Why did Kevin Keegan say what he said after Newcastle's 2-0 defeat at home to Chelsea on Sunday? My reaction, as I wrote on this site, was that he was simply telling things how they actually are. Others disagree and feel that it was an attempt to get Mike Ashley to dig deeper into his pockets in the summer.

Whatever the reason behind Keegan saying it was, it is no surprise that Mike Ashley has summoned Keegan to London today to discuss the issues. It is widely reported that the relationship between the two men has broken down and Keegan himself said that their relationship was fine because they 'never speak'.

Whilst Keegan's comments were probably accurate in relation to his sides chances of breaking in to the top four, they cannot have failed to have angered Ashley. Can you imagine David Moyes, Martin O'Neill, Juande Ramos or Mark Hughes saying what King Kev said? No you can't. They would all talk about how hard it would be to do, but they would never say it couldn't be done.

There is an old adage that there is no point in taking part if you don't think you've got a chance of winning. Maybe Keegan should have thought about that before he spoke.

You have to take Kevin Keegan for what he is. He has a long history of saying what he thinks, even when with hindsight it may have been better to keep his thoughts to himself. If Mike Ashley didn't want a man who would be honest and who always wears his heart on his sleeve, then he should never have appointed Keegan.

I hope the talk of a breakdown in the relationship is only media talk. I truly hope that they can sort out their differences because I think their ongoing partnership has the potential to become one of the most entertaining sideshows in the Premier League.

I had decided not to write about the ridiculous sacking of Sven Goran Eriksson any more. I have ranted about it enough already.

I wasn't going to until the story took yet another twist today when it was revealed that Thaksin Shinawatra, or his people, have allegedly already offered the job to Portugal manager Luis Felipe Scolari. This just adds insult to the already substantial injury that Mr Shinawatra has already inflicted on Sven.

I very much admire Scolari as a manager and I have no doubt that he would be able to continue the fine work already undertaken by Sven at Eastlands. Equally of course, I have no doubt that Sven would be able to as well. This matter is not about Scolari, although the alleged offer of £3.2 million per year is another discussion in it's own right, it is about common human decency.

Sven Goran Eriksson has not breached his contract. He has achieved everything he has promised and delivered everything that was asked of him. I know he gets paid handsomely for what he does and he will no doubt receive a fortune as a pay-off. But surely employment law is such that it removes the ability of a boss to sack a trusted, hard-working and effective employee merely on a whim.

It is very dangerous for rich investors with no knowledge or understanding of English football at all to get involved in our game. Mr Shinawatra should listen carefully to what Kevin Keegan had to say the other day about the difficulty, or indeed impossibility, of breaking into the top four. Expectations must be realistic. Ambition is good, but ridiculous ambition is destructive and dangerous.

Sven Goran Eriksson is probably a victim of his own success by achieving so much so early in the season, but anyone with an ounce of knowledge about the English game will know that a ninth placed finish for Manchester City is a wonderful achievement.

If I was Mr Scolari, I would think very carefully about this offer before turning it down and citing press intrusion and family matters as the reason. The expectation on him next season would be at least a European qualification place and that is simply not likely.

Nani made some big mistakes on Saturday and he spent all day yesterday apologising for them. In relation to his ridiculous behaviour when deciding to head-butt Lucas Neil he apologised profusely:

"I recognise that my action was a thoughtless one but I also have to say I was provoked and attacked. I know it serves as no excuse but that's exactly what happened. I regret having done what I did and I have to be thankful for the fact that my team-mates secured a win, which was extremely important to us. I want to publicly ask for forgiveness, firstly of my team-mates, who were forced into a greater effort during more than 60 minutes, then secondly of my manager and coaches and thirdly of the United fans, who have given me so much affection."

In relation to his ridiculous behaviour when deciding to leave the ground after his sending-off rather than to stick around to give his support and make his apologies, he apologised profusely:

"Believe me, it was difficult," he stated. "At that moment I only wanted to disappear. That was what I did. I also ask forgiveness of the fans and the club for that. On Tuesday, I'll be in the changing room to redeem myself for my mistake."

I don't think I have heard a player grovel quite this much before. Of course, he now misses the crucial Premiership decider at Wigan this weekend and although he is not banned from the Champions League final, he may well have seriously damaged his chances of making an appearance in that game.

Sir Alex is not in the habit of forgiving players that he feels have let him down. Make no mistake about it, he feels very let down by Nani at the moment.

The question is whether Nani's apologetic ramblings yesterday have repaired the damage he has done. I suspect they might not have done. The one thing he should most definitely have apologised for was the one thing he failed to mention.

Football fans all over the country deserve an unreserved apology for the pathetic fall to floor he took, clutching his head, when he realised what he had done and what was going to happen to him. Even Didier Drogba would have apologised for that one!

