KEVIN Keegan last night set out his bold vision for Newcastle United’s future and promised to deliver top players, top prizes and a long-awaited return to the Premier League’s top four.  OBJECT ID=20375673, method=default
The 56-year-old will return to the St James’s Park dug-out for the first time in 11 years when the Magpies take on Bolton this evening and a sell-out crowd will hope the game proves to be as gripping as their new manager’s pre-match address. Keegan was at his passionate best at yesterday’s official unveiling as he pledged to restore the club’s reputation as English football’s foremost Entertainers, having this week succeeded the hapless Sam Allardyce. And, having set his sights on ending Newcastle’s long wait for significant silverware, the black-and-white favourite is confident he can help realise the dreams of the club’s long-suffering supporters. “I don’t think the top four are quaking, I don’t think they’ll be fearing us at this point, but we’re one of the few clubs that can break into that group,” said a manager whose exciting team went close to winning the Premiership title in 1996. “We’re a challenge to them if we get it right here and I have the backing and support to do just that. “One or two teams can challenge (the top four) and we’re one of them. We’re one of the biggest clubs outside the top four, if not the biggest. It’s possible to win something here and it’s possible to get back into the top four. I could talk all afternoon about what I could do, but I have the chance to do it now with this club, these players and the backing of the chairman and the board.” Keegan has pledged to reintroduce the free-flowing football that captivated Tyneside during his previous tenure and is adamant that, despite his three-year break from the game, he is the manager most qualified to succeed in a demanding job. Giving a fascinating insight into his plans for Newcastle, the former England boss last night insisted: NEWCASTLE was the only club that could have persuaded him to return to frontline football; HE is planning to hold talks with Alan Shearer to discuss a position in his coaching team. HE has the financial resources required to compete for football’s biggest names in the transfer market. IT was club owner Mike Ashley’s ambition that convinced him that the time was right to return to St James’s Park. HE does not fear the pressure or the expectation that he is certain to encounter. HIS relationship with Michael Owen remains intact despite the striker’s criticisms in his autobiography. HE has pledged his full support to Joey Barton during a conversation with the troubled midfielder in recent days. | 
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