Alan Curbishley, Kevin Keegan: The Managers Strike Back, Should We Join Them?

On Monday we were all talking about Manchester City. The mid-tablers had just been taken over by multi-billionaires calling themselves the Abu Dhabi United Group. The club went in search of every player they could as the transfer window was drawing to a close. In the end they signed Robinho.

Fast forward four days and the talk is all of Newcastle and the resignation of their Messiah, Kevin Keegan. I believe that the resignation of both Curbishley and Keegan from their respective clubs are equally important.

On Wednesday, Curbishley stepped down as manager of West Ham stating he was unhappy that the club had sold players against his wishes. The transfer in question is that of defender George McCartney to Sunderland who followed Anton Ferdinand who made the same move days earlier.

Curbishley claimed, "It was a transfer which I was vehemently against, not just because he is such a good player but the situation we found ourselves in with injuries to other players."

The problems of Curbishley in London were mirrored on Tyneside. After a week of intense meetings, Kevin Keegan yesterday resigned as manager of Newcastle United for a second time.

Speaking to the press Keegan stated, "I had no option. I've been working desperately hard to find a way forward with the directors but sadly that has not proved possible.

"It's my opinion that a manager must have the right to manage and that clubs should not impose upon any manager any player he does not want. I have been left with no choice other than to leave." Keegan's second term lasted all of 233 days.

Strikingly, neither manager left because of their team's on-field displays. West Ham currently lie fifth with two wins from their three opening games, Newcastle United lie eleventh with a record of one win, one draw and one defeat including their great opening day draw at Old Trafford.

No this argument has not got to do with team tactics, it has everything to do with interference from the rich men who own the clubs. Part of the trend that has followed these rich men into club football is their wish to buy/hire whatever players and staff THEY want, not who the managers want.

Mourinho did not want Shevchencko, Ambramovich did. Keegan did not want Wise working at the club, Ashley did. Curbishley wanted McCartney to stay, the West Ham board didn't.

How many of the recent Manchester City transfer targets were sanctioned by Mark Hughes? Already the new owners have written their January shopping list that includes Ronaldo, Fabregas and Torres.

I suspect that Hughes is far too intelligent to believe the club will sign any of these players. Perhaps the Abu Dhabi Group's time would be better spent talking to their manager in regards to how the team can develop and become stable as opposed to talking fairytales.

It appears the traditional roles of managers are quickly becoming a thing of the past. In some cases they are not allowed to pick their own staff, players, even the starting eleven on matchday.

I have argued on this website in the recent past that the successes of Manchester United and Arsenal football clubs are down to one fact: they are managed by ONE man. Can you even imagine the board of either club telling Ferguson or Wenger who to buy?

So today in this article I applaud the actions of Alan Curbishley and Kevin Keegan. They did not walk out on their clubs, on their fans. They merely said enough is enough and left behind chairmen who would not let them get on with the job these managers were hired to do.

Newcastle United have the fans, the ground, the manager and the core of what it takes to be a successful football club. After all they experienced it not too long ago. However all this has been ripped apart by interfering men in suits, or beer drinking pseudo-fans like Mike Ashley.

Even the fans realise that this is not how to operate a successful football club. Reports suggest that Newcastle fans are going to boycott the club until Ashley and Wise walk away. Or look in the recent past to Wimbledon, where the owners though they could do to the club as they wished. They were wrong!!

So perhaps, Curbs and King Kev are right. Yes football is a business and a highly lucrative one at that but first and foremost it's a sport. I would rather watch a good, honest club perform to its limits that a club that is transformed beyond recognition that does not stay true to its tradition.