Former England Star Backs Keegan (Does ANYONE Back Ashley?)

Last updated : 11 September 2008 By Footy Mad - Editor
Former Newcastle United midfielder John Barnes believes Kevin Keegan was right to leave if transfers had been carried out without his consent.

He made 40 appearances for Newcastle during the spell of Kenny Dalglish, scoring 7 goals.

Barnes said yesterday, "clubs should not impose upon any manager any player that he does not want".

Barnes, who had a brief spell in charge of Celtic, believes managers should have the final say when it comes to the make-up of their squad.

Barnes: "For me, I wouldn't like to be a manager under those circumstances as when things go wrong it's the manager who usually suffers by losing their job.

"If this system is to work then the role has to be defined with clarity. It would seem that both Keegan and Curbishley feel they were misled in the roles their directors of football were playing.

"This system can work if the man in that role acts as a go-between for both manager and board such as Avram Grant at Chelsea, but as soon as the director of football begins meddling in the comings and goings of the playing staff at the club, then no manager would be happy with that unwelcome input.

"Managers identify players that fit into their tactics and playing philosophy so ultimately signings have to be their choice."