Soccer: Richards puts Keegan in frame
Dean Richards today touted Kevin Keegan as the next Southampton boss after becoming the latest to personally criticise Glenn Hoddle following his controversial departure to Spurs.
Hoddle has come under attack from all quarters after deciding to activate a release clause in his Southampton contract the minute Spurs came calling for his services.
A protracted, messy and drawn-out saga ensued before Hoddle finally returned to his spiritual home of White Hart Lane where he was a hero as a player, with the supporters hoping he will be a saviour as a manager.
Not that Hoddle will care, but he has seemingly left behind him a Southampton side in total disarray and rudderless as they are clearly lacking in direction without his guidance.
The facts speak for themselves because before Hoddle’s walkout Southampton had an enviable record of five successive Premiership victories, with a run of clean sheets stretching back seven matches to January 1.
But since Hoddle quit and under caretaker Stuart Gray the Saints have lost both games, conceding five goals and without finding the net themselves to leave hopes of a place in next season’s UEFA Cup sinking without trace.
Harry Kewell’s first goal for almost a year and Robbie Keane’s first for two months were enough to defeat Southampton, coming six days after they suffered their worst home loss of the season when they were beaten 3-0 by Ipswich.
‘‘Glenn’s departure has had a bigger effect on the team than people would like to admit,’’ revealed centre-back Richards.
‘‘Him leaving was a massive blow.
‘‘A lot of the lads were disappointed when he left and they felt let down by him because we’ve put so much work into this season and we had managed to get ourselves into a great position.
‘‘If he had stayed, and maybe with a bit of continuity we could have pushed on and claimed a European spot. We were certainly on a roll when Glenn left, but now we just need to put everything that has happened in the last couple of weeks behind us.
‘‘We need a win as soon as possible otherwise every time we lose people are going to point to the fact Glenn’s left. It’s going to be a stigma hanging over us so we’ve got to get out of the rut.
‘‘But if you look at the games we’ve lost since Glenn’s departure Ipswich at home and Leeds away two very hard games, who is to say we would have won them if Glenn had been here anyway?’’
Although admitting to the fact the team are behind Gray, who had previously been a member of the backroom staff at The Dell for nine years prior to taking over the reins from Hoddle, it is likely an experienced replacement will be appointed in the summer.
One name mentioned is former Saints star Keegan, who has been out of work since quitting as England coach seven months ago, a name Richards feels would be a popular choice.
‘‘Everyone is backing Stuart,’’ added Richards.
‘‘He has been coach at the club since I’ve been here and I’ve always had a good relationship with him personally, as have many of the lads.
‘‘I think he will be in charge until the end of the season, but nobody really knows what’s happening. It’s all down to the chairman.
‘‘There are a lot of names floating about, including Keegan. I’m a big fan of his. I’ve a lot of respect for him and I admire the way he likes to play football.
‘‘I was also a big fan of Newcastle when he was manager there I used to love watching them but whether he will take the job or not is down to him.’’
While Richards concedes Europe is still a possibility, he feels a more realistic aim is to finish in the top 10, particularly as the club still have to face the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Sunderland.
For Leeds, despite a run of 10 league matches without defeat in which they have won 24 points, the hard work lies ahead if they are to secure third in the Premiership and with it a return to the Champions League as Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal all have to be played.
‘‘We’ve still a long way to go to claim a top three spot after the poor start we made to the season, so all the remaining games are important,’’ said manager David O’Leary.
‘‘We’d love the season to go on longer but we are running out of games and each one is a massive challenge for us. We’ve left ourselves so much to do, we cannot afford any slip ups.
‘‘But it’s amazing, that with the amount of points we have dropped, we are in third place.’’
