They say that Kevin Keegan set an impossible standard for his successors, that he spoilt the Geordies with cavalier football. Well, today he inherits his own poisoned chalice. He has raised the bar highest for himself.

Sir Alex Ferguson recently described Newcastle’s 5-0 victory over Manchester United in 1996 as the worst thing that had happened to Newcastle because it made the fans believe that it should happen every week. His point is about to be reinforced. Given that Newcastle fans are the most hopeless romantics in football, some of them will be expecting 5-0 wins now Keegan is back.

Factually speaking, he needs only to win the Carling Cup to improve on his previous spell at St James’ Park, but Newcastle supporters do not go by anything as conventional as trophies. “The Geordies like to see a good game,” Keegan wrote in his autobiography. “They don’t want to see their team winning by playing boring football. My job was to put on the pitch what they wanted to watch. In the end this quest for attacking perfection tied a noose round my neck because I stuck to it throughout, even when the championship was at stake.”

Now the club crave more of the same, but you have to wonder how easily it will be recaptured. Presumably only by throwing money at the problem. As the world knows, Keegan was no great tactician and often overlooked from his first spell on Tyneside is that he scrapped the reserve team, which was to prove hugely shortsighted. He will not be able to break transfer records, as he did in his first spell.

He also has to pull it off in a different era from the 1990s. When he previously competed for the title with Newcastle, he gave Manchester United a run for their money, but the condition of the other leading clubs at the time is worth remembering.

The great Liverpool empire was crumbling under Graeme Souness, Arsenal were pre-Arsène Wenger and in George Graham had a manager whose focus appeared to have turned from winning trophies to lining his pockets. Chelsea were led by Dave Webb before starting their modernisation under Glenn Hoddle, while Joe Royle was a far from spectacular appointment at Everton.

This is not to downplay Keegan’s achievements during his first period in charge; they were impressive in their substance and their style. We may regard Newcastle as a laughing stock now, but the team are halfway up the Barclays Premier League table and boast England’s leading active scorer in Michael Owen, who is also one of the country’s highest paid players.

In 1992, when Keegan took the reins, they were at the wrong end of the old second division and almost bankrupt. He made them every non-Newcastle fan’s second favourite team, but he returns at a time when, even with no one sure who is picking the team at Liverpool and Chelsea, the top four have never been more powerful. He comes back to the game out of touch with the day-to-day workings, unless he has been glued to Sky Sports. “I have not watched a game of football live since my last game at Manchester City [in 2005],” he said at the end of last year, “and I can’t even remember what that was now.”

We know that he is the great galvaniser with the habit of lifting a place in the doldrums. He had that instant effect everywhere he has been; Newcastle, Fulham, England and Manchester City. But the effect was growing shorter with each job, the bounce diminishing. He had reached the point where most people at City, including the players, were glad to see the back of him. He was never the engaging, outgoing figure of popular perception and, post-England, he could be reclusive even with players and staff.

Perhaps the zest is back, perhaps the thought of that marvellous stadium looking over the city has got his juices flowing. “I have always felt that motivation was the core, the very essence of being a manager,” he once said. Perhaps the motivation has returned and there will be a wave of euphoria on Tyneside that will sweep away all reservations, at least in the short term.

The fans said that they wanted excitement, even at the expense of results, and while plenty of outsiders will tell them to be careful what they wish for, it is a bit soon to be crushing the Newcastle dream. The supporters know that Keegan shares their vision and, while he may prove incapable of delivering it, that is enough for now.

