Keegan inspires high hopes at Man City

LONDON (Reuters) -- When it comes to raising expectations, there is nobody quite like Manchester City manager Kevin Keegan.

While most other promoted sides arrive in the Premier League dreaming merely of survival, the endlessly optimistic City fans are talking about qualifying for Europe -- despite Saturday's season-opening 3-0 loss at Leeds.

The positive outlook is all the more surprising since only 15 months ago City slid out of the top flight after just one season, prompting the sacking of Joe Royle and the appointment of Keegan.

Just as he had as a player with Liverpool and as manager at Newcastle United and England, Keegan arrived with an infectious enthusiasm that had great appeal to the long-suffering but loyal City fans.

He backed up his talk with a fantastic season in division one as City swept to the championship in style.

Playing with typical Keegan-esque panache, City scored 108 goals and chalked up 99 points to take the title by a mile.

They also enjoyed a run to the FA Cup fifth round, thumping Premier League Ipswich Town 4-1 away en route in a performance that gave the whole club the belief they could compete at a higher level.

City were far and away the best team in the division and, unlike many promoted sides in recent years, also had the funds to further improve the squad to Premier League standards.

Keegan broke the club record to bring in 13 million pounds (US$20.06 million) striker Nicolas Anelka and bought another Frenchman, Sylvain Distin, from Paris St Germain for four million.

Other new faces include striker Vicente Vuoso, midfielder Marc Vivien Foe and goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel -- snapped up on a free transfer from Aston Villa.

Entertainers

They join a squad containing some real entertainers, notably Ali Benarbia, local boy Shaun Wright-Phillips and striker Darren Huckerby, who finally appears to have added some tactical nous to his undoubted speed and skill.

Israel midfielder Eyal Berkovic is also a vital cog and his experience in the Premier League will be vital in helping the team settle.

"This season will be a big challenge for us," said Berkovic, whose previous clubs include Blackburn Rovers, Southampton, Celtic and West Ham United.

"Kevin Keegan has bought some excellent players and the ambitions are high -- the top six is our aim. We have the quality, the facilities, the ambition and the character to do it. We have everything we need to be challenging."

Benarbia was superb last season and at 33 the Algerian is looking forward to his first taste of English soccer's top flight after spending most of his career in France.

However, the man who has the tough job of replacing the now-retired Stuart Pearce as captain has a more realistic view of the size of the task. He says a finish "between fifth and 15th" would represent a good season.

Sleeping giant

Anelka, described by Keegan as a "Rolls Royce of a striker," remains the vital ingredient. Despite City's free-scoring exploits last year, they will need plenty of goals from the moody Frenchman if they are to make a real impact.

Keegan's last taste of the top flight came when he was in charge of another so-called sleeping giant, Newcastle United, in the mid-1990s.

His all-out attacking policy there won admirers but not trophies despite the club leading the Premier League by 12 points less than four months from the end of the 1995-96 season.

Keegan's ill-fated spell with England, which ended with him resigning saying he was not up to the job tactically, does not appear to have changed his outlook.

Consequently, the fans will flock to Maine Road in the club's last season at their home of 80 years knowing that flourish or flounder, they are in for a campaign to remember.

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