Alan Shearer And Newcastle United: Marriage Made In Heaven?

Alan Shearer is back with the Toon Army. To many Newcastle United fans, this fact has not yet sunk in, and coming hours before April Fool’s day, there was a sense of surrealism to it. We will know if this is a marriage made in heaven in 8 matches but the romance will be good while it lasted, regardless of whether Newcastle are relegated.

On Saturday, Shearer led his charges into battle against Chelsea as his managerial debut. This was an epic mismatch as Shearer is a greenhorn who has passed most coaching badges but not received a FIFA Pro License. Conversely, Chelsea’s coach, Guus Hiddink, has six Dutch league titles and two fourth-place finishes at the World Cup under his belt.

Based on form, even though Chelsea suffered a 1-0 defeat in their last game away to Tottenham Hotspur, they boast the best away record in the top flight. Chelsea are also motivated to win to maintain a shot at the Premier League title.

Nevertheless, romanticists held out the hope of an upset as Shearer was very much of a bogey-man for Hiddink, having humiliated the Dutchman twice as a player in Euro 96 and the Uefa Cup. Five years ago, Alan Shearer also netted his 173rd goal for Newcastle United as they won against Chelsea 2-1 to edge closer to a fifth-placed finish in the Premier League.

Alas, it was not to be. Chelsea strolled to a comfortable 2-0 victory and closed the gap with Premier League leaders Manchester United to a single point while Newcastle slipped deeper into relegation trouble. That is already a hat-trick of gift-wrapped points to top teams, including Manchester United and Arsenal in recent weeks.

A crowd of 52,112 had turned out to see if the much anticipated Shearer effect can overpower the superior quality and fluency of Guus Hiddink’s men. Perhaps it was fitting that expectations were brought to a realistic level. While the fans were not disappointed by the team’s fighting spirit, the result made it clear that staying afloat will be an immense challenge. Willpower or enthusiasm alone will not cut it, a strong element of luck will also be needed.

Chelsea were not flustered by Newcastle’s physical approach and they applied steady pressure from the start. Newcastle were forced to backpedal, and could only attempt to hit their opponent on the break. It was their best bet considering Chelsea’s upper hand in possession and menace in the final third of the pitch.

Though Newcastle’s defense held up with goal mouth scrambles and goalkeeper Steve Harper made several fine saves, the castle finally fell in the 56th minute. Coloccini’s clearance was blocked and the ball ran to Frank Lampard, who passed to Anelka.

The Frenchman chipped a shot over Harper which hit the woodwork, and Lampard gladly headed the rebound into the empty net. In the 65th minute, Anelka flicked on Cech’s clearance and Lampard slid the ball into the path of Malouda, who despatched a left-foot shot across Harper and into the net.

The Magpies could have forced the game into a frantic finale and hopefully overturned the tables, had Michael Owen’s deflected shot been counted as a goal in the 73rd minute. Ashley Cole hooked over the ball away but relays suggest the ball has crossed the line. Obafemi Martins also wasted a glit edged chance when he stabbed the ball just wide of the post with his knee. Jonas might have done better when he headed substitute Damien Duff’s cross straight at Petr Cech.

Overall, it is a fair result and Alan Shearer is richer for the experience. He has no honeymoon period and there is a lot on his plate – Newcastle were insipid along the flanks and could not create sufficient width, the front line could not capitalize on the handful of chances and the defense was a shambles.

Given that Alan Shearer has refused Newcastle’s overture and an England coaching job previously, critics have questioned his abrupt decision to forsake the comfortable BBC sofa in exchange for a hot seat at Tyneside.

Can the untested Alan Shearer manage this very football club which the original Messiah, Kevin Keegan, ended up wringing his hands in despair on his second coming? If Shearer wanted to get his toes wet, why not start with a clean slate or even with a smaller club?

Kevin Keegan is understood to have told Mike Ashley, Newcastle United’s owner, that he cannot offer him any assurances that the club will avoid relegation from the Premier League during his first season. Since succeeding Sam Allardyce, Keegan presided over seven games but no wins.

