Now I understand the top four has been some variation of Man U, Chelsea, Arsenal and the Pool for some time but really I don't want to hear our manager say its pointless to try and break into that little party (even if it is highly unlikely)

I think he wants the reality to come through. I mean if we finish say 2nd next season.... that is an amazing accomplishment that we do not see happening.... even if we are very optimistic. I think we have a great shot for Europe for sure, but he is just stating a fact, in my opinion, that next year the top four is going to stay the same as it has been for like last 4 or 5 seasons at least? That and we still need to see who comes in, who goes out. Cause lets face it, when we have Smith coming off the bench now for Viduka or Butt.... that isn't going to cut it against players of Ronaldo's or Essien's standards. Smith isn't a player we want to help us get to a top four spot. Neither is Butt or Viduka in my opinion.... Yeah, they had a good year, but they are pushing near retirement and their better days have past for sure. To compete with the Man U squad we need to sign more players like Beye and Martins who are young and have potential. But than in order to sign those players we will need to fight off teams like the top 4 in order to sign them. Not only that but then there are teams from abroad and then there is location. For example Modric and Woodgate signing for Spurs instead of the Toon. What is that all about? Some players just prefer different things I guess. So when you factor it all in.... will the top 4 be the same next year? Probably. Do we have a chance to change that? I think both us and Spurs have the chance. But if the top four were to have different teams finish above them in the table it would be a shock. I would love to see the Toon in there as Everton has been pushing to get in there the last few seasons... but it isn't easy and we need consistent performances to stay there. For next year, I hope the Toon to play good football, play consistent, and keep the run up they have finished with during this season to get a European spot, and to take home a domestic cup. That in my eyes would be a great year and I want that.

I think newcastle have a decent chance depending on who you sign. I would say between 6th and 10th is achieveable. Simply on consistancy, newcastle havent been consistant for many years and i think you will have the quality to get into europe, just whether you are consistant enough to make it.

I would rather win the FA cup.

We bloody well need some silver ware and that would get us back in the UEFA cup too.

While he did actually say those things, this version of his comments is heavily-and borderline misleadingly-edited.

He said we really have no chance of breaking into the top four next season. That's not sulking, that's master of the obvious stuff.

When discussing why we haven't gotten the players we've wanted, he specifically mentioned that we don't have European football to offer. (And some silverware would help too, Luke.) So he does see a way forward, rather than thinking "it's all pointless."

Some of these thread titles are in good fun and cute, but honestly, this is the second in a month that is essentially misinformation.

I think hes playing a very clever game so we dont all ge hyped up expecting miracles which we will cause were a fickle bunch at the best of times and we all know it

British By Birth, Geordie By The Grace Of God

It is pointless, we are crap. Why we would break into the top four?? We have no define right to even be in the premier league

What the King has said is nothing more than common sense.

He is right... breaking the top four in the next three yrs would be a bloody miracle. Possible but not likely.

Lets face it... Fifth is prob the best we could hope for... realistically.

Without one of the top four imploding (my money is on the rats) then I think at best we will look towards Everton.

[i36.tinypic.com]


COCKNEY MAFIA OUT!!!!!

I totally agree with what Keegan has said. A lot of money will need to be spent to even challenge the top 4.

However, I hope he's not spitting his dummy out and thinking about quitting because not everything is going his way. It would be sad to see him walk away again.

I understand Chris Mort talking about signing young players that can be at the club for the long term future like Arsenal. Hopefully Keegan will try out some of these young players in the first team next season. We may not have to spend 100 million pounds + to get into the top 4.

On the other hand, it sounds like Keegan is trying to get Ashley to spend money on players amounting to Abramovich like proportions.

The summer will be very interesting indeed.

I'm sick of all this top four non-sense....

Liverpool are no where near Chelsea, Man-u & Arsenal!

for me he was signalling how far we have to got to go just to become competitive. we are building from a very low base, and in an effort to control expectations he has spelled out that there is a lot of building to do, too much to do in one summer. if we go well, and find ourselves running close to the top 4 for some or all of next season, it should be recognised as an over-achievement. more likely a good season would see us somewhere between 5th and 8th, and again it would be important to see that as success, in the short term.
beyond this though, there is surely a frustration for kk in seeing that for every season at the 'top', the champions league clubs are rewarded with yet more ready money, with which they can buy the players and pay the wages in order to stay in the top 4. and since this has been the case for a good few seasons now, the gulf is not a handful of players, it is distilled quality throughout the whole squad of these clubs (save the odd player) which means that man utd or chelsea could theoretically put a 2nd team into the prem and be a decent bet for top ten. imagine selecting our best 11 players, and removing them from the squad. we would be worse than derby, and that is true of 16 premier league clubs.
so a naturally impatient person like keegan, who you sense is just a bit sickened by the idea of considering 2nd to be success, never mind 5th, has realised the full extent of the situation, and as ever when a camera is thrust in his face the whole world gets brutal honesty from our manager.

the big thing for me though, isnt the size of the job in hand, rather the fact that work has begun. and no-one can tell me that after a few early wins kk wont be buzzing around the dressing room making the players believe we are gonna win the whole damn thing!