Kevin Keegan has been back at work for almost a week and we haven’t heard a peep, a squeak or even a whisper from him about transfers, Joey Barton or the knock on effects of the credit crunch on the global economy! Not that United’s normally affable manager is alone in going to ground over the last few weeks.
The last we heard about Roy Keane was that he was in New Zealand learning about rugby, so expect to see Dean Whitehead leading the Black Cats in a traditional rendition of the Haka when their Premier League campaign kicks off against Liverpool on August 16!
Quite what both men have been up to in terms of player recruitment remains to be seen, but Newcastle fans will hope there is going to be rather more cause for excitement in the coming weeks than just the signing of a 15-year-old striker from Plymouth called Aaron Spear, not to be confused with Adolf Hitler’s favourite architect Albert as I did recently.
United’s desire to bring in some of the most promising young players in Europe before they have made a first team appearance is an admirable one and shows the long term nature of the planning being implemented by owner Mike Ashley.
Newcastle have, in the past, been too interested in the here and now, with showbiz signings and lavish spending on big name stars failing to establish the club among Europe’s elite. Indeed, wasn’t it Keegan himself who scrapped the reserve team in his first spell as manager, a move which effectively ended the chances of any young players graduating from the youth team as it removed the vital link with the senior squad?
Keegan tends to be a little touchy when this subject is brought up, but at least he appears to now be part of a regime which realises that sustained success is built on solid foundations rather than hastily erected and expensive trimmings.
However, while I agree with the philosophy in place in the St James’s Park boardroom, there is no getting away from the fact that the strength of the first team is all most fans ultimately care about.
The stark reality is, when you are spending £450 upwards on a season ticket you probably couldn’t care less if the reserve and youth teams are flying high if the first team are hovering just above the relegation zone.
As a result, the lack of new arrivals is a growing concern, although I can only repeat what I’ve said already. Everyone has to be patient, the market is sluggish and few clubs in England, with the notable exception of Tottenham Hotspur, are doing any business.
That’s just the way it is and, when you think about it, that’s pretty normal when a major summer tournament is taking place. Sadly, given England’s failure to qualify for the European Championships, we have realised just how quiet the domestic scene is at this time of year.
Of course, United’s failure to land either Turkey’s exciting winger Arda Turan or Russia’s sublime playmaker Andrei Arshavin before the start of Euro 2008 is frustrating as I can’t see either coming to St James’s Park now they have attracted the interest of other teams who will be able to offer rather more than average Premier League wages and a Carling Cup campaign!
But such are the pitfalls of the transfer market and, as I keep saying, nobody in England has done much cheque book waving so far this summer so Newcastle - and Sunderland - are not alone in, as all good cliche writers would say “keeping their powder dry.�
I guess all we can do is wait, enjoy watching Spain vs Germany in the final of Euro 2008, enjoy Durham’s success in the cricket and hope that it is a matter of days rather than weeks before the first new faces sign on the dotted line.
Yes, that’s right, having failed to watch any of Euro 2008 I will be tuning into the final!
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