Keegan hopes for City success

Published Mar. 8, 2011 5:45 p.m. ET

foxsports

Kevin Keegan is convinced Manchester City will win silverware this season - and says he would be "delighted" if they did.

City face a crucial week in their quest to end a 35-year trophy drought.

They travel to Ukraine on Wednesday ahead of the Europa League last 16 first leg meeting with Dynamo Kiev on Thursday.

Then on Sunday Roberto Mancini's side have a home FA Cup quarter-final tie against Reading.

Former City boss Keegan said: "I think they will win something this year, it might be the FA Cup, it might be the Europa League.

"The sooner you get a trophy, the quicker the pressure comes off. A lot of money is being spent, so you must win things.

"It doesn't make your job any easier just because someone gives you a lorry load of money. It just means you have a chance of winning something. The pressure is greater because of that.

"Once you win one thing, others come along. The first cup is like a magnet, it seems to attract all the other trophies.

"I am delighted for them. Of course you are going to get people who are envious and don't like the fact that a lot of money is being paid out. But that is the way Chelsea did it.

"While it would take others three or four years to do, City can manage it in two or three because of their finances."

Keegan is not surprised Roberto Mancini's side have had some indifferent results.

He said: "Even this year there has still been a bit of typical City. Just when you think they will win the next game and go top for a while, they lose it.

"But they have come a long way in a short time. It is not long since they were at Maine Road and fell into League One.

"Self-belief takes time. You can't just throw 20 players together, which, apart from three or four, is what they have done. You have to give them a little bit of time to gel.

"That is why they have lost and drawn games they should have won. They have slipped up because of that."

As one of npower's football experts in the company's "What's Your Goal?" initiative, Keegan is challenging youngsters to seek out openings in the huge industry that has been built around the game.

He added: "You want to make kids aware that even if you aren't David Beckham there are so many opportunities.

"Too many kids don't think about what they are going to do. We are asking them to think about football. Wake up and have a look.

"At Newcastle I had a squad of 20 to pick from and 22 staff to help me. There is a team behind the team.

"Before the match starts the stadium sometimes has well over a thousand people in there, all working."