Keegan 'looking forward' to Ashley crunch talks

The 57-year-old arrived at the club's Darsley Park training headquarters following reports that he had been summoned to London in the wake of his comments on the club's prospects of breaking into the Premier League's top four.

Anticipating a grilling on the subject, the former England boss made a brief statement.

Keegan said: "The reason we have fetched the press conference a day early is that I am going to London tomorrow to talk with Mike Ashley. That's a good thing and I will look forward to that.

"That's the only comment that I am going to make on anything to do with that today, because this is a pre-match conference for the game against Everton (on Sunday) and that's all I am going to talk about from now on.

"Any other questions, they will save for another day, I am sure, and I will try on that day, whenever it is, to answer them as honestly as I can."

Some commentators believe that Keegan's relationship with Ashley has deteriorated badly after Monday's comments, which followed Newcastle's 2-0 home defeat to title contenders Chelsea. Keegan claimed that the gulf between the two clubs is enormous.

However, Keegan's assertion that the Magpies are currently "a million miles" away from the Blues and have little chance of breaking into the top four during the remaining three years of his contract no matter how much money Ashley gives him, has been interpreted in different ways.

However, the enthusiastic northerner was sticking to his guns on Thursday.

He said: "I know some people are disappointed that I am saying we are not going to win the league this time, but I would be in danger of being whipped off to the old nuthouse if I started saying that, because there is a big gulf.

"It is well-documented and has been well-documented, not just by myself but by many, many other people in the game whose opinions are respected.

"The challenge is there, but I don't think it can be done in a year or two."