Author Topic: Does Kevin Keegan get enough recognition for what he achieved at Liverpool? (Read 67414 times)

Keith Lard · « **on:** November 4, 2011, 03:23:03 pm »

When people talk about the very best Liverpool players of all time, Keegan rarely seems to be mentioned. Does he get the recognition he deserves? If not, why?

Garstonite · « **Reply #1 on:** November 4, 2011, 03:23:58 pm »

In short, no.

stevienash · « **Reply #2 on:** November 4, 2011, 03:26:06 pm »

Quote from: vishy01234 on November 4, 2011, 03:23:03 pm

When people talk about the very best Liverpool players of all time, Keegan rarely seems to be mentioned. Does he get the recognition he deserves? If not, why?

I dont think the reason why he dont get the recognition he deserves as it says on the LFC website interivew - Despite firing a century of goals in 323 appearances for Liverpool, Keegan is perhaps associated more with Newcastle these days following his return to St James' Park as manager

Terrys chocolate orange · « **Reply #3 on:** November 4, 2011, 03:27:55 pm »

Fantastic player.
I'm sure I wasn't alone in being devastated when he decided to leave.
Then we signed Kenny and it was "Kevin who?"

Milly · « **Reply #4 on:** November 4, 2011, 03:29:32 pm »

no he doesn't and that shows you how good King Kenny was...

fredfrop · « **Reply #5 on:** November 4, 2011, 03:30:11 pm »

He was my hero growing up - I remember the hype about the battle between him and Super Mac in the '74 cup final, MacDonald never turned up but Keegan got a pair.

Cpt_Reina · « **Reply #6 on:** November 4, 2011, 03:32:08 pm »

The '60 minutes' he just did was a great watch.

Jólaköttur · « **Reply #7 on:** November 4, 2011, 03:33:14 pm »

Was absolutely gutted and heartbroken when he left. Then delighted when I saw the King.

Keith Lard · « **Reply #8 on:** November 4, 2011, 03:33:48 pm »

Robbie Fowler receives hero worship, yet he achieved only a fraction of the success Keegan did at Liverpool.

It just shows how irrational football supporters can be. I'd definitely say football is 80% about emotion.

A weatherfield winter wonderland · « **Reply #9 on:** November 4, 2011, 03:34:48 pm »

Quote from: Terry De Niro on November 4, 2011, 03:27:55 pm

Fantastic player.
I'm sure I wasn't alone in being devastated when he decided to leave.
Then we signed Kenny and it was "Kevin who?"

He was before my time but that's how I see it (from what I've read and heard from my Dad). He was worshipped when he was here but then somebody even better came along. There's no doubt that at the time he was great for us, and will go down as an all time great but I guess he doesn't ever feature in greatest ever teams because for all he achieved with us, he left at close to his peak and was replaced by somebody who went on to even bigger and better things.

Jólaköttur · « **Reply #10 on:** November 4, 2011, 03:35:19 pm »

Quote from: vishy01234 on November 4, 2011, 03:33:48 pm

Robbie Fowler receives hero worship, yet he achieved only a fraction of the success Keegan did at Liverpool.

It just shows how irrational football supporters can be. I'd definitely say football is 80% about emotion.

The reason is that at the time we really (Well I did, I was only a little kid when he left) thought he'd kicked us in the teeth and had deserted us. We also couldn't see anyone replacing us. Heartbreaking at the time. People were gutted. So it's probably part of that.

LondonRedMan · « **Reply #11 on:** November 4, 2011, 03:35:19 pm »

Quote from: Garstonette on November 4, 2011, 03:23:58 pm

In short, no.

Terrys chocolate orange · « **Reply #12 on:** November 4, 2011, 03:47:11 pm »

Quote from: Crosby Nick on November 4, 2011, 03:34:48 pm

He was before my time but that's how I see it (from what I've read and heard from my Dad). He was worshipped when he was here but then somebody even better came along. There's no doubt that at the time he was great for us, and will go down as an all time great but I guess he doesn't ever feature in greatest ever teams because for all he achieved with us, he left at close to his peak and was replaced by somebody who went on to even bigger and better things.

Pretty much sums it up.

I'll always have fond memories of him playing for us.
The 74 final has already been mentioned and my first trip to Wembley.
Also went on a few Europe trips with our UEFA success in 76 and was even better in 77 when I went to Rome to see us lift big ears for the first time.

Great player who gave his all in every match he played.
Tough little fucker as well..

Keith Lard · « **Reply #13 on:** November 4, 2011, 03:48:08 pm »

Quote from: Andy@Allerton on November 4, 2011, 03:35:19 pm

The reason is that at the time we really (Well I did, I was only a little kid when he left) thought he'd kicked us in the teeth and had deserted us. We also couldn't see anyone replacing us. Heartbreaking at the time. People were gutted. So it's probably part of that.

