10 Reasons Why Newcastle Fans Wish It Was The 1990s Again
4. Fans Were Nourished On A Diet Of Attacking Football
Attack was the best form of defence for Newcastle in the 1990's. Labelled by Sky Sports as "the Entertainers" the Magpies made their mark during the decade, predominantly under the leadership of Kevin Keegan, by playing a captivating, take-your-breath-away brand of expressive, attacking football that swept fans the length and breadth of the fans off their feet.
The "you score four, we'll score five" philosophy became Newcastle's trademark under Keegan following his instillation as manager in 1992, and it was his forward-thinking change in the playing style that transformed the face club. He took Newcastle from almost plummeting through the relegation trapdoor into Division Three to challenging for the Premier League title in just four years.
Keegan teams were often blessed with players with flair and creativity, epitomised by Peter Beardsley, David Ginola, Keith Gillespie, Rob Lee and Phillipe Albert, whilst he was never short of a lethal striker - Alan Shearer, Andy Cole, Les Ferdinand and David Kelly - to pillage the openings forged by a talented supply line.
Kenny Dalglish was often criticised for disbanding Keegan's 'Entertainers' side and switching to a more defensive style after succeeding him in 1997. To his credit, Ruud Gullit did endeavour to bring "Sexy Football" back to Tyneside but didn't quite pull it off and it wasn't until Sir Bobby Robson returned home that Newcastle rediscovered their groove.
Still, nothing compares to the tedious, conservative and indigestible football served up by Alan Pardew and John Carver over the last four-and-a-half years. Last season it hit a nadir, which no supporter thought was remotely possible. If anything, it was almost like visual anaesthetic. The less said about it, the better.