Keegan: Play Up Or Take A Seat On The Bench!
By Tyne-Talk
February 19 2008
Newcastle United manager Kevin Keegan has today announced that no one's place in the first team is safe at the club, as they continue to drop points. His words will give confidence to the increasing number of young players at the club who look to emerge from the shadows and make their impression on the Premier League.
Keegan told nufc.co.uk:
"I said to the players 'There's no one nailing much down in terms of the first-team'
Usually you have seven, eight or nine who are definite regulars. But that's an incentive for everyone at the club to get in the team.
They can see they have got a good chance and that includes the young players."
Newcastle host Manchester United in the return fixture on Saturday hoping to end the evening with a better result than the last time the two teams met.
Keegan is yet to win a game at the club he re-signed for in January - he was unable to secure any top signings in the transfer window but did bring in some young players in addition to those already at the club:
Newcastle is now home to, Fabio Zamblera, Ole Soderberg, Tamas Kadar, Ben Tozer and Wesley Ngo Baheng.
Those most likely to break through to the first team on a regular basis include, Kazenga LuaLua & Andy Carroll who have both made their 1st team debuts and David Edgar who makes the bench but hasnt played since scoring against Manchester United last season. He is reportedly unhappy at the club. His agent Barry McLean spoke on Edgars behalf this week:
"David's heart is with Newcastle but he is frustrated by a lack of first-team football, and that is a problem,
He would be better off playing regularly in the first team on loan somewhere. But he also knows numbers are low at Newcastle and that he could get a chance there soon."
The number of injuries, suspensions and players on international duty has increased the opportunities for the younger players over recent weeks. Keegan spoke well of Kadar and Zamblera:
"Tamas Kadar has taken everything in his stride. He does not speak the language but he is learning one or two things. But on a football field, where there is a language all of its own, he is saying all the right things.
We have also got Fabio Zamblera joining in (training) now and he is only 17. He's been playing against the likes of Steven Taylor and Abdoulaye Faye in training and is learning something new every day."