... and also when he talks about us in the media he doesn't show any major bias towards us. Maybe it compounds the view that he never truly loved Liverpool. But in the main I think he's quite fair when speaking about us.

Maybe he was the Fernando Torres of his era! He also maybe gives us an idea of how Torres will be remembered by our supporters in 20-30 years.

Notice I am not drawing a parallel with Michael Owen. I think Owen will be despised by many forever!

Licky · « **Reply #14 on:** November 4, 2011, 03:48:14 pm »

He was my first footy hero, but i think a lot of it stems from us being the best club on the planet when he left, and i certainly thought "where would you go after here ?", he was also never out the media, in programmes like 'superstars' etc, i think (much like alot of modern players) he was more about himself than LFC and fans dont warm to that.

Still a great player though.

Eeyore · « **Reply #15 on:** November 4, 2011, 03:52:05 pm »

In a similar vein to Torres his legacy will always be tainted by his decision to leave. Whether that is fair is another point but in the vast majority of cases that is what happens unless you are Xabi Alonso.

LincsRedbob · « **Reply #16 on:** November 4, 2011, 03:55:14 pm »

The only reason he does not recieve the recognition is because of Kenny. Just like when a girlfriend you really loved leaves you and the next girl you pick up is even better.

Terrys chocolate orange · « **Reply #17 on:** November 4, 2011, 03:55:40 pm »

Quote from: Al 555 on November 4, 2011, 03:52:05 pm

In a similar vein to Torres his legacy will always be tainted by his decision to leave. Whether that is fair is another point but in the vast majority of cases that is what happens unless you are Xabi Alonso.

He did give us near enough a full season's notice if I remember correctly, to be fair.
He kept his options open right up until the last minute to who he was going to sign for and I was most surprised when he chose Hamburg.

Keith Lard · « **Reply #18 on:** November 4, 2011, 03:59:31 pm »

Quote from: LincsRedbob on November 4, 2011, 03:55:14 pm

The only reason he does not recieve the recognition is because of Kenny. Just like when a girlfriend you really loved leaves you and the next girl you pick up is even better.

I know, happens to me all the time.

Eeyore · « **Reply #19 on:** November 4, 2011, 03:59:34 pm »

Quote from: Terry De Niro on November 4, 2011, 03:55:40 pm

He did give us near enough a full season's notice if I remember correctly, to be fair.
He kept his options open right up until the last minute to who he was going to sign for and I was most surprised when he chose Hamburg.

I was even more surprised when he showed up at Southampton. A brilliant player but like Torres if you choose to go play somewhere else then you can't really complain if the fans transfer their affection to someone else.

Let's hop little Luis sticks around as long as Keegan's replacement did.

Strummer77 · « **Reply #20 on:** November 4, 2011, 04:00:31 pm »

I'm only a young'un, he'd been gone 13 years by the time I was born. However, from what my Dad tells me and from the old videos I've seen he clearly gets nowhere near enough credit. Probably a combination of Dalglish following him, his leaving (although not as bad as Torres) and his Newcastle links.

horne · « **Reply #21 on:** November 4, 2011, 04:02:46 pm »

my favourite player as a kid.....i personally cant find a bad word to say about keegan.
i know he left us ,but so did others so im not holding that against him.
like him as a person,always positive and full of spark.
i would have loved to have seen him manage liverpool but people lost faith in him after chucking in the towel on a few occasions.
his teams have been great going forward but lacked defensively.he was ridiculed for this but i believe he was a fraction away from success....
A great personality in my book who gets my respect, well actually a bit more than that .....still love the fella....you just know that if kenny topples fergie.....'he would just love that !'

Manila Vanilla · « **Reply #22 on:** November 4, 2011, 04:08:49 pm »

He never gets the credit he deserves.
Keegan in his first season was unplayable.
He came into a promising but inexperienced side and was the catalyst that made it great. He got the team to second place in his first year. First championship in seven years the year after that. First European trophy. First European Cup.
His contribution is overlooked because so few games were on TV then. If his goal in a 5-0 win over Newcastle had been televised we'd still be drooling over it on youtube now.
And he did it with every club he ever played for.
Dalglish was technically better but had the advantage of coming into a team that was already European champion.

McMahon · « **Reply #23 on:** November 4, 2011, 04:09:16 pm »

When Keegan arrived he was like a breath of fresh air. Was so disappointed when he departed for Germany. A fantastic player with the heart of a Lion. I will always rate him as one of our top 6 players since the Shanks area evolved. With Kenny being his replacement, the loss of Keegan was lightened somewhat.

