KEVIN KEEGAN'S second coming at Newcastle took me by complete surprise, as it did most people. It had been rumoured, but I thought it was no more than the pipe dream of nostalgic fans. Now we know that King Kev is back.

It is a fascinating appointment and we can be sure it will be entertaining one way or another. Football has changed since he's been away and none of us know whether Keegan will catch up. How will he find things have changed since he left the last time? How will the pressures of management compare to his first spell?

During the 11 or so years since Keegan last managed the Magpies their fortunes have not really changed. Six managers have held the post since his surprise departure in 1997. Some illustrious names have failed to make any real impact. Kenny Dalglish, Ruud Gullit, Graeme Souness, Sir Bobby Robson and most recently Sam Allardyce have been the marquee names who have come and gone. The one constant? Unfulfilled expectations. I had spells at Newcastle early in my playing career and then again towards the end: terrific supporters but demanding. Why should Keegan think that he can come back and do better now?

His arrival last time round came at a time when the club was floundering in the second tier of English football. Sir John Hall pulled a master stroke by appointing Keegan in 1992 and instantly won over a support who were in danger of turning their backs on their beloved "Toon".

Keegan's mere presence galvanised them and inspired a team whose attacking philosophy mesmerised the country. He filled his team with exciting attacking players and raced to a 12 point lead in the Premiership in the 1995/96 season. After blowing it, he left the club at the start of 1997.

He seemed unable to handle the devastating events of that championship disappointment.

One of the great strengths that his nemesis Sir Alex Ferguson has demonstrated repeatedly is his determination and ability to bounce back from adversity. He has seen off challenges from Keegan and from Arsene Wenger and he has outlived The Special One, Jose Mourinho, and his massive Chelsea budgets.

For me, that quality is one that Keegan seems to lack. I have seen his Manchester City and Newcastle teams play some of the sweetest football ever but when the going gets tough Keegan seems to buckle.

The pressures on managers are even greater now than they were in his first time round, and expectations are as high as ever. The scrutiny that Premier League managers come under is far more thorough and scientific now than it was when he was at Newcastle before. His decisions will be analysed and his team's performance will be dissected after every match. There is no hiding place. The modern media has its expectations for managers and they are required to have answers in the face of both success and failure.

Keegan rode the crest of a wave of tsunami proportions first time round. This time it's a lesser swell and he will have to swim for it soon. The opposition has lost its respect for him or Newcastle and he will have to earn his reputation again as a coach and as a tactician.

Different managers handle the pressure better than others. I'm often asked what I do to switch off. My answer is that I don't. Managers do not get to enjoy any good result much beyond the final whistle. Ten minutes after the match we are preparing for the next one.

We have to be careful. It's very tempting to bury your head in a fine bottle of red but that may only exacerbate any stress for the following day. That's a slippery slope, although it's one most of us have tried on occasion.

Golf, reading, television or the horses are all diversions too, but none of them take away the pain of defeat. We have to handle the pressure of every setback, maintaining a positive attitude for everyone else's sake at the club. It's not always an easy thing to do but you have to be aware that people all through the staff are looking to you, watching how you respond.

Keegan is an inherently positive person but there are negative influences out there ready to get him and he must be prepared. From 1992 the players at Newcastle were instinctively behind him. He was a brilliant player that some had played with and many had played against. They were in awe of him.

The new generation are not automatically convinced and they are going to require his guidance as well as his motivation. He is going to have to coach his way to any success this time rather than rely on charisma and force of personality.

He may have been able to walk across the River Tyne on his way back in to St James' Park but now he will have to show he has learned to deal with the pressures of management. That will determine whether he sinks or swims at Newcastle.