Kevin Gallacher was Bobby Robson’s first signing as Newcastle manager, back in 1999.
Kevin Gallagher - great but brief service to the club
At the time Bobby had taken over form the disastrous Ruud Gullit and saw immediately that Alan Shearer needed a partner to play up front with him. Bobby brought in Kevin for peanuts (£750K) and Kevin played great for the remainder of the season. He didn’t stay too long at Newcastle but he did a great short term job for the club.
We need some players like that next season to get us out of our situation.
Kevin stayed a couple of years, made 39 appearances and scored 4 goals (Alan scored all the goals of course).
The Scottish international (1988-2001, 53 caps, 6 goals) always played with pride and passion and Kevin had this to say about Newcastle current crop of overpaid stars:
“The players have got to take a bit of responsibility and get their fingers out - and realize that potentially they could go down a division, which would be a catastrophe.”
“On paper you can’t see the players they have nose-diving - but that’s what has happened. They are getting closer to the bottom three. The bottom three are picking up points but Newcastle are on the slide.”
“I think people were hoping a little too much for Kevin to wave his magic wand and I just think it has been very tough for him.”
“He came in but there was less of a sparkle in his eye. I think it is a bigger challenge than the first time he went to Newcastle.”
“A lot of people were hoping that Alan Shearer would have joined him and that would have been an ideal partnership but whether that would have got the results we don’t know. At the moment they are struggling big-style.”
Good words from Kevin, who always showed a big heart when he played for the club. Of course he had previously played with Shearer at Blackburn so immediately linked up well with Aalan.
Kevin is also absolutely right in what he says. Pity we don’t have more Kevin Gallaghers in our current team - we wouldn’t be in this mess if we did.
That’s because the white flag would not be waved once we go behind in games, which is what happens too many times with the timid players we have at the moment.
Kevin did a great job for the club and will always be remembered for getting Bobby’s reign off to a good start, and helping the club survive relegation in Robson’s first season in charge.
The trouble the club was in when Bobby took over was much worse than today. But then Bobby had players who had guts galore in the team, and showed it.
Comments welcome.
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7 responses so far ↓
1 ELFER // Mar 11, 2008 at 12:57
What should we add to this? All true, the players should finally start to realise that we are the 2nd worst team at the moment in the PL!!
Don’t they have a little pride? Is it all about earining money and if the ship goes down jump onto another? Stick out your fingers and win the remaining games - even if you go 1 behind, stick together and at least try to get a result out of it! I cannot understand it…
2 Eric // Mar 11, 2008 at 15:50
Bang on!!!
3 Marty // Mar 11, 2008 at 15:53
none of us understand this pathetic displays one after the other,hope we turn this bullcrap around n find out that these players actually like to play football like they used to
4 Davies // Mar 11, 2008 at 16:11
Lazy overpaid fairies (apart from Oba, who isn’t being selected to start for some reason).
Too much dead wood. I’m looking forward to a summer clearout of the first team, whether we stay up or not.
5 staffsmag // Mar 11, 2008 at 17:08
About time some of these players grew a back bone - rolled up their sleeves and showed some pride wearing that black and white shirt! Many people on the terraces week in and week out would give their right arm to play for their beloved club and not get payed for it. Come on lads give us back some pride !!!!!
6 Hammy // Mar 11, 2008 at 18:30
Kevin talks a lot of sense, a lot of players of that era, himself, Sellars, Peacock, Kilcline, Barton, Beresford, Lee, Speed, the other Peacock, and so on were never greatly gifted but all gave 100% and so endeared themselves to the Geordie public, todays players have been ruined by cash and no amount of excuses will wash with the fans.
One of my all time favourite players was Clarence Acuna, vastly underated and underplayed, always gave everything, never complained when dropped, scored crucial goals and wasn’t a bad player at all.
Certainly a switch to some of the youngsters would gain a great deal of support from the majority of fans…….
7 carl // Mar 11, 2008 at 19:00
ive forgot what it feels like to win
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