Kopite1971 · « **Reply #24 on:** November 4, 2011, 04:09:59 pm »

Kevin Keegan Walks On Water was the chant of the Kop and as a young teenager who started going to the games in Keegan's first season I believed what I sung....

A truely brilliant player who has always been totally respectful of Shankly and to a lesser extent to Liverpool. I have fond memories of watching him play for us but as with many people tend to associate him more with Newcastle rather than Liverpool nowadays

plasterered · « **Reply #25 on:** November 4, 2011, 04:12:22 pm »

Quote from: vishy01234 on November 4, 2011, 03:23:03 pm

When people talk about the very best Liverpool players of all time, Keegan rarely seems to be mentioned. Does he get the recognition he deserves? If not, why?

You will have had to have been around watching us in his day to really say but looking back at our footage for me he stands out he is right up their, my dad recons in his prime there was no one better than keegan.

Recently on a trip to france i was talking to an arle busker maybe 60 yrs old who stopped me on the street in cannes because I had a Tshirt with an LFC liverbird on the breast he talked briefly of the Liverpool he admired and of "KEEGAN, KEVIN KEEGAN" as he blurted it, as if he was the only player. obviously his favourite player of that era

plasterered · « **Reply #26 on:** November 4, 2011, 04:14:14 pm »

Quote from: Kopite1971 on November 4, 2011, 04:09:59 pm

Kevin Keegan Walks On Water was the chant of the Kop and as a young teenager who started going to the games in Keegan's first season I believed what I sung....

A truely brilliant player who has always been totally respectful of Shankly and to a lesser extent to Liverpool. I have fond memories of watching him play for us but as with many people tend to associate him more with Newcastle rather than Liverpool nowadays

Corkboy · « **Reply #27 on:** November 4, 2011, 04:15:41 pm »

He was awesome in Superstars.

Fat Scouser · « **Reply #28 on:** November 4, 2011, 04:19:50 pm »

For the youngsters, the closest thing I can compare it to... Torres leaving and Suarez arriving. But Keegan can't really be bracketed with Torres. He'd made it plain that he wanted to leave and play abroad. He was a very ambitious player. If he hadn't have had that sort of character, the lad would never have made it as a pro, nevermind became European Player of the year. He fought tooth and claw to achieve what he did. But while he was making himself the best player in Europe, he done his upmost for the club. So, I sometimes get pissed off when I see people belittling his time with us. He was a great player for us. The fact, that he left us and then went to Southampton and Newcastle when he returned stopped him from getting the sort of legend status we give to far lesser players. But the lad was a class act. And if Shankly was around he'd soon put his status right. Bill loved the lad. That should say all anyone needs to know about Keegan, but...

Quote from: Garstonette on November 4, 2011, 03:23:58 pm

In short, no.

...that puts it in a nutshell.
Great player. Great servant to the club. Honest as the day is long, put in graft that would make Dirk look lazy. Made sure he brought us The European Cup before he left, he was absolutely immense in that final. And the lad deserves all the recognition we could ever give him.

ALANM · « **Reply #29 on:** November 4, 2011, 04:22:33 pm »

Keegan was playing for Southampton when I started going to games. I obviously saw plenty of him playing for us on TV though, and he was a terrific player. I tend to agree with those who say his eplacement was an even better player.

rhylred · « **Reply #30 on:** November 4, 2011, 04:24:17 pm »

He does from all of us who were lucky enough to see him play,absolutely fantastic player
Liverpools got Keegan in the middle,Keegan in the middle
Thats why we are supreme!!!!!!

Fat Scouser · « **Reply #31 on:** November 4, 2011, 04:28:01 pm »

Quote from: rhylred on November 4, 2011, 04:24:17 pm

He does from all of us who were lucky enough to see him play,absolutely fantastic player
Liverpools got Keegan in the middle,Keegan in the middle
Thats why we are supreme!!!!!!

Everton have got Whittle in the middle, Whittle in the middle, that's why they're such shite!
Couldn't resist that, but just popped back in to say... there's an interview on tv with Keegan this weekend. I won't be missing it.

