On Saturday, Shearer led his charges into battle against Chelsea as his managerial debut. This was an epic mismatch as Shearer is a greenhorn who has passed most coaching badges but not received a FIFA Pro License. Conversely, Chelsea’s coach, Guus Hiddink, has six Dutch league titles and two fourth-place finishes at the World Cup under his belt.

Based on form, even though Chelsea suffered a 1-0 defeat in their last game away to Tottenham Hotspur, they boast the best away record in the top flight. Chelsea are also motivated to win to maintain a shot at the Premier League title.

Nevertheless, romanticists held out the hope of an upset as Shearer was very much of a bogey-man for Hiddink, having humiliated the Dutchman twice as a player in Euro 96 and the Uefa Cup. Five years ago, Alan Shearer also netted his 173rd goal for Newcastle United as they won against Chelsea 2-1 to edge closer to a fifth-placed finish in the Premier League.

Alas, it was not to be. Chelsea strolled to a comfortable 2-0 victory and closed the gap with Premier League leaders Manchester United to a single point while Newcastle slipped deeper into relegation trouble. That is already a hat-trick of gift-wrapped points to top teams, including Manchester United and Arsenal in recent weeks.

A crowd of 52,112 had turned out to see if the much anticipated Shearer effect can overpower the superior quality and fluency of Guus Hiddink’s men. Perhaps it was fitting that expectations were brought to a realistic level. While the fans were not disappointed by the team’s fighting spirit, the result made it clear that staying afloat will be an immense challenge. Willpower or enthusiasm alone will not cut it, a strong element of luck will also be needed.

Chelsea were not flustered by Newcastle’s physical approach and they applied steady pressure from the start. Newcastle were forced to backpedal, and could only attempt to hit their opponent on the break. It was their best bet considering Chelsea’s upper hand in possession and menace in the final third of the pitch.

Though Newcastle’s defense held up with goal mouth scrambles and goalkeeper Steve Harper made several fine saves, the castle finally fell in the 56th minute. Coloccini’s clearance was blocked and the ball ran to Frank Lampard, who passed to Anelka.

The Frenchman chipped a shot over Harper which hit the woodwork, and Lampard gladly headed the rebound into the empty net. In the 65th minute, Anelka flicked on Cech’s clearance and Lampard slid the ball into the path of Malouda, who despatched a left-foot shot across Harper and into the net.

The Magpies could have forced the game into a frantic finale and hopefully overturned the tables, had Michael Owen’s deflected shot been counted as a goal in the 73rd minute. Ashley Cole hooked over the ball away but relays suggest the ball has crossed the line. Obafemi Martins also wasted a glit edged chance when he stabbed the ball just wide of the post with his knee. Jonas might have done better when he headed substitute Damien Duff’s cross straight at Petr Cech.

Overall, it is a fair result and Alan Shearer is richer for the experience. He has no honeymoon period and there is a lot on his plate – Newcastle were insipid along the flanks and could not create sufficient width, the front line could not capitalize on the handful of chances and the defense was a shambles.

Given that Alan Shearer has refused Newcastle’s overture and an England coaching job previously, critics have questioned his abrupt decision to forsake the comfortable BBC sofa in exchange for a hot seat at Tyneside.

Can the untested Alan Shearer manage this very football club which the original Messiah, Kevin Keegan, ended up wringing his hands in despair on his second coming? If Shearer wanted to get his toes wet, why not start with a clean slate or even with a smaller club?

Kevin Keegan is understood to have told Mike Ashley, Newcastle United’s owner, that he cannot offer him any assurances that the club will avoid relegation from the Premier League during his first season. Since succeeding Sam Allardyce, Keegan presided over seven games but no wins.

When asked for guarantees that relegation will be avoided, Keegan is believed to have told him that none could be offered -and cited three reasons why. The first was Ashley’s failure to strengthen Newcastle’s squad during the January transfer window, the second reflected Keegan’s concern that he inherited a group of players whose collective confidence remains rock bottom and the third is the team’s tricky fixture list.

By then, the writing was on the wall that Mike Ashley has lost faith in Kevin Keegan and it was a matter of time before the Messiah was dismissed. If Mike Ashley expects miracles while neglecting the realities of his club, I must say he is the biggest hazard for Newcastle’s emergence as a football powerhouse.

Ashley is certainly concerned about the decline of the club, but I suspect his anxiety is motivated by the erosion in value of his investment. A trip down to Division One will not only lower Newcastle’s stature in the eyes of investors, the club stands to lose 50 million pounds in TV money.

Despite Ashley’s penchant for wearing an oversized black and white stripped replica kit and claiming to be the No.1 fan at St James Park, he doesn’t understand the nature of football and is a mere businessman, and not too successful at that either.

The “Great Recession” has hit this retail magnate hard and when he realized that football can be a particularly sapping endeavor in terms of cash flow, he wanted to offload Newcastle United at a profit, unfortunately, there were no takers. It is clear where his interests and priorities lie, there is no love lost for the club.

In Kevin Keegan, Ashley already has on his hand, one of the most established and successful managers in Newcastle’s history. Here was a manager with an average of 55% win in 183 games and Newcastle came in third, sixth, second and fourth respectively in his four seasons. I mean, if Mike Ashley intends to hire Carlo Ancelotti, Arsene Wenger or Jose Mourinho, it is a different matter but the subsequent candidates which came in after Kevin Keegan were not inspiring.

