KEEGAN SPEAKS FROM EXPERIENCE, NOT KNOWLEDGE

Newcastle legend Kevin Keegan had his say on the Andy Carroll sale during an appearance on BBC Radio 5 Live Monday — and his opinion wasn't exactly shocking.

Keegan can relate to Alan Pardew, having seen the United board decide to cash in on James Milner for £12 million late in the summer transfer window of 2008, a move that laid the groundwork for the end of Keegan's second managerial reign at St. James' Park.

So what does Keegan think of Pardew's assertion that the Carroll money will be available to fund a summer spending spree?

“I saw an interview where Alan Pardew said he hoped to get some of that £35million," said Keegan, who conceded that Newcastle got good value for Carroll. "I thought: ‘Alan, you ain’t going to get any of that.’ "

What did you expect Keegan to say? When it comes to the current Newcastle regime, he is thoroughly biased. That's not to say he doesn't have a reason to be (he obviously does), but the fact is Keegan's opinion can't be taken at face value. When a relationship between two parties unravels, you can't possibly regard what one says about the other as the absolute truth.

Let's also not forget that Keegan is an incredibly emotional human being, so it's not too surprising that he went way over the top and predicted that Pardew won't be given ANY of the £35 million to spend. That's clearly a shot at United owner Mike Ashley and his cohorts, and believing it seems ridiculous at best.

By the same token, lapping up everything Pardew has said on the matter is just as silly. The most reasonable guess is that Newcastle will spend somewhere between £15-20 million in the summer, with the rest of the money being used to account for wages and other behind-the-scenes costs. United will most likely spend a good chunk on a young striker (Lille's Ivory Coast international Gervinho or Ipswich Town's 17-year-old rising star Connor Wickham, perhaps?) and then make several smaller deals. It may not be the most exciting approach, but it yielded Cheik Tiote and Hatem Ben Arfa (who apparently won't be back by the Wolves match on April 2, after all) last summer, and there's no reason United can't land a couple more class players at reasonable values once again.

So often when it comes to Keegan and Ashley, Newcastle fans pick sides and start slinging mud. But in this case, like most others, the truth will almost assuredly lie somewhere in the middle.

Comments

[Bob]

Part of me hopes NUFC doesn't spend the whole nest egg. That would smack of spending just to spend, which never brings value. The fans will inevitably focus on the price tag, but the merchandise is what's important. I would take two like Gervinho and £10 million saved in a heartbeat.