Latest news with #BillShankly
Telegraph
4 days ago
- Sport
- Telegraph
The rise and fall of ‘Mighty Mouse' Kevin Keegan
Kevin Keegan was 'a fun-size colossus' on the pitch, but wore a 'halo of failure' in the second half of his career, as manager of the England team and at club level. Anthony Quinn's new and sprightly biography – written without the involvement of Keegan, who is now 74 – looks at how such a driven and adored player could have fallen so poignantly short as a manager, especially for Newcastle United, the great nearly men of the 1990s. Keegan's size is highlighted throughout the book, whether in his proving too small to be a paperboy during a childhood of 'Northern hardship' (in Armthorpe, Yorkshire), or too short (at 5ft 8in) to carry the coffin of his most influential gaffer, Bill Shankly. But Keegan was nonetheless 'built like a tank', having taken his fitness in hand at a young age to compensate. His ambition and physical attributes saw him fast-tracked into the first team by Shankly after being picked up from Scunthorpe, proving an immediate talisman for Liverpool, his goals leading them to a period of trophy-laden glory – including the European Cup in his final season. Later, at Hamburg, he was nicknamed the 'Mighty Mouse'. He was steely in other ways too, and Quinn makes a good case for Keegan orchestrating his career as English football's first 'free marketeer', deciding on his own terms and exits, negotiating high salaries and throwing himself into endorsements to become football's first millionaire. His instincts weren't perfect, however, and his post-retirement 'soccer circus' – an 'interactive football skills arcade' – failed to gild his fortune. Keegan had been out of the game for almost a decade when, in 1992, Newcastle sought out their former player to be the returning Messiah – this time in the dugout, rather than the penalty area. Here, Keegan the manager was all passion, hand gestures and cheery motivation. If it made for a near miss with Newcastle United, it spelt disaster at international level, when Keegan accepted the England role but discovered his dream job to be more of a nightmare. A man who thrived on day-to-day contact with players in order to get them to buy into his belief-led style, it's fair to say he wasn't one for over-complication: 'I buy good players and let them play.' Keegan was hamstrung by FA pen-pushers, and shown up by tactical superiors. In 2000, after 18 months managing the team, he was booed off the pitch when England lost 1-0 to Germany at Wembley. But Quinn is keen to show us Keegan as an individualist, often finding himself – uncoincidentally – in the most unpromising of places, frequently the biggest fish in a modest pond. (This was especially the case on Keegan's return to England after playing for Hamburger SV, where he arrived at Southampton – a move which surprised everyone.) He comes across as a strange mix of leading man and comic foil – nicknamed 'Andy McDaft' at Liverpool, some of his exploits are ridiculous, such as playing a ventriloquist's dummy on the team bus. Quinn can't ignore – but gives as short shrift as possible to – the weirdest story in Keegan lore. In 1991, Keegan was robbed and beaten while pulled over on the hard shoulder at a spot which happened to be a notorious dogging site. Tabloid rumours started 'springing from the mulch like poison mushrooms'. Quinn – a novelist at heart, with a penchant for plot twists and double-dealing – dismisses these via a Shakespeare quote about filching a man's good name. That assault was the hardest physical blow Keegan endured during his career, but his managerial shortcomings were far more deleterious. Beyond passion, he was 'tactically naïve', to use the immortal words of Martin Keown, and far more focused on entertainment than ensuring his teams were watertight in the way that wins titles. Keegan not only lost against Alex Ferguson's Manchester United in the 1995-96 season, but essentially refused to join the battle against Fergie's notorious, and undiscriminating, mind games, blurting out how much he'd 'love it' if Newcastle were to beat their rivals – heart, as ever, firmly on sleeve. Quinn points out that Keegan, above all, wanted to be loved, and if he has a tragic flaw, it's that: he would have made a great agent, rather than a manager – 'but that's lucre not lustre', and Keegan was, always, an exhibitionist. Quinn goes in, at times, for somewhat portentous analogies, from Keegan facing the disgruntled Geordie mob 'like Mark Antony' after selling Andy Cole, or his 'sulking like Achilles in his tent' at the 1982 World Cup. He's also occasionally guilty of the same David Brent-isms he's quick to spot in Keegan, shoehorning in a Get Carter gag that's signposted more heavily than a new Ikea. But he's sharp on Keegan's appeal as well as his flaws: '95 per cent of being a fan is disappointment', and in Keegan's hands, at least it was usually glorious failure, full of flair and hope. While Quinn fails to find much hinterland in Keegan, he's persuasive in the idea that what makes him seem such an old-fashioned figure from our vantage point of media-trained non-interviews and pragmatic, system-led coaching is his unrelenting honesty and his desire for his teams to put on a show above all else – and always putting the fans first. After all, and particularly in the cash-soaked global 'product' that is football now: '[Does] anyone listen to the fans any more?' ★★★★☆ Keegan: The Man Who Was King is published by Faber at £14.99. To order your copy for £12.99, call 0330 173 0523 or visit Telegraph Books
Yahoo
06-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Liverpool 'have heeded wisdom of one of their greatest icons'
Will Liverpool be even better this season than last? They have an army of modern technical advisers but they have heeded the wisdom of one of their greatest historic icons. Former manager Bill Shankly is remembered for his iconic one-liners, none more than: "Football isn't a matter of life and death - it's more important than that." For those who now think that trite or even tasteless, it was meant as a joke, an exaggeration, a bit of fun with words - nothing more. I was always more impressed with his idea that "you must always strengthen when you are at the top, before your power starts to fade". Chinese philosopher Sun Tzu would have been proud of that ideology. It is easier said than done, however. Bringing an expensive bunch of new players into the group after winning a major trophy can put some of the current squad's noses out of joint. Some might think: "Are they replacing me already, after all I have done for them?" Liverpool cannot afford to damage the brilliant team spirit they have, so the personalities of the new recruits are as vital as how you sell their arrival to the rest of the players. They cannot be allowed to upset the on-field balance either. Some players just work perfectly together - there is a synergy that cannot be measured by stats. They understand each other and help each other, sometimes even without knowing they are doing it. There is also the thought that one day Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk will slow down with age or get injured more frequently. While everybody still backs the Reds as favourites, could these problems beset Arne Slot's team this season? Almost certainly not. They have recruited brilliantly and are still the team to beat, even if some of us are flailing around trying to find a weakness - which probably is not there. Sign up to read more from Pat Nevin in his Football Extra newsletter Find and follow your Premier League team on BBC Sport
