On this day - Keegan Resigns

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Blu3m00n91

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Kevin Keegan Resigns; Stuart Pearce Becomes Manchester City Manager

Manchester City suffered a 1-0 home defeat by Bolton Wanderers on this day (7 March) in 2005 and this game ultimately led to a significant change to the then 12th placed Blues. Years later, in an interview I did with him the City chairman John Wardle told me that Kevin Keegan, the City manager...
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Link is from @Gary James website. The start of the Stuart Pearce era. Had to be made of some stern stuff to sit and watch that City side home and away.
 
I suppose, in hindsight, reading that back, maybe we were a bit too hard on Kevin.

He wasn't a Manchester City man, by any means and maybe we expected way too much commitment from him that he was prepared to give. To him, we were a job, a career move. He respected the club and those at it for as long as he was expecting to, and knew when he wasn't good enough for us.

But, as the article states, he was instrumental in Phase Two of the recovery. He got us out of Division One and kept us out (barely) and when he started to see we were going backwards, held his hands up and said "i'm done". Plus beating the Rags twice isn't too bad of a return, especially in that era, not forgetting the infamous FA Cup comeback against Spuds.

So whilst not a glowing praise sort of post for the guy, maybe more of a "I was expecting him to love City and maybe I shouldn't have, and that's no fault of his." one.
 
Some of the football in the 2001-02 promotion season was absolutely brilliant as was beating the rags in the final Maine Road derby and the first at CoMS. - And getting a draw at the swamp near the end of 2002-03.
But sometimes he seemed to slump in his seat not knowing what to do next. That was best summed up in the cup defeat at Oldham, and most of us who went to Groclin away weren't happy with a failure to attack in meaningful manner when we had to score at least once.
 
East Level 2 said:
Some of the football in the 2001-02 promotion season was absolutely brilliant as was beating the rags in the final Maine Road derby and the first at CoMS. - And getting a draw at the swamp near the end of 2002-03.
But sometimes he seemed to slump in his seat not knowing what to do next. That was best summed up in the cup defeat at Oldham, and most of us who went to Groclin away weren't happy with a failure to attack in meaningful manner when we had to score at least once.
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Controversial opinion here..... that season ranks up there alongside the centurions' season in terms of the sheer exhilaration felt when watching the football being played before our eyes. Obviously, the level we were competing at was slightly inferior, mind. But the joy and excitement felt when watching that team was something else.
 
jimharri said:
Controversial opinion here..... that season ranks up there alongside the centurions' season in terms of the sheer exhilaration felt when watching the football being played before our eyes. Obviously, the level we were competing at was slightly inferior, mind. But the joy and excitement felt when watching that team was something else.
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De Bruyne and Silva were the modern day Ali and Eyal
 
jimharri said:
Controversial opinion here..... that season ranks up there alongside the centurions' season in terms of the sheer exhilaration felt when watching the football being played before our eyes. Obviously, the level we were competing at was slightly inferior, mind. But the joy and excitement felt when watching that team was something else.
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And then tonking Ipswich 4-1 on their own turf in the FA Cup was just *chefs kiss*
God I hated that club around that time.
 
East Level 2 said:
Some of the football in the 2001-02 promotion season was absolutely brilliant as was beating the rags in the final Maine Road derby and the first at CoMS. - And getting a draw at the swamp near the end of 2002-03.
But sometimes he seemed to slump in his seat not knowing what to do next. That was best summed up in the cup defeat at Oldham, and most of us who went to Groclin away weren't happy with a failure to attack in meaningful manner when we had to score at least once.
Click to expand...
Wasn't the issue at Groclin more about Anelka and Fowler playing likes twats, so much so it felt like we were playing with nine that day
 
ell said:
The only positive if they come up this season, the chance to see them go back down. You are the weakest link etc
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Haven't forgotten, never will. There was a thread a few months back started about which teams you hate and was surprised that so many others on here hate them just as equally.
 
I thought Keegan resigned in 2005? Around that time along with Sven Goran Eriksson both got us got us briefly competing in the Premier League although both probably wouldn't consistenly trouble the usual suspects in the longer term.
 
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I used to feel bad about not wanting Kev as manager. We had some genuinely brilliant days under KK and I was growing to like him.

When he had his photo taken in the 'Joe Mercer pose' for the final Maine Road programme, I remembered that he was a charlatan, flying by the seat of his pants.

It was always going to end in tears.Once a quitter, always a quitter.
 
City sacked him as he said he wanted to leave at the end of 2005/06 when his contracted ended and wouldn't commit further when asked. But of course is was "agreed" or "mutual consent" but it wasn't him resigning or quitting, he was prepared to see out his contract.
 
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