Mike Ashley doesn’t trust anybody sufficiently to run a football club successfully. Neither does he possess the patience and foresight. Else he will not have engaged Dennis Wise and Tony Jimenez to undermine Kevin Keegan’s authority. Never mind the salary paid to two figure heads who do not necessarily possess more knowledge of the Premier League or transfer market than Kevin Keegan.

Ashley is also not into spending huge amount of money unless you “guarantee” him return on investments. Why purchase a football club as a sugar daddy if you talk up title ambitions but can only afford half-baked solutions?

Unlike Sir John Hall who bends over backwards to placate Shearer and ensures his untouchable position in team matters, the emotional Mike Ashley is a different proposition which Shearer has to contend with. However, Shearer has strengthened his hand by demanding that Dennis Wise depart. As a manager, he wants to make all the decisions and he will succeed or fail, on his own terms, together with his appointed assistant, Iain Dowie.

No doubt, Shearer runs the risks of tarnishing his reputation as a Newcastle United legend if this experiment with management turn out to be disaster. Shearer seems prepared or even nonchalant when he said: “How this job will affect my own reputation is a question I’d like to stay away from. I must stress this is about Newcastle United and not Alan Shearer. I had a reputation as a player and now that’s gone.”

Nevertheless, if Shearer has been working his cool, calculating mind and never being one to exercise rash decisions, I believe this is a well-considered gambit to prepare for his foray into top-level management. He may have hung up his boots but age has not blunted his timing and positioning, two important qualities of a clinical striker.

In this instance, Shearer has shown immaculate timing in stepping up to this role – Newcastle are in dire straits and there is a void in capable leadership – few Geordies will vilify Alan Shearer for incompetence if he fails to deliver.

Joe Kinnear, is recuperating from heart surgery and is not expected to make a hasty return to the pressure-cooker environment any time soon. Temporary manager Chris Hughton had little success in steering the ship back on course. Newcastle are currently lying 18th in the league table, two points from safety, and with just one win in their last 12 games.

We are told Shearer’s appointment is not about money, even though the reward for keeping Newcastle in the Premier League is a cool 1.8 million pounds. He once remarked that after football, he goes home to creosote the garden fence. Well, nobody doubts Shearer’s affection or loyalty to the club. He is a true Geordie, born and raised in Tyne.

After a hugely successful stint at Blackburn Rovers, he refused to join Manchester United where he will certainly be a vital cog during their dominance of the domestic scene in the 90s. Instead, he headed to Newcastle United and gave 10 years of stellar service. Despite troubling knee and ankle injuries, he retired as the all-time leading goalscorer with an impressive 206 goals in 404 games.

Shearer has also expressed a willingness to learn the ropes quickly, saying: “I don’t have the experience but I’ll have to learn pretty quickly. I’ll speak to Kevin (Keegan), I’ll speak to Kenny (Dalglish), I’ll speak to Bobby (Robson), I’ll speak to Terry (Venables) and speak to Glenn Hoddle and then we’ll see after that. I think it’s important I tap into all the experience I can. I’m going to need it.”

I believe any practical advise from these managers will be beneficial for Alan Shearer. Bobby Robson enjoyed a credible record at Newcastle, falling just behind Kevin Keegan and will be an excellent mentor. Jose Mourinho’s progression from a translator to a title winning manager was shaped by up-close observations of two world class managers in action at Barcelona and Porto – Bobby Robson and Louis van Gaal.

However, I doubt if the duo are on talking terms. Shearer has a crucial part to play in the acrimonious dismissal of Robson. Relations have turned frosty when it dawned on Robson that his captain actually holds sway over squad selection. Robson revealed in an interview:

“I didn’t know how tricky it would be, handling Shearer. I was a strong and experienced manager used to dealing with famous players like Romario and Ronaldo, Figo and Nadal. But Shearer occupies a special position in Newcastle. I think he’s a good guy but I was a little disappointed by his reaction when I left him out. Still, at the same time I understood he wanted to play every game. I think he’s changed his attitude but then he didn’t appreciate the need to be rested.”

To be sure, Alan Shearer is a huge personality and his imposing presence in the dressing room is legendary. He never shies away from standing up to anyone who crosses his path. Consider the difficult and wayward characters in the Newcastle squad during Shearer’s time as captain – Craig Bellamy, Lee Bowyer, Kieron Dyer and Laurent Robert read like a roll call in a juvenile detention center but they always know who is the boss on the pitch.

Souness and Robson’s reign were severely compromised by the squalid Newcastle soap opera which cosnsists of indiscipline, in-fighting, rape and drink-driving charges; yet, Alan Shearer kept himself above the raging controversies and his authority went unchallenged. Shearer’s best assets as a captain lies in his man-management skills. He always demanded the best of himself and those around him and they were willing to follow his instructions.

Another factor in Shearer’s advantage is the support of the Geordies. They are like the 12th player on the pitch with their vociferous support. It is easy to fall in love with the Toon Army. They live and breathe football and love their club passionately. There is a waiting list for the 52000 season tickets out of a small population of 270,000.

And there is nothing better for the Geordies than having one of their own at the helm. Alan Shearer can expect rapturous sold out crowds for all of his eight-matches and that extra push may just make the difference. If he can win just two or three games, Newcastle’s season is salvaged.

Shearer also has knowledge of the game from his time as a pundit on BBC’s Match of the Day and coupled with his playing experience and close monitoring of Newcastle’s perilous situation, he must know about his options and the players at his disposal. As he confessed, he is going in with his eyes wide open.