BBC News
06-08-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Liverpool 'have heeded wisdom of one of their greatest icons'
Will Liverpool be even better this season than last?They have an army of modern technical advisers but they have heeded the wisdom of one of their greatest historic manager Bill Shankly is remembered for his iconic one-liners, none more than: "Football isn't a matter of life and death - it's more important than that."For those who now think that trite or even tasteless, it was meant as a joke, an exaggeration, a bit of fun with words - nothing more.I was always more impressed with his idea that "you must always strengthen when you are at the top, before your power starts to fade". Chinese philosopher Sun Tzu would have been proud of that is easier said than done, however. Bringing an expensive bunch of new players into the group after winning a major trophy can put some of the current squad's noses out of joint. Some might think: "Are they replacing me already, after all I have done for them?"Liverpool cannot afford to damage the brilliant team spirit they have, so the personalities of the new recruits are as vital as how you sell their arrival to the rest of the cannot be allowed to upset the on-field balance either. Some players just work perfectly together - there is a synergy that cannot be measured by stats. They understand each other and help each other, sometimes even without knowing they are doing is also the thought that one day Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk will slow down with age or get injured more frequently. While everybody still backs the Reds as favourites, could these problems beset Arne Slot's team this season?Almost certainly not. They have recruited brilliantly and are still the team to beat, even if some of us are flailing around trying to find a weakness - which probably is not up to read more from Pat Nevin in his Football Extra newsletterFind and follow your Premier League team on BBC Sport
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Liverpool's show of solidarity as Diogo Jota honoured on emotional day
A friendly may never have meant so much. As Liverpool visited Preston for the first pre-season game of their summer, heads were elsewhere. This was the start of a Premier League title defence with over £200million of new signings expected to debut, but that all felt totally insignificant on a day when tributes were paid to Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva. Emotions are still raw but, with a club in mourning, Liverpool showed their solidarity as players and supporters remembered Jota as the team returned to action. This day meant a lot to Liverpool, that much was made clear by the walk to Deepdale. Flags bearing Jota's name and the lyrics to his song adorned pub windows, while many donned his No20 shirt. Merchandise vans were decorated with the No20. Some Preston supporters even made a point of wearing red. Liverpool fans packed the Bill Shankly stand to the rafters long before kick-off. Claudia Rose Maguire led the stadium in signing 'You'll Never Walk Alone' and supporters sang tirelessly throughout the match. They were in their fullest voice at full-time. After goals from Conor Bradley, Darwin Nunez, and Cody Gakpo wrapped up a 3-1 win, the full Liverpool camp faced the Bill Shankly stand and joined the away fans in song. Arne Slot has challenged his squad to channel their memories of their team-mate. 'We will always carry him with us in our hearts, in our thoughts, wherever we go,' said Slot. To collectively process the loss of Jota will take time. But players, supporters and coaches are united as they attempt to come to terms with his death.
BBC News
02-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'Never take the ball off him in training' - is this Everton's hardest player?
Throughout Wednesday, BBC Sport's Phil McNulty has ranked the hardest men to play for in top MorrisseyMorrissey was signed by Everton from Liverpool in 1962 for £10,000. It was a deal done without Reds manager Bill Shankly's knowledge, and he was so enraged that he vowed never to let such an incident happen Shankly's admiration for this tough, but very talented, winger was confirmed in a decade at Everton in which he played in two title-winning figured in 1962-63, but more memorably and prominently when he stood out - even among the greats of Alan Ball, Colin Harvey and Howard Kendall - in the 1969-70 triumph, his crosses a rich source of supply for the young Joe was beloved among Everton fans, who worshipped both his great ability and his attitude. He still cut a sprightly figure at Goodison Park, at 85, when he was part of the parade of former players at the final men's game at the stadium in the wider game, Morrissey had a reputation as a hard-as-nails character who was not to be trifled with at any time - a winger happy to give any full-back taking liberties a taste of their own famous 'Anfield Iron' Tommy Smith admitted even he was wary of Morrissey, while former colleague Kendall said Ball's advice to him on his first day at Everton was: "Never take the ball off Johnny Morrissey in training."Leeds United were the template for the hard teams of that era, but Morrissey used to send a shudder through that battle-hardened Elland Road dressing room, his running battles with Jack Charlton the stuff of Giles, no shrinking violet in the physical exchanges, wrote in his book how he could look after himself "like Peter Osgood did, like Mike Summerbee did, like Johnny Morrissey did - well OK, maybe not quite like Johnny".Scroll down to 14:53 BST for Duncan Ferguson and Peter Reid in second and third, and 08:33 for Kevin Ratcliffe and Pat van den Hauwe in fourth and it's over to you. Do you agree with Phil's selections? Tell us who should be on the list
