Keegan: Hits back in Toon row

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Kevin Keegan has hit back in his war of words with Newcastle United, claiming he resigned because he no longer had control of player signings.

A statement from the club stated that Keegan had "agreed to report to a director of football and to the board", and that he was "allowed to manage his specific duties without any interference from any board member".

But in a statement released through the League Managers' Association, Keegan insisted it was the club that had reneged on an earlier agreement.

"Kevin Keegan's chief complaint, amongst others, is that it was always agreed that the director of football could not impose a player that the manager did not want," LMA chief executive Richard Bevan said in a statement.

Final say

"This agreement has been broken and, notwithstanding the fact that the chairman at the time of Kevin Keegan's appointment, the director of football and the owner of Newcastle United have confirmed previously in public meetings and publications that he would always have the final say."

Along with lawyers, the LMA were called in by Keegan in a bid to resolve the dispute and clarify his position.

The 57-year-old made a sensational return as Newcastle manager on 16th January, before Dennis Wise was appointed as executive director of football two weeks later, and Keegan feels he had little say over the club's recruitment policy.

Recipe for disaster

LMA chairman Howard Wilkinson said: "If you are going to work in a football club, then the most prominent person in that club - certainly as far as the public is concerned, and you could argue as far as anyone is concerned - is the man called the manager or the guy who is responsible for the first team.

"So to create a position which is going to result in friction through lack of communication, through a failure to communicate what the role is etc, seems to be a recipe for disaster, particularly if you bring someone into that position between manager and board after you have appointed a manager."