It’s too late for reinforcements now as the transfer window has closed. Alan Shearer has to work with the existing squad which may be a lost cause in fighting for titles but it is certainly good enough to stay in the Premier League.

There are several experienced internationals and extraordinary talents like Michael Owen and Damien Duff who have been unlucky with injuries. If the players regain their confidence, Newcastle should be able to give top teams a run for their money.

Good players may not make good managers, like what we have seen of Tony Adams, Bryan Robson, Paul Ince and Lothar Matthaus. This point was again driven home by Diego Maradona, coach of Argentina, whose team was recently pummeled by Bolivia 6-1, a defeat not seen in the last 51 years.

Shearer may end up following their footsteps but I am inclined to believe that he will galvanize the dressing-room and lead the team out of the current malaise. What the future holds, in terms of winning trophies, will depend on the support of Mike Ashley and Shearer’s own ability to learn and transform his team into a more organized outfit on the pitch.

Stay tuned for more updates.

Keegan adopted the same 4-3-3 formation and players which gained a valuable point against Birmingham City. With Viduka, Owen and Obafemi Martins forming a dangerous front line, Newcastle were always dangerous in attack. However, the midfield of Nicky Butt, Joey Barton and Geremi was a letdown. They were constantly overrun by Fulham as Jimmy Bullard orchestrated play superbly.

Due to the ineffective midfield, full-backs Jose Enrique and Habib Beye were caught in vulnerable positions but a combination of luck, poor finishing and good goalkeeping by Harper spoiled Fulham’s night.

In the 6th minute, Viduka relieved the tension as he turned on Geremi’s pass to fire a left-footed shot into the bottom corner. The striker then headed horribly wide in the 19th minute and Martins could have doubled the lead if Keller had not saved at full stretch four minutes later.

Keller was again agile enough to deny Owen’s long range shot and a close range header. As the first half came to a close, Fulham made a concerted effort to eradicate the deficit. Newcastle heaved a sigh of relief when Bullard’s shot dipped nastily in front of Harper. The whistle couldn’t have come at a better time for the Magpies as Fulham were starting to pry open Newcastle’s frail defense.

The second half began in similar fashion with Fulham gaining possession but Newcastle’s attack was more lethal. Viduka saw his 49th-minute header blocked at point-blank range and Martins fired just over the bar. Barton, enjoying a rare moment of inspiration, went for goal himself but his blistering strike from 25 yards flew just wide.

Newcastle knew a second goal was vital and they were determined to pound Fulham’s defense into submission. Martins had the ball in the net but it was deemed offside. Geremi then had a great chance in a goal mouth scramble, but the second goal still would not come. Finally, with seven minutes remaining, Newcastle’s wish came true. Owen timed his run to perfection to meet Geremi’s free-kick and glance home a deft header to spark mass celebrations.

Keegan was visibly relieved, saying: “It will stop people saying they haven’t won under [me]. When we had to dig in as a team, we stuck together. I can feel a good spirit around the place, we just needed a win to endorse that. It was thoroughly deserved.”

I am not so sure about the win being “thoroughly deserved.” Even though three points are in the bag, it was not a convincing display, I saw enough of the worst of Newcastle in this match to ascertain they are riding on luck and if it is any consolation, the winds of fortune is now blowing in their direction.

In terms of effort and commitment, Keegan’s men cannot be faulted but their disjointed display left the fans on tenterhooks till the final minutes. But the Toons are not complaining, any win, whether ugly or lucky, will do. I believe the fans have already tempered their expectations that Keegan can perform miracles and they can qualify for Europe by charging into the top four. Currently, nothing is more important than staying afloat in the Premier League.

Viduka, who has recently returned to the side after niggling injuries, is slowly finding his way back as a poacher. Though he is not a quality striker in terms of pace, creativity and accuracy, he does pack a powerful shot and holds the ball well. When he is firing on all cylinders, Newcastle can expect him to contribute his fair share of goals.

As for Owen, what else needs to be said. Based on his reputation, he should be netting at least 30 goals a season. Cristiano Ronaldo has achieved the target and since Kevin Keegan emphasized on a cavalier approach where to win means to outscore the opponents, the conditions are right for Owen to show his true worth. He has continued his scoring mode and barring injuries, Newcastle can bank on his momentum to climb above the danger zone.

Keegan praised the contribution of Owen, saying: “He’s been absolutely superb, not just for his goals but for his leadership on the field. He’s a great team player.”

Newcastle are now in 13th position, six points above Bolton Wanderers. Winning against Fulham whose away form is deplorable (zero league win in 32 games), is little cause for celebration. There are many aspects which need improvement, especially the midfield and defense. I am not optimistic that Kevin Keegan is tactically superior enough to fix these deficiencies.

While expecting immediate revival is too much to ask for, Keegan has to achieve at least 40 points and steer clear of relegation. That is what we will expect Sam Allardyce to do in the first place and in this respect, Allardyce must get some credit as he has accumulated sufficient points for Keegan to experience a nine match winless streak and still retain a safety margin.

But any judgment for Kevin Keegan should be reserved for next season. He deserves a chance to build up his own team and the funds must be available for him to do so. I will like to see him signing a bunch of world-class defenders but the worry is that the best defense at his disposal may end up as a waste.

He has already stated his intention to provide a rip-roaring time for the fans (even if the current form suggest otherwise), and I doubt if he will deviate from his attacking philosophy. In this case, I think he will continue to buy exciting strikers and hopefully, it is sufficient for them to win matches.