After losing 2-0 at home to Chelsea yesterday, Kevin Keegan gave a very honest assessment of what he can achieve with Newcastle United next season and in the immediate future. "I thought, 'What can I do next year to get near them' and the truth is there's nothing I can do at all," he said.

"Maybe the owner thinks we can bridge that gap - but we can't. This league is in danger of becoming one of the most boring but great leagues in the world. The top four next year will be the same top four as this year. What I can say to the Newcastle fans is that we will be trying to get fifth and we will be trying to win the other league that's going on within the Premier League. I haven't got enough money and I wouldn't be able to get the players anyway so I will soldier on with what I've got and maybe add one or two, maybe three depending what's available. I was looking around thinking, 'who can I bring on' and I'm seeing Shevchenko and Lampard coming on and Joe Cole thinking about coming on."

Whilst this shows great honesty and is only putting in to words what most people in the game really think, deep down, I would guess it wasn't exactly what Mike Ashley or the Toon Army were hoping to hear.

There is a problem with attracting players to the North East club as the fact that Luka Modric has followed Jonathan Woodgate in preferring to go to Tottenham has proved.

Newcastle are a big club and they should be trying to break into that big four, along with the likes of Everton, Villa and Tottenham. It is an almost impossible task because of the money the big four have available and the ability they have to attract the best players in the world to their clubs. However, the fact is that it is 'almost' impossible, not totally impossible. There has to be a dream and if the manager of the club can't see that dream then whilst he might be a realist, he is also admitting defeat.

Although I sympathise with Keegan and fear that he might be right, I do not think that he should have expressed that opinion. Football fans rely on hopes and dreams to keep them coming back for more. If the manager doesn't share those hopes and dreams then what is the point of it all?

Manchester United's impressive victory over a disappointing West Ham side on Saturday has heaped the pressure on Chelsea prior to their must win match at Newcastle this afternoon. Chelsea know that a slip up at the resurgent Newcastle's home ground at St James' Park will hand the title to Sir Alex.

All of the conspiracy talk and mention of managers and teams doing favours for each other is total rubbish. Alan Curbishley wrote last week that he thought United deserved to win the title. Well then, he obviously told his players not to try at Old Trafford. Please!

Maybe Kevin Keegan will let Chelsea win today, after all he'd 'Love it' if Sir Alex didn't lift the trophy. This sort of talk drives me mad!

If you ask managers who they think should win the league they'll give you an answer. Curbishley wasn't the only one as this piece in the Guardian shows.

Let's get real. This is a tough league and everyone is trying their best to win every game. If you think otherwise, not only are you wrong, but you also cast a huge shadow over the whole game. Avram Grant has done wonderful things with Chelsea and I strongly believe he should get more respect and keep his job. However, he shouldn't have insinuated what he did about Curbishley. Maybe his comments were ill-timed, but they were nothing more than an honest opinion.

Can't wait for the Newcastle against Chelsea game later. A win for Chelsea will make the final day very interesting indeed. United have to go to improving Wigan, who won at Aston Villa on Saturday. Chelsea entertain Bolton who are now all but safe.

Still, it shouldn't matter to United because Steve Bruce is a fan so he will probably let them win. Mind you, I think Gary Megson once met a man whose half-brother once went out with a girl whose post was delivered by the cousin of a bloke who once had a trial at Stamford Bridge. In those circumstances how can we expect Bolton to try?

Please stop the ridiculous conspiracy theories and concentrate on the football!

There, I feel better for that!

Following Chelsea's champions league semi-final victory over Liverpool and their crucial Premier League win over Manchester United, John Terry has spoken out in support of his strangely beleaguered manager Avram Grant.

He can't understand why anyone is questionning Grant's right to the job. His record is excellent he says. I have to say that I totally agree with the Chelsea skipper, but I would also point out that, to my knowledge, this is one of the first, if not the first, time Terry has publicly backed his boss.

Over the past two seasons it was hard to find a newspaper or football programme on the television that didn't have John Terry proclaiming to the world what a genius his then manager, Jose Mourinho, was. The relationship may have gone a little sour at the end, but Terry was always full of public support for the Portuguese manager.

Earlier this season the Chelsea midfield player John Obi Mikel spoke out about Grant saying that he had the backing of all the players. I remarked at the time that this backing didn't seem as convincing coming from Mikel, an irregular spokesman for the Chelsea players, as it would have done from John Terry.

Even in this piece for the BBC Terry talks about 'the character' of the players. The fact that they never let anything 'get them down'. Apart from one or two injuries, the same as any team, it is difficult to work out to what Terry is actually referring.

I'm sure Avram Grant will be pleased to receive this public backing from his skipper but he might just be concerned by how long it has taken. With the side close to an historic double, the best achievement ever attained by the London Club, it would be strange indeed if the captain of the club did not speak highly of the manager.

I just think it is a shame that Terry has waited until he had no viable alternative before he chose to say what he did.