the club. Newcastle has been unbeaten in the last seven matches, which included its 4-1 victory away to Tottenham Hotspur.