Manager's position is made clear

Last updated : 07 March 2005 By Ben Collins

Fed-up with speculation surrounding his future and with many in the game and the media offering their opinion on last year's announcement that he would leave City when his contract expires, he has moved to defend his position.

The City boss feels he has acted in the best interests in the club by making a clear decision early and giving them plenty of notice to find a suitable successor, and he is sure he will not go back on his word - as Alex Ferguson did at United.

"At the moment, I am being criticised for being too honest," he told the Manchester Evening News.

"If I had not said I was going at the end of last season, people would be coming up to me know and saying 'you only have just over a year on your contract, what are you going to do?'

"Had it been now when I said I didn't want a new contract, that would have been far worse for Manchester City. The club have already had one year, and have another one if they need it, to plan for the future. I think that is the right way to do it.

"I would like to see through the full 5 years but if my chairman comes to me tomorrow, next week or next month and says we don't want you to see the last year out, there will be no problem with me. I will shake his hand, wish him all the luck in the world and be gone."

However, it seems Keegan needn't worry in that regard as neither John Wardle nor chief executive Alistair Mackintosh have given any sign they want Keegan to leave before he sees out his contract.

Bolton boss Sam Allardyce, perhaps stirring things up before tonight's game, suggested Keegan would find it hard to say no to another contract should he finish with a good season. But KK feels it's not his place to comment on what path the City boss may choose.

"Sam has said some nice things but he doesn't know me," added Keegan. "If you asked Terry McDermott (his assistant at Newcastle) and asked him whether I will change my mind, you would get a totally different answer.

"We are all different, we all have our reasons. I have mine and I laid them down nearly a year ago now. I am clear in my mind about what is right for me and I think it is right for Manchester City as well. I will definitely go at the end of next season, if not before."

In The Times, he added: "I’ve never had a drink with him and I’ve never spent 10 minutes of time with him. I wouldn’t try and predict what Sam’s going to do because I don’t know him well enough, and I don’t think Sam
should try and predict what I’m going to do.

"I can assure people I won’t be staying on beyond next season and people who really know me will know that. That’s no disrespect to Sam. I’ll have a drink with him after the game and maybe he’ll get to know me a little bit better then, but in my mind, the decision has been right for a long time."

Keegan also told the official City website: "People have said about what Alex Ferguson did but I am not like him either. He' s not like me."

Blues keeper David James said in the Manchester Evening News last Friday: "What is going to happen next year or the year after, we don't know. Is there going to be someone else in, when are they going to be in and are they going to be as good as the gaffer is now?

"Those are the sort of questions that arise, but you don't want to be asking those sort of questions. You would prefer some sort of clarity. Then you know where you are going and you have your goals set. You know if it is going to be a year or 18 months, then you plan for that."

Well, Keegan's made it perfectly clear for Jamo now.