Newcastle United were very lucky to have Kevin Keegan in the 1990s, as was English football as a whole.
Kevin Keegan was Newcastle United’s saviour. In the space of just a few years, he took them from nearly being relegated to the third tier of English football to challenging for the Premier League title.
He did it with style too, as his Newcastle United side came to be known as the entertainers. It was all-out attack from Keegan’s Magpies, with onlookers begging the Newcastle United manager to be more defensive as he challenged Manchester United at the top of the table during the 1995/96 season.
But Keegan refused to change, even after losing what is widely considered to be the best game in Premier League history.
Kevin Keegan refused to change after Newcastle United’s famous loss to Liverpool
In April 1996, Newcastle United were beaten 4-3 by Liverpool at Anfield.
The Magpies were on the wrong end of a seven-goal thriller, as Keegan’s attacking tactics cost him.
But he would not be put off by the defeat, insisting the only way Newcastle’s style would change would be if he left the club. He was gracious in defeat, at a time when the pressure was on at the top of the Premier League.
“It’s disappointing, but we lost nothing in defeat,” he told Sky Sports.
“Terrific game of football. Could have gone either way. Got to give them credit. We always give the other team credit.
“Lady luck is not quite with us like she was early season. That might make a massive difference.
“We shall certainly go on playing this way, despite what people think. We shall certainly go on playing the same sort of players, because that’s why we bought them. If we don’t win anything then so be it. A lot of Man United fans will be pleased with the result, but this one is going down to the wire. There is plenty of talent in there and they will bounce back from this.”
Keegan was then asked if he would continue to play his style of football despite onlookers believing he should be more defensive.
“Yeah, or I go. There is no question the other way,” he said.
Despite the perception of Keegan’s cavalier style, Newcastle did not have the best attack or the leakiest defence in 1995/96. Their tally of 66 goals was bettered by Man United and Liverpool, while only Man United, Liverpool, Aston Villa and Arsenal conceded fewer.
Kevin Keegan hailed Liverpool after losing ‘classic’
Keegan’s class extended to Liverpool, where he is also considered a legend from his playing days.
He paid tribute to Liverpool’s players for their role in a ‘classic’ encounter, admitting that anyone watching at home on the television certainly got their money’s worth.
“It was a classic,” he said.
“It would be much nicer to stand here talking about a 4-3 win, and it could so easily have been that result.
“I have no idea what it looked like on TV, but sitting there watching, strangely enough even in defeat, I don’t feel as disappointed as maybe I should. I felt every single player from both sides… I thought it was just a classic.
“Whatever they charge you, I don’t think people will be sending tickets back saying they want a refund, unlike some games we’ve seen recently.”
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