Former Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce was sacked for producing a mid-table club. His successor, Kevin Keegan, has guided the team to just two points since taking charge in January, leaving Newcastle three points above the relegation zone with nine games left to play. Midway through March, Keegan still hasn’t won a Premier League game, and if he fails to win against relegation-battling Birmingham City later on Monday, he might just be shown the door.
As the Guardian’s Paul Wilson says, “the significance of the game is unmistakable and it is no coincidence that reports of Keegan having two games to save his job emerged with Newcastle about to face Birmingham away and Fulham at home. If Keegan cannot rescue some stabilizing points from those two fixtures, he probably will not be able to save Newcastle, never mind his job.” Rumor has it that owner Mike Ashley is already lining up ready replacements in the form of either Terry Venables or Dennis Wise.
Meanwhile, Wilson reveals some startling revelations about Keegan’s appointment, the most glaring being that the former England manager admitted to barely watching any competitive matches in the three years he was away from the game. If Keegan is a mistake, then why wait another two games to fire him — especially ahead of two crucial, winnable matches.