While the Magpies remain in 12th position, they are only seven points ahead of Birmingham, who are third from bottom. Their next three fixtures against Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers and Liverpool are intimidating and it is likely Keegan’s first victory since his second stint as manager will be put on hold again. The messiah himself conceded that his team are embroiled in a relegation battle rather than gunning for European qualification.

Keegan said: “All the away games we’ve got left are difficult ones. We’ve got enough ability to stay in the Premier League, but I’m under no illusions, we’ve got to get to 40 points before we’re safe.”

Actually, things weren’t all that gloomy in the first half when Newcastle led through a Michael Owen header and they exhibited stronger build-up of the game. The betting books also favor Newcastle to triumph as they have notched more victories (15) against Aston Villa than any other team they have faced in the Premier League.

Unfortunately, Newcastle did not pick up where they left off in the second half. It was Aston Villa who turned the game on its head with a renewed vigor in attack and netted twice in the space of six minutes after the break.

Wilfred Bouma equalized in the 48th minute – his first goal in three years – as his shot took a wicked deflection which left the Newcastle defense and Shay Given wrong-footed. The magnificent John Carew then stole the show with a hat trick, beginning with a header from Ashley Young’s corner, three minutes later.

Despite an injury plagued season, Carew still retains a lethal touch, especially in the air, that made him one of the most feared strikers in Europe in his prime days. In the 72th minute, he made it 3-1 with another header and completed his hat trick from a penalty in the game’s final minute after Steven Carr handled the ball in the area.

Villa manager, Martin O’ Neil, marveled at the stunning fight back, saying: “It was a brilliant second half. The players’ response was just fantastic.”

Actually, there wasn’t much of a fight once the first goal went in. The wall of resistance, if ever there was one, crumbled and Kevin Keegan, in typical fashion, was clueless in preventing a bloodbath. We turn to his goals conceded so far, 3-3-4, and you will know how adept he is at making tactical changes to plug the holes in defense.

Several factors were at play for Villa’s revival, a complete reversal to their insipid first half display. It is easy to mistake them for England with all their skewed passes and inability to keep the ball. I feel the introduction of two substitutes, Craig Gardner and Marlon Harewood, was crucial. It provided strength and pace to the front line, which Carew capitalized on to penetrate the jittery Newcastle defense. Coupled with Villa’s effectiveness at set plays, a Newcastle victory was merely an illusion.

If Villa had been more active in the January transfer window, O’Neil will have more options to choose from, especially in times of crisis (losing two in a roll is a major crisis when they are challenging for a top four spot). I do not doubt the fact that O’Neil has revitalized the club in an efficient system but I am stymied by his perseverance in the bungling Stiliyan Petrov.

It doesn’t take a genius to realize that Petrov is the weakest link: he gave the ball away too cheaply. If O’Neil is worried about wasting the 7 million pounds transfer fee, he should weigh the disadvantages of fielding Petrov and the improvement in Villa’s game immediately after he was substituted.

With this result, Villa overtake Liverpool in fifth place in the Premier League standings. Indeed, this season, Villa harbor different aspirations to Newcastle as Champions League qualification is a realistic goal while their counterpart has nothing concrete to show, except to flex their financial muscles by getting rid of the previous manager and then embarking on a flurry of back room appointments.

Martin O’Neil was chivalrous in victory and offered support for Keegan, saying: “We live in a world of instant gratification and Kevin will be aware that this resurgence will not happen overnight, it will take some time. He wants to be judged after several months in the job.”

Sam Allardyce is a lucky man, getting a fat severance package and watching his successor sink deeper into the quicksand. All of a sudden, his stint in Newcastle is starting to look credible.

Still Kevin Keegan needs more time, possibly a full season, even in the worst case scenario that Newcastle demote to League One. Hopefully, Mike Ashley stick by his man and allow Keegan time and resources to rebuild the team the way he wants. Living in a world of instant gratification and expecting to see results overnight is bad for any club.

Wise will be involved in football-related matters, including player recruitment and youth development. Also coming on board are property developer Tony Jimenez, who is to become vice-president in charge of player recruitment and Jeff Vetere, a former Real Madrid scout who will have the title of technical coordinator.

“This is all part of the vision that recently helped us to secure Kevin Keegan’s return to the club as manager,” said chairman Chris Mort.

“With Kevin able to devote his efforts to developing and running the first team squad, Dennis, Tony and Jeff will each help us to secure success for Newcastle United Football Club at all levels and for the long-term.”

The club emphasized that first-team affairs would remain Keegan’s fiefdom. Scant consolation really. Keegan must be feeling miffed that overnight, he has two superiors and the board did not deem it necessary to inform him beforehand (he learnt about it through the press).

Not being informed is one thing but not entrusted with recruitment of players is unbearable. It will be be crucial if Keegan’s opinions are sought and respected since there are three appointments to do basically the same job, which should be the sole discretion of the manager.

Will the string of appointments undermine Keegan? Certainly. Alex Ferguson once commented that Dennis Wise could start a fight in an empty house. That is how aggressive Wise was in his playing days.

While the dominance and determination to win is beneficial for the team in the same way that Roy Keane was such a giant among his peers at Old Trafford, putting on a suit and sitting in the director’s office require a different approach. If he is as hot-headed as before, Keegan will submit his resignation before the season is over.

However, Keegan cannot afford to be distracted; for now, the ship is in danger of veering off course. Alan Shearer declined to join his bandwagon. Transfer news was also muted as Keegan was snubbed by his top target, Jonathan Woodgate, who opted for Tottenham earlier this week.

