ONCE upon a time - well two months ago, actually - there was a manager called Kevin Keegan.

He promised his followers that Manchester City would finish in the top six of the Premiership this season.

His long-suffering supporters believed him, and expected their team to be leading them into Europe this season.

Then City lost 3-0 at home twice in a row, either side of a 2-0 defeat at Southampton when they were lucky to score nil, and Keegan's promises were shown to be complete bunkum.

After ten games, City - the free-scoring cavaliers who were going to rip Premiership defences to shreds, remember - are in 18th place.

The Manchester United fans' song - the one that goes something along the lines of "City's going up, but we know they're going down," to the tune of Yellow Submarine - seems so wonderfully apposite.

The quotes that follow were included in this column by this writer on August 24.

"I hate the word 'consolidate'. It should be banned. It's about people accepting mediocrity.

"I have never used that word and I will not have people around me using it. We're aiming to finish in the top six this season."

It was Keegan at his best: full of bravado, of conviction that they could bridge the ever-growing gap between the Nationwide League and the Premiership.

Fast-forward two months, and the City fans who fell under Keegan's spell would now give their new stadium for the chance to play in the top flight next season.

They have scored just seven goals, including three in one game, against Everton.

More worryingly, they have conceded 17 goals, and would have leaked far more had Peter Schmeichel not performed minor miracles in covering for the mistakes of his dithering defence.

As Keegan's side visit Birmingham City today, the manager is admitting supporters are right to turn on their boys in laser blue.

"All the criticism has been fair," he said. "We have not been as good as we had wanted and I saw us with more points on the table than we have now.

"We were expected to do better than Birmingham and West Brom. I still expect that to happen - but at the moment reality says something different."

Bullish to the last, Keegan is clearly convinced his side will prove their poor form thus far has been a blip rather than an accurate reflection of their ability.

But just as their critics predicted, and the City supporters who refused to be caught up in the tidal wave of Keegan-mania feared, the blue side of Manchester is again staring into the abyss.

Their defence can't defend, and while the philosophy of "You score three and we'll score four" might work against the likes of Grimsby Town, it falls down against the more canny class of opponents one finds in the Premiership.

Keegan has to deliver, and fast. City last week returned a loss of £14m for the last financial year - not including the £20m-plus their manager spent over the summer.

As his team face an uncertain future, Keegan might just be grateful if he can get within arm's reach of that "consolidation" he so despises