When asked for guarantees that relegation will be avoided, Keegan is believed to have told him that none could be offered -and cited three reasons why. The first was Ashley’s failure to strengthen Newcastle’s squad during the January transfer window, the second reflected Keegan’s concern that he inherited a group of players whose collective confidence remains rock bottom and the third is the team’s tricky fixture list.

By then, the writing was on the wall that Mike Ashley has lost faith in Kevin Keegan and it was a matter of time before the Messiah was dismissed. If Mike Ashley expects miracles while neglecting the realities of his club, I must say he is the biggest hazard for Newcastle’s emergence as a football powerhouse.

Ashley is certainly concerned about the decline of the club, but I suspect his anxiety is motivated by the erosion in value of his investment. A trip down to Division One will not only lower Newcastle’s stature in the eyes of investors, the club stands to lose 50 million pounds in TV money.

Despite Ashley’s penchant for wearing an oversized black and white stripped replica kit and claiming to be the No.1 fan at St James Park, he doesn’t understand the nature of football and is a mere businessman, and not too successful at that either.

The “Great Recession” has hit this retail magnate hard and when he realized that football can be a particularly sapping endeavor in terms of cash flow, he wanted to offload Newcastle United at a profit, unfortunately, there were no takers. It is clear where his interests and priorities lie, there is no love lost for the club.

In Kevin Keegan, Ashley already has on his hand, one of the most established and successful managers in Newcastle’s history. Here was a manager with an average of 55% win in 183 games and Newcastle came in third, sixth, second and fourth respectively in his four seasons. I mean, if Mike Ashley intends to hire Carlo Ancelotti, Arsene Wenger or Jose Mourinho, it is a different matter but the subsequent candidates which came in after Kevin Keegan were not inspiring.

Mike Ashley doesn’t trust anybody sufficiently to run a football club successfully. Neither does he possess the patience and foresight. Else he will not have engaged Dennis Wise and Tony Jimenez to undermine Kevin Keegan’s authority. Never mind the salary paid to two figure heads who do not necessarily possess more knowledge of the Premier League or transfer market than Kevin Keegan.

Ashley is also not into spending huge amount of money unless you “guarantee” him return on investments. Why purchase a football club as a sugar daddy if you talk up title ambitions but can only afford half-baked solutions?

Unlike Sir John Hall who bends over backwards to placate Shearer and ensures his untouchable position in team matters, the emotional Mike Ashley is a different proposition which Shearer has to contend with. However, Shearer has strengthened his hand by demanding that Dennis Wise depart. As a manager, he wants to make all the decisions and he will succeed or fail, on his own terms, together with his appointed assistant, Iain Dowie.

No doubt, Shearer runs the risks of tarnishing his reputation as a Newcastle United legend if this experiment with management turn out to be disaster. Shearer seems prepared or even nonchalant when he said: “How this job will affect my own reputation is a question I’d like to stay away from. I must stress this is about Newcastle United and not Alan Shearer. I had a reputation as a player and now that’s gone.”

Nevertheless, if Shearer has been working his cool, calculating mind and never being one to exercise rash decisions, I believe this is a well-considered gambit to prepare for his foray into top-level management. He may have hung up his boots but age has not blunted his timing and positioning, two important qualities of a clinical striker.

In this instance, Shearer has shown immaculate timing in stepping up to this role – Newcastle are in dire straits and there is a void in capable leadership – few Geordies will vilify Alan Shearer for incompetence if he fails to deliver.

Joe Kinnear, is recuperating from heart surgery and is not expected to make a hasty return to the pressure-cooker environment any time soon. Temporary manager Chris Hughton had little success in steering the ship back on course. Newcastle are currently lying 18th in the league table, two points from safety, and with just one win in their last 12 games.