He remains hopeful of signing more players even as the January transfer window is closing, saying: “We’re only looking at Premier League players. We’re not looking to bring anyone in from abroad unless they were really world-class and established — and invariably they don’t come around in this transfer window.”

Results were, in a word, deplorable so far. The cavalier and entertaining football is missing. In three matches of his third coming, the Magpies have failed to score once. Apparently, Keegan’s renowned motivational skills were not effective.

It was deja vu for Newcastle as they succumbed to a 3-0 defeat at the Emirates Stadium which lifted Arsenal to top of the Premier League. Newcastle were defeated in the FA Cup 4th round with the same scoreline by Arsenal and had settled for a lackluster goalless draw against struggling Bolton.

As in the FA Cup defeat, where Adebayor scored two goals, the striker again put in another noteworthy performance to put Arsenal ahead by heading in Mathieu Flamini’s cross in the 40th minute. The France midfielder then blasted in a superb long-range shot in the 72nd minute for the second goal and Spanish dynamo Cesc Fabregas struck the third eight minutes later to complete the rout.

Newcastle may appear to be in a comfort zone as they are in 12th place but it is only seven points above the relegation zone. While the FA Cup elimination dashed hopes of winning anything this season, Keegan must do his utmost to preserve Newcastle’s survival in the Premier League. If they maintain this form, it will be an inexorable slide into the abyss.

Michael Owen is another enigma, fact is, he is no longer the Owen who we last saw at Liverpool. Keegan needs him to rediscover his scoring touch to stave off relegation and convince the Geordies that the rolling good times are here. Despite being handed the captain’s armband, Owen still has no goals to show in the Premier League since October.

Keegan can’t wait for the African Nations Cup to end as he is really short of options. Meanwhile, faith in Joey Barton did not pay off. That nutcase has been charged with assault last month and was missing in action since. Selling him off at the earliest opportunity will be a better option. Hoping that Barton’s performances will turn into gold or recouping the transfer fee of 5.8 million pounds from Manchester City is futile.

Football has moved on since Keegan was last in control, when Newcastle came under his magical spell and the club advanced by playing with ambition and flair. It is hard to discard the impression that the club is preparing for plan B by appointing Wise in a higher capacity than Keegan. In case the party is over, they have a ready replacement.

Mike Ashley and certain sections of the fans may already be feeling doubts about King Kev’s ability to repeat his previous success. Even Jesus did not get a third coming. “One day Shearer will manage Newcastle,” says Kevin Keegan. The way things are panning out, that prophetic day may come sooner than later.

The fact that an electrifying atmosphere hangs over the jam-packed stadium (a phenomenon not usually seen in this “useless” competition), could have given an indication of things to come. Tottenham players knew what the fans are clamoring for and duly responded with a resounding victory.

Some Tottenham fans will prefer to attribute the flattering scoreline to skills and desire (indeed, Spurs were more hungry, compact and cohesive) but I do not want to discount the element of luck. Tottenham manager Juande Ramos, as well as Martin Jol, have come close to achieving victories in the past but were always denied by late recovery from Arsenal.

The game plan Ramos devised was simple enough. Do not accord Arsenal players too much time and space on the ball. Harry them into losing possession or making skew passes. Invite Arsenal to attack and then launch swift counter-attack. It worked to a tee.

When Jermaine Jenas collected Dimitar Berbatov’s pass 30 yards out and surged towards goal, it appeared harmless enough as a mass of defenders were in his way and he is not known for possessing enough guile to pass through them. What we do know is his ability to shoot from distance.

It took everybody by surprise as Jenas’s acceleration and control took him past four players and into the penalty area, where he fired a low drive past Lukasz Fabianksi off the far post. To get an early goal from Jenas settled the nerves but to race to a two goal lead in the first half hour proved critical.

When the second goal came in the 27th minute, it smacks of sheer luck but Ramos’s side deserved it. Jenas swung in a free-kick from the left and Bendtner, rising above Michael Dawson to clear the danger , succeeded only in heading into his own net.

Spurs were playing with the kind of fluid movement that Arsenal has made it their own. Tottenham had another gilt-edged chance earlier for a second goal when Keane powered past William Gallas before Justin Hoyte came to the rescue.

It was not Arsenal’s day as yet another player reported to their treatment room. Denilson’s injury midway through the first half forced Wenger to send on Cesc Fabregas, a substitution which he would have preferred not to use for this match. But the Spanish dynamo could not lift Arsenal’s gloom nor halt Tottenham’s momentum.

Berbatov wasted a chance to add a third when he took Jenas’s clever chested pass and sprinted away, but the Bulgarian’s shot hit the post. That near-miss briefly sparked an off-color Arsenal to life. Bacary Sagna forced Radek Cerny into action for the first time with a header that the Spurs keeper tipped over.

It wasn’t enough to for Arsenal to stamp their authority though as Spurs struck with a classic counter-attack in the 48th minute. Lennon’s lofted pass floated past Hoyte out of and gave Keane the chance to drive in a low shot that Fabianski let slip through his grasp into the far corner.

Adebayor reduced the deficit with a superb strike in the 70th minute. But Arsenal’s frustrations were clear when the Togo striker clashed heads with Bendtner. The party was not over for Spurs yet as a tap-in from Malbranque capped a magnificent night for Ramos’s team.

Wenger said: “They defended like mad and caught us on the break. I don’t give too much importance to the competition frankly. The score was very high and brutal but does not reflect what I saw on the pitch.” He also added that he did not see the Adebayor incident… must be selective blindness again.

