Newcastle a tragedy and disaster - Roeder

Is Kevin Keegan still the manager of Newcastle United? Who knows but, whatever happens, former boss Glenn Roeder has said the club is a "tragedy," moving from "one disaster to another".

When Alan Curbishley left West Ham yesterday (Wed, Sep 3) it was not even clear if he was the first Premier League manager to leave his post this season - because Keegan may have already quit or been sacked. One of the few things known is Keegan did not take training on Tuesday.

Roeder, currently manager at Norwich, should be saluted though for actually seeing through all the hype and spin. He clearly has the ability to remember football's better times and, impressively, can still see how those times continue to shape the present. For Roeder knows Newcastle is only the club it is due to the fans.

He told Radio Five Live: "The club is a tragedy and it goes from one disaster to another. There's no stability at the club and I don't think there has been for a long time. They go from one manager to another and the people who suffer the most are the most important people, the supporters. When they talk about Newcastle being a great club, it's only great for one reason - because it has great supporters."
It would be great if Mike Ashley, the Newcastle owner, takes note of what Roeder has to saw as, amid all the claims and counterclaims of the past view days, his words shine like a beacon across the darkness - just as Newcastle may shine like a beacon to attract foreign investment if Ashley decides he has had enough.