Neil Bramwell speaks out

NEWCASTLE United chiefs should prepare for yet another abdication.

For, regardless of the fact that Newcastle fans are already calling for his head, King Kenny's crown is starting to slip.

And some may feel he is losing his head.

No-one wears his heart on his sleeve more visibly than Dalglish.

And yesterday's outburst merely confirmed that Dalglish is starting to feel the pressure.

There is one inescapable factor behind Newcastle's poor showing in the League - the loss of Alan Shearer.

In the interim, however, Dalglish has shown that he is not comfortable with the wheeling and dealing that most managers have to endure as a constant occupational hazard.

And this adds weight to the theories of those who feel that Dalglish was born with a managerial silver spoon in his mouth.

He inherited wealth and a vibrant youth policy at Anfield and only came to Ewood because of the vast resources waiting to be tapped.

Dalglish's own preference for heavily veiled innuendo and mystery only deepens the intrigue surrounding those respective departures.

He cannot complain, then, when people assume the worst. There is, though, a widely held belief that when the going gets tough, Dalglish goes golfing.

Prepare then, for some concentrated spadework from Dalglish, preparing the way until his almost inevitable exit from St James's Park.

But, at the same time, the facts must be kept in perspective.

The lack of depth in striking resources at the club is partly of his making.

The sale of Les Ferdinand left just two established forwards, a situation no manager encourages.

And the arrival of Ian Rush and John Barnes was a fairly short-sighted remedy.

To sell Tino Asprilla at this stage, as has been suggested, could be the final straw for the Geordie faithful.

Shearer's fitness is far from proven and, without guaranteed and recognised replacements, this would be a gamble totally alien to Dalglish's typically conservative game plan.

But, while the toys were flung from the pram in all directions at a press conference to talk about his first year in charge, it is clear that management is more than a game to Dalglish.

It is a question of ego and reputation.

And Dalglish's reputation, for the first time, is truly on the line.

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