Tottenham have now clinched a first cup final appearance for six years against Everton or Chelsea, the victor will be decided on Wednesday. Ramos said: “To get to Wembley is a fantastic achievement, especially for the fans. It is a long time since they have tasted a final and that makes it more satisfying.”

The trip to Wembley is proof of the progress Ramos has made since taking over in October but it pales in comparison to the significance of destroying their arch-rival. This is something which Martin Jol, despite bringing Tottenham to giddying heights for two consecutive seasons, never manage to achieve. Ramos still need to deliver trophies but for now, most Spurs fans will concur with his appointment.

Did Arsenal underestimate Tottenham? I feel that Wenger has brought it upon himself by not giving enough respect to this competition and fielding a below-strength team which Spurs took full advantage of to record their biggest derby win for 25 years.

Arsenal had scrapped through at the Emirates Stadium two weeks ago by forcing a 1-1 draw in the first leg so I had actually expected Wenger to field a strong team and put Tottenham in their place but obviously, he has other considerations and this competition is too low a priority for him to expend his best resources.

It will be the FA Cup fourth round next. I don’t think Arsenal will suffer a second straight defeat against Newcastle. The Geordies are still finding their feet and not in the right frame of mind to take the game to Arsenal, the track record also shows that Arsenal usually bounce back strongly after a poor result, so Kevin Keegan better tighten his defense to prevent a humiliating backlash.

If the excitement which spreads like wildfire at Tyneside is any indication, Kevin Keegan is still very much a legend in the eyes of the Magpies’ supporters, established by his exploits first as a player in the 1980s and as a manager during his 1992-97 stint. The emotional attachment has immediately translated to improved gate receipts as earlier estimates of a 30,000-gate increased by 5000.

His return – albeit only as a spectator – also galvanized the team and injected confidence as the Magpies registered their biggest home win of the season, a 4-1 win over Stoke City in an FA Cup third round replay.

Newcastle discarded their shackles and impressed the messiah who took his place in the directors’ box flanked by Newcastle’s owner, Mike Ashley, and the club’s chairman, Chris Mort. Delirious Geordies greeted Keegan’s 20th minute arrival with a deafening roar and rapturous applause; as he put it aptly: “I am back home.”

The match started off brightly as Michael Owen recovered his killer instinct to direct a close-range shot beyond Stoke’s goalkeeper, Steve Simonsen, barely eight minutes gone – his first goal since Oct 7th. The mood was dampened when former Inter-Milan star Emre was sent off for a reckless tackle on Eustace.

However, even down to ten men, Newcastle were in swashbuckling form. Within two minutes, they responded with a second goal as Cacapa, headed home from Zogbia’s right wing corner.

After the break, Newcastle continued their rampage. James Milner consolidated their lead with a fine solo effort as he controlled a header from Mark Viduka and fired a right-footed shot from the edge of the City area. Duff added to the final tally with his first goal of the season in the 76th minute.

With numerical advantage, Stoke had their fair chances to win if Jon Parkin had volleyed home into an unguarded goal 10 minutes of the restart. In the 67th-minute, Rory Delap headed Liam Lawrence’s cross wide of Given’s left-hand post. They gained a consolation goal through Lawrence a minute from time. It was a pity for the underdogs who had hoped to deliver a classic FA Cup upset but they were no match against the flowing, attractive football which was served up.

In his first comments since been named as Sam Allardyce’s successor, Keegan expressed confidence of rekindling the lost passion. He said: “I know what the fans want. As long as they are realistic and patient, I think we can try again to help them have dreams and possibly win something.”

Though Keegan is not directly responsible for the victory, but sitting in the stands has got his body pumped full of adrenaline. Can’t really blame him as he has not watched a live Premier League match since quitting Manchester City in 2005.

“I am just as excited this time as I was when I came to play here at 31 and when I came as a manager at 43 or 44,” said Keegan.

“I have certainly inherited a strong, talented group of players – which is something I didn’t have when I came last time. They will be trying to get a stadium big enough if we can put some football on and get some success here. The job in hand is a big job, it is a great club.”

There are speculations that Alan Shearer could be the no.2. Shearer did not see himself as a natural in that role, and also revealed that the club were not ready to give him the manager’s job without any prior coaching experience. However, he is willing to listen to any offer from Keegan who signed him for 15 million pounds (a record at that time) when he was the hottest property in English football.

“Kevin is his own man and he’ll make his own decisions,” Shearer said. “It is my club so if he was to ring me up I would certainly speak to him – I would be foolish not to.”

He added: “It remains an ambition of mine to manage one day, when that will be I don’t really know. But the fans have what they want. They want entertainment, they want passion and they want commitment. They haven’t seen that of late.”

“Newcastle is in his heart and he wants to do so well for them. He failed to win a trophy there when he was manager last time but you can bet your bottom dollar that he will give it a right good go this time around.”

Actually, Keegan was not the first choice for the Newcastle board. After failed attempts to secure the services of Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp and Gerard Houllier, the former Liverpool boss who is now French football’s technical director, the populist option was adopted by turning instead to King Kev.

All is good but when the excitement died down, it is time to roll up your sleeves and get down to business. Sentimentality and romanticism can only carry Keegan so far, there is every possibility of this return becoming a messy divorce and ending in tears. His former repute will be tarnished too, with Alan Shearer a likely candidate to come in and pick up the pieces.