We are told Shearer’s appointment is not about money, even though the reward for keeping Newcastle in the Premier League is a cool 1.8 million pounds. He once remarked that after football, he goes home to creosote the garden fence. Well, nobody doubts Shearer’s affection or loyalty to the club. He is a true Geordie, born and raised in Tyne.

After a hugely successful stint at Blackburn Rovers, he refused to join Manchester United where he will certainly be a vital cog during their dominance of the domestic scene in the 90s. Instead, he headed to Newcastle United and gave 10 years of stellar service. Despite troubling knee and ankle injuries, he retired as the all-time leading goalscorer with an impressive 206 goals in 404 games.

Shearer has also expressed a willingness to learn the ropes quickly, saying: “I don’t have the experience but I’ll have to learn pretty quickly. I’ll speak to Kevin (Keegan), I’ll speak to Kenny (Dalglish), I’ll speak to Bobby (Robson), I’ll speak to Terry (Venables) and speak to Glenn Hoddle and then we’ll see after that. I think it’s important I tap into all the experience I can. I’m going to need it.”

I believe any practical advise from these managers will be beneficial for Alan Shearer. Bobby Robson enjoyed a credible record at Newcastle, falling just behind Kevin Keegan and will be an excellent mentor. Jose Mourinho’s progression from a translator to a title winning manager was shaped by up-close observations of two world class managers in action at Barcelona and Porto – Bobby Robson and Louis van Gaal.

However, I doubt if the duo are on talking terms. Shearer has a crucial part to play in the acrimonious dismissal of Robson. Relations have turned frosty when it dawned on Robson that his captain actually holds sway over squad selection. Robson revealed in an interview:

“I didn’t know how tricky it would be, handling Shearer. I was a strong and experienced manager used to dealing with famous players like Romario and Ronaldo, Figo and Nadal. But Shearer occupies a special position in Newcastle. I think he’s a good guy but I was a little disappointed by his reaction when I left him out. Still, at the same time I understood he wanted to play every game. I think he’s changed his attitude but then he didn’t appreciate the need to be rested.”

To be sure, Alan Shearer is a huge personality and his imposing presence in the dressing room is legendary. He never shies away from standing up to anyone who crosses his path. Consider the difficult and wayward characters in the Newcastle squad during Shearer’s time as captain – Craig Bellamy, Lee Bowyer, Kieron Dyer and Laurent Robert read like a roll call in a juvenile detention center but they always know who is the boss on the pitch.

Souness and Robson’s reign were severely compromised by the squalid Newcastle soap opera which cosnsists of indiscipline, in-fighting, rape and drink-driving charges; yet, Alan Shearer kept himself above the raging controversies and his authority went unchallenged. Shearer’s best assets as a captain lies in his man-management skills. He always demanded the best of himself and those around him and they were willing to follow his instructions.

Another factor in Shearer’s advantage is the support of the Geordies. They are like the 12th player on the pitch with their vociferous support. It is easy to fall in love with the Toon Army. They live and breathe football and love their club passionately. There is a waiting list for the 52000 season tickets out of a small population of 270,000.

And there is nothing better for the Geordies than having one of their own at the helm. Alan Shearer can expect rapturous sold out crowds for all of his eight-matches and that extra push may just make the difference. If he can win just two or three games, Newcastle’s season is salvaged.

Shearer also has knowledge of the game from his time as a pundit on BBC’s Match of the Day and coupled with his playing experience and close monitoring of Newcastle’s perilous situation, he must know about his options and the players at his disposal. As he confessed, he is going in with his eyes wide open.

It’s too late for reinforcements now as the transfer window has closed. Alan Shearer has to work with the existing squad which may be a lost cause in fighting for titles but it is certainly good enough to stay in the Premier League.

There are several experienced internationals and extraordinary talents like Michael Owen and Damien Duff who have been unlucky with injuries. If the players regain their confidence, Newcastle should be able to give top teams a run for their money.

Good players may not make good managers, like what we have seen of Tony Adams, Bryan Robson, Paul Ince and Lothar Matthaus. This