The story so far

1951 Born February 14, Armthorpe, Yorkshire.
1968 Joins Scunthorpe as apprentice.
1971 Transferred to Liverpool for £35,000.
1972 England debut against Wales in Cardiff. Helps Liverpool to win first of three league titles.
1973 Wins Uefa Cup winner’s medal as Liverpool defeat Borussia Mönchengladbach.
1976 Named Footballer of the Year and helps Liverpool to beat FC Bruges to win Uefa Cup again.
1977 Helps Liverpool to win European Cup for first time by beating Mönchengladbach. Transferred to SV Hamburg for £500,000.
1978 Wins Bundesliga championship medal and is voted European Player of the Year.
1979 Voted European Player of the Year for second year in succession.
1980 Transferred to Southampton for £420,000.
1982 Last England match, as substitute against Spain in Madrid at 1982 World Cup finals. Won 63 caps, scored 21 goals.
1982 Voted PFA Player of the Year. Transferred to Newcastle United for £100,000.
1984 Retired from playing.
1992 Returns to football in February as manager of Newcastle and three months later signs three-year contract.
1993 Newcastle promoted to Premiership as first division champions. Keegan named first division manager of the season.
1994 Keegan appointed director of football and agrees new deal that ties him to club for ten years.
1996 Sees his Newcastle team lose 12-point lead of the Premiership and finish second to Manchester United. Blows his top talking about Alex Ferguson in a live television interview.
1997 Resigns as Newcastle manager in January. Returns to football on September 25 when appointed chief operating officer at Fulham.
1998 Sacks his friend Ray Wilkins, the manager, after only seven months and takes control of all playing matters.
1999 Appointed full-time England manager. Starts reign with 3-1 win over Poland in Euro 2000 qualifying match. England qualify via play-off win over Scotland.
2000, June England open their Euro 2000 campaign with a 3-2 defeat by Portugal. Alan Shearer’s header earns a 1-0 win over Germany but a 3-2 defeat by Romania condemns Keegan’s men to an early exit.
Oct England lose 1-0 to Germany in first match of World Cup qualifying campaign and the last competitive match at the old Wembley Stadium. Keegan resigns as manager after the match.
2001 Appointed as new manager of Manchester City.
2002 Wins the old first division in his first season at club.
2004 Keegan is downbeat after finishing sixteenth.
2005, March Leaves club by mutual agreement and decides to retire from football management.
2008, Jan 16 Keegan confirmed as Newcastle manager to succeed Sam Allardyce.

‘I would just love it’

Newcastle United 5 Manchester United 0 – it was the high point of Kevin Keegan’s first spell on Tyneside, but what happened to the 11 players who sent St James’ Park Park wild on Sunday, October 20, 1996?

Pavel Srnicek The former Czech Republic goalkeeper returned to the club last season, but was shown the door by Sam Allardyce during the summer. Returned to his homeland to set up a goalkeeping school.

Steve Watson Still going strong at 33 and playing for Sheffield Wednesday in the Coca-Cola Championship.

John Beresford Working as a pundit for ITV and ESPN after hanging up his boots in 2000.

Philippe Albert Achieved cult hero status by beating Peter Schmecichel with a stunning chip. Now the former Belgium centre back works in his homeland as a television pundit.

Darren Peacock The nononsense former central defender lives in Portugal. His ponytail is not believed to have survived the move abroad.

David Batty The monosyllabic former midfield player was involved in a campaign to raise awareness of prostate cancer with Alan Hansen, John Hartson and Les Ferdinand.

Rob Lee Retired as a player in June 2006. Last seen on holiday in the Caribbean with Alan Shearer.

Peter Beardsley Hung up his boots eight years ago after a short spell in Australia with Melbourne Knights. On the coaching staff at the Newcastle United academy. Also works as a television pundit.

David Ginola Following in Eric Cantona’s footsteps in France and trying to become an actor because he is worth it. Took acting lessons at RADA after retiring as a player six years ago. “When I was playing football I received scripts but didn’t have time to look at them,” he said. “So when I retired and decided to try something else, I thought, ‘Why not acting?’ ”

Alan Shearer Ended up next to Alan Hansen and Mark Lawrenson at Match of the Day after retiring in 2006. Tipped as a Newcastle manager in waiting, he is studying for his Uefa Pro Licence.

Les Ferdinand Works as a pundit for Setanta and the BBC and unwinds by scooting around Berkshire in his helicopter. His reputation is still tainted by rumours that he vandalised the Blue Peter garden in 1984.

— Words by Kaveh Solhekol