Newcastle United’s Kevin Keegan, 57, is set to leave the club as manager for the second time, reports Tom Bryant. Keegan reportedly met club owner Mike Ashley for talks Tuesday and did not take training.
“After making his unhappiness with the club’s failure to sign three or four major targets this summer known,” Bryant writes, “speculation mounted about Keegan’s future [Tuesday] morning when bookmakers stopped taking bets on whether he would be the first manager to be sacked this season.”
Newcastle’s only signings on transfer deadline day Monday were the Spanish striker Xisco and midfielder Ignacio Gonzalez on loan. Keegan had also been “embarrassed by the sale of James Milner to Aston Villa for £12m ($22 million) after he claimed the midfielder would not be leaving.” Keegan was appointed Newcastle manager for a second time in January, having first managed the club from 1992 until 1997.