its cold in the stands · « **Reply #32 on:** November 4, 2011, 04:28:48 pm »

this club wouldnt be the club it is today without kevin keegan, when we had success under shankly in the 60`s we were just one of a number of clubs from that era who had won titles / f.a cups etc (everton, man city, leeds and man united even won a european cup)
we were just one of a pack of clubs but because we`d not long come out of the second division where we`d been for a good few years our fans really appreciated the success.
in the late 60`s we began to tail off and we were struggling to find another good side.
then keegan arrived, from the moment he started his first game against forest at anfield we suddenly looked a great side again, he was everywhere, he was a mixture of suarez, a quick dirk kuyt (in terms of his graft and energy levels) and tim cahill in the air.
on top of all that he was brave as f##k, diving headers where the boots were flying, clashing heads in aerial battles with big hard case center halves, coming to blows with the likes of john giles and billy bremner when they tried to intimidate him.
keegan was like owen in the sense that he scored in big games, he scored against the likes of leeds and united, he scored in f.a cup semi finals (which were huge games back then), f.a cup finals, he scored the winning goals in uefa cup finals and what about his goal away at wolves with minutes left on the clock and the title on the line, imagine some player did that these days, scoring in the last few minutes of the last game of the season when it looked like the league title had been blown.
it would be one of sky`s top 3 moments and all that malarky, every time you`d have one of those `20 years of sky` adverts they`d show that goal.
when kevin keegan signed for us we were just another club who had had a bit of success, when he left we were the best side in england, the best side in europe and a jammy goal away from doing the treble back in the days when doubles happened twice a century, the season before that we won the league and uefa cup.
when kenny dalglish signed for us that red number 7 shirt was already the most iconic football shirt in english football, he also signed for the english champions and the european champions.
when keegan left the fans werent just upset they were devastated, for a side who`s resurgence had been built on shankly`s brand of loyalty for the king of the kop to want to leave at the height of his powers was an act of betrayal that to this day still rankles with some fans.
imo some of the hero worship of kenny was from a fanbase on the rebound from kevin keegan.
at the end of the day kevin keegan imo is the most influential player this club has ever had, he belongs right up at the top table of legends that have played for us like liddell, dalglish, souness, gerrard etc and bill shankly himself said keegan was the best player he ever signed, i think that says it all

Jólaköttur · « **Reply #33 on:** November 4, 2011, 04:29:33 pm »

Quote from: corkboy on November 4, 2011, 04:15:41 pm

He was awesome in Superstars.

Not as good as Brian Jacks

Cpt_Reina · « **Reply #34 on:** November 4, 2011, 04:31:38 pm »

Quote from: Fat Scouser on November 4, 2011, 04:28:01 pm

Everton have got Whittle in the middle, Whittle in the middle, that's why they're such shite!
Couldn't resist that, but just popped back in to say... there's an interview on tv with Keegan this weekend. I won't be missing it.

Its a great watch. Well worth setting aside an hour or so for.

Watched it today on lfc.tv.

sattapaartridge · « **Reply #35 on:** November 4, 2011, 04:34:00 pm »

Great post, Its Cold In The Stands, Thanks.

stevied · « **Reply #36 on:** November 4, 2011, 04:34:30 pm »

i just couldnt work out why Hamburg i was devestated , puberty, spots and KK left us to go to poxy Germany, then the rosey cheeked scot arrived and then all was good in the world again, looking forward to watching the 60 mins though still a favourite of mine, especially enjoyed it when he collapsed over the advertising board when the 4th went in though

rhylred · « **Reply #37 on:** November 4, 2011, 04:34:33 pm »

Quote from: Fat Scouser on November 4, 2011, 04:28:01 pm

Everton have got Whittle in the middle, Whittle in the middle, that's why they're such shite!
Couldn't resist that, but just popped back in to say... there's an interview on tv with Keegan this weekend. I won't be missing it.

Always remember another one about whittle Leo but thats another story!!!
also had Keegan to thank for getting me 2 tickets for the semi against Leicester in 74,he had a farmhouse in Cilcain in north wales at the time,great lad!!!

wah00ey · « **Reply #38 on:** November 4, 2011, 04:35:51 pm »

Quote from: Al 555 on November 4, 2011, 03:52:05 pm

In a similar vein to Torres his legacy will always be tainted by his decision to leave. Whether that is fair is another point but in the vast majority of cases that is what happens unless you are Xabi Alonso.

He didn't shaft us remotely in the same way though. He gave plenty of notice for a start...

Eeyore · « **Reply #39 on:** November 4, 2011, 04:45:43 pm »

Quote from: wah00ey on November 4, 2011, 04:35:51 pm

He didn't shaft us remotely in the same way though. He gave plenty of notice for a start...

There are pros and cons Keegan left when we were the best Club side on the planet and took a step down in playing terms. Torres gave us another six months when he could easily of forced a move the summer before he left.

What shouldn't be forgotton is that whilst they were with us they were absolutely fantastic players and absolutely top professionals not to mention being true World Class players. As the saying goes though you cannot have your cake an eat it, it is almost impossible to force a move and retain the affection of the fans.

For me both players kept up their part of the bargain but for whatever reason the Club couldn't. In the case of Keegan we were unable to match the wages that Keegan wanted and for Torres it was a case of not being able to match his ambition.

Me I am just glad that we were able to see such talent in a red shirt and would much rather remember that than the way they left.