Keegan vows to see out contract

Kevin Keegan will not walk away from Manchester City despite his side’s failure to match pre-season expectations.

The international break has denied the former England boss a chance to rally his troops after their dismal display at Southampton last time out, which left Keegan to question their desire.

After publicly stating he expected a top six finish from the Maine Road outfit, Keegan takes his team into Saturday’s home Premiership clash with Chelsea fifth from bottom, just three points in front of basement boys West Ham.

It is not what Keegan had imagined after spending big on the likes of Nicolas Anelka, Marc-Vivien Foe and Sylvain Distin during the summer to bolster his Nationwide League champions.

Performances have slipped after an encouraging start and the 2-0 reverse at St Mary’s was the worst yet, with only goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel emerging with any credit.

But, despite quit talk, Keegan insists he is committed to the City cause and, contrary to some reports, had not spent the last two weeks in Spain.

“I don’t have to convince anybody, certainly not the board of directors, that I care about this club and want to work hard,” he said.

“You can’t stop speculation, it’s something you have to live with but I have three and a half years left on my contract and I will see every day of it out unless the chairman tells me otherwise.

“I was down after the Southampton game but only because I can’t remember being so disappointed with the team in terms of attitude and passion.

“I can take losing but that was something different. Apart from Peter Schmeichel you couldn’t make a case for anyone.

“When it is that bad you tend to think we can’t ever be that bad again and we will have a pretty tough talk with the players at training tomorrow.”

While some City fans are bound to be disgruntled at gaining just two points from the last five games, Keegan’s triumph in taking them back into the top flight last term should ensure dissenting voices are few at tomorrow’s annual general meeting.

By then, former club skipper Jeff Whitley will be with Notts County after signing a one-month loan deal with the Meadow Lane outfit.

French defender Laurent Charvet will also have said his farewells after his contract was terminated by mutual consent only halfway through its four-year term.

The 29-year-old had an impressive first season following his £1million move from Newcastle but despite starting the first three games under Keegan last term, has not appeared since, failing to win back his first team squad place after breaking a hand in a domestic accident earlier this year.

Irish defender Richard Dunne has enjoyed greater fortune after buckling down to a new lifestyle programme arranged in conjunction with City and the PFA following his recent personal troubles.

Dunne returns to the City squad this weekend and while Keegan is not promising a starting berth for the former Everton man, he has been impressed by his new approach.

“Richard has lost 10lbs and looks much more like an athlete than he did a month ago,” said the City boss.

“If he had not focussed properly, he would never have got back in the squad. He has really got his lifestyle sorted out and it is up to him to maintain that now.

“He is going in the right direction again and when the fans see him, I’m sure they will be quite surprised.”