As a player, Keegan has garnered a haul of medals, worthy of envy from even the most accomplished players. At Liverpool, it is three league titles, an FA Cup, a European Cup and two UEFA Cups. He tried his luck next in Germany with Hamburg in 1977. There he won the Bundesliga and was named European Footballer of the Year in 1978 – Michael Owen is the only Englishman to have scooped the Ballon D’or since.

However, as a manager with stints in Newcastle, Manchester City, Fulham and England, he has won nothing. He is tactically naive (self confessed), has a tendency to implode at the critical juncture, and do not have the temperament to tide through the crisis especially when the fans turn against him.

That is not to say that he is useless either. Having saved Newcastle from relegation to English football’s third tier, he went on to secure promotion to the top flight in 1993 and came close to winning the league title in 1995-96.

That season his Newcastle “entertainers” led Manchester United by 12 points before finishing as runners up – a collapse that inspired his famous “I’d love it if we beat them” outburst against Sir Alex Ferguson.

The first game of Kevin Keegan’s second spell will be Saturday’s Premier League clash at home to Bolton. As I love the beautiful game myself, I wish Keegan the best in his endeavor and hopefully, he can win something for Newcastle in the coming seasons.

The owners and directors obviously do not subscribe to the notion of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” For Sam Allardyce’s limited time in the musical chair, he brought Newcastle to the threshold of top ten, with signs of upward progression, and certainly no danger of relegation.

Getting rid of their gaffer right before facing champions Manchester United at Old Trafford is inexplicable. Add to that, low confidence and poor away record, the writing is on the wall for a stinging defeat. For the first half, Newcastle kept a clean sheet, not because of resilience but rather Manchester United neglected to apply their trademark passing to pry open the defense.

In the second half, a pep talk by Alex Ferguson corrected the anomaly. He said: “We had too many individuals in the first half trying to walk the ball into the net. But the second-half display was marvellous, absolutely fantastic and could not be faulted.”

Cristiano Ronaldo’s first hat-trick for Manchester United sent the champions back to the top of the Premier League in intimidating fashion. A Carlos Tevez double and a rare goal from Rio Ferdinand completed a ruthless 6-0 demolition of Newcastle and gave Man United their biggest league win in eight years.

Looking back at Newcastle’s history over the last few decades, it is clear that they are hungry for success. The Toons had been pinning for a league title (absent for more than 80 years) and their last major trophy came in the form of the 1955 FA Cup.

They were languishing in the lower leagues before earning a respite and some respect during the tenure of Kevin Keegan and Bobby Robson by featuring consistently in the top ten. The fans saw a cavalier approach to football, entertaining no doubt, and decided that should be the way they wanted their football to be played.

As a firm advocate of the beautiful game, I agree absolutely. But before you play with flair, the team has to be founded on something solid. If the backline is porous, the entertainment will never convert into trophies. The desire to see results by the new owner, a self made billionaire, Mike Ashley, is understandable but he should approach the awakening of a great club in the same patient and methodical way in which he built up his empire.

A case in point is the success of Manchester United. The board stuck by Ferguson during his barren early days, when the Scot went four years without a trophy (he was one match away from being sacked). In his first season, he ended up behind Coventry and it was 7 years later that he captured his first league title. During this period, he plodded behind Liverpool as their title drought stretched to 26 years.

Man United were far from playing “sexy football” when Ferguson came from Aberdeen. Their game was based on a tight defense with Schmeichel in goal, Bruce, Pallister as the pillars and the charismatic Bryan Robson who placed his body in front of every challenge. The influx of creative midfield players then took them to the next level and the present Red Devils with attacking verve took shape.

For Arsenal, when Arsene Wenger came from an unknown Japanese club, he inherited a team famous for winning with 1-0 scores. The goalkeeper, David Seaman and the Fabulous Four, comprising Lee Dixon, Tony Adams, Steve Bould and Nigel Winterburn took professional pride in ensuring the job was done right. Shutting out opponents and keeping clean sheets meant more than scoring goals. Despite this boring style, they earned plaudits from the fans and rivals.

Arsene Wenger then took Arsenal from a cup winning team to the Premier League champions in only his second season after recruiting the irrepressible Thierry Henry to partner with Dennis Bergkamp.

For both mangers, the right ingredients were added to the broth to form the potent concoction but most importantly, they were given time. Even David Moyes was given a vote of confidence despite two sticky seasons, it is now his six years in charge and Everton have been molded into a team capable of contesting for a European spot regularly.

It is clear that stability plays an important role for a dominant club. Newcastle have been through 10 managers plus several caretakers while Alex Ferguson celebrates his 22nd anniversary at Old Trafford, and their trophy cabinet couldn’t be more different. The Red Devils have have won the European Cup, nine Premier Leagues, five FA Cups, two League Cups and the Cup Winners’ Cup. Newcastle fired blanks.

Actually, Sam Allardyce has the right credentials to transform Newcastle FC. At Bolton, he styled a backwater team into a sturdy outfit which gained the respect of most opponents, including the Big Four, with a physical and direct approach. After he has cultivated toughness and discipline in Newcastle, whether the board wants to keep him for the long haul can be opened up for further debate.

Of course, Allardyce did himself no favors when he refused to do interviews with the BBC, did not have a close rapport with fans, has a prickly and bossy mentality – he loves to be called Big Sam. But his major failing was to sign players of dubious quality. Barton is a nutcase and to buy him over from Manchester City is to carry the curse over from them.

As for Alan Smith, I seriously don’t know what he is good for. He is cast as a midfielder but he can’t make surging runs, through passes or score goals like Lampard, Gerrard or Ronaldo. After Bowyer, Woodgate, Dyer and Bellamy, one would have thought that mistakes have been learned: troublemakers, no matter how talented, are bad for the team. Apparently, Allardyce has overestimated himself and felt that he could perform miracles.

The shadow of Alan Shearer still looms over St James Park and any incoming manager will have to contend with it. It is counter-productive and he has undermined the manager since his playing days. If he wants the job, then just be a man and owns up. Else, Shearer should publicly declare his non-interest in managing Newcastle.

The fans is another interesting aspect of the Newcastle set-up. The club traditionally enjoyed unwavering fan support regardless of the results on the pitch or their league standings. The barcodes love melodrama and entertainment, winning is secondary if you show them a good time.

Another comic club, Manchester City, also have fanatical support and used to be butt of jokes for their inconsistent performances but this season they had improved by leaps and bounds under Eriksson, and the Toons suddenly realize that they can’t even measure up to this sickly team which is pretty bad for a “big club.” They expect their team to perform just as well or much better, hence the heavy resentment.

However, the fans have conveniently forgot that Eriksson was a choice they objected when the idea was first bandied about at the start of the season. If they have expressed interest, definitely Eriksson will have chosen Newcastle over Man City. By the way, Newcastle are also lacking a Micah Richards and Richard Dunne in defense. That has been the main reason for Man City’s strong performance so far.

With the latest news that Redknapp refused to sip from the poisoned chalice, Newcastle could be facing a relegation battle soon as the Premier League is very competitive this season and a string of bad results can easily change their fate.

Mark Hughes has the right temperament to do the job but it is doubtful if he will leave Blackburn after witnessing the treatment of Sam Allardyce. The obvious choice, if they want titles, is to go for Jose Mourinho but he is equally negative in his footballing approach. The Portuguese may not last long in that atmosphere and with Alan Shearer lurking behind, it will take more than money to attract him.

Since Newcastle are not likely to achieve anything significant this season, I would suggest Alan Shearer. The fans have been baying for him to step in, so let’s be done with the myth once and for all. If he performs, that is a bonus but if not, at least future managers do not have to hear chants of She-rah anymore.

The Reds stamped their authority in this game and skipper Steven Gerrard gave a sterling performance in the wake of England’s embarrassing European Championships failure. Out to prove his detractors wrong, he cleared all doubts regarding his use-by date with a dominant show filled with energy, drive and inspiration.

Suffering the brunt of insults from Newcastle fans who were clearly disenchanted by his inept performance for England, Gerrard gave the proper response on the pitch. The fans’ ire was eventually redirected at their own players for the pathetic display.

Stevie was in the thick of action for all three goals. In the 27th minute, he drilled in a fabulous shot into the top corner from a free-kick. The scoreline was doubled within a minute of the restart, although it was scrappy. Gerrard’s corner was touched on by Sami Hyypia and rebounded past Given off Dirk Kyut’s shins. Victory was assured in the 66th minute as Gerrard exchanged passes with Ryan Babel before the substitute finished stylishly.

After the match, Gerrard said the brickbats were expected and justified. “We have let the country down by not qualifying, so from now until we get it right we are going to be criticized.”

“I’ve got to put the England stuff under the carpet for a while and try to play well for Liverpool. Then, when we meet up with England, we’ve got to come up with a reaction for the country, and hopefully I’ll be part of that.”

With Liverpool’s overwhelming superiority, they should have stretched their lead as Torres missed out on his ninth goal of the season twice in quick succession.

It was apparent Newcastle (deprived of six experienced defenders due to injuries), did not have sufficient resources to get back into the match and if Liverpool had been more clinical in their finishing, there will be at least another half-dozen goals. Torres, looking off-color, was the biggest culprit.

This win should give Benitez more bargaining power when he meets up with owner Tom Hicks and George Gillet again. He was fed up with their refusal to spend big on new players in January and had threatened to quit and coach England.

After relieving £45 million off their wallets, Rafa Benitez is requesting for another £17 million to complete the permanent signing of Javier Mascherano and a further £18 million to add Racing Santander’s center back Ezequiel Garay and Heerenveen’s striker Afonso Alves to his squad.

The Americans are not convinced. Instead of placating Benitez, they told him to concentrate on coaching the team, and made qualification for Champions League a prerequisite for further purchases.

I am not too sure if Benitez will be a good choice for England. Certainly, there will be no mega-transfers available so if he needs fresh blood, he will have to look at the youth team. If he has to buy his way to success, after splurging so much money already, then I seriously doubt he can handle the England job when he realizes the existing players are not up to scratch for him.

Besides Benitez’s future thrown into doubt, Liverpool fans are also worried about the rumors that the Americans are looking to confirm the refinancing package that would take the club £500 million into debt for the construction of a new stadium.

The imminent departure of three players, John Arne Riise, Mohamed Sissoko and Peter Crouch, is also a strange decision, especially for Crouch. Juventus have been chasing Crouch since their return to Serie A and see the England international as a key player for their Champions League action next season.

The directors are confident of snagging Peter Crouch should he leave Liverpool. However, Manchester City have entered the picture, flexing their financial muscle, and Eriksson’s close relationship with the forward may still influence the decision in their favor.

Signing new players in the winter transfer window has always been disruptive. The players are unable to assimilate into the team and fielding them prematurely will result in misleading judgments on their abilities. Once they are tagged as flops, it is not easy to erase the image, that applies to the best players too.

Since the owners are unlikely to shell out more cash, Benitez should just focus on the existing squad, and reorganize again next season, that is if he has not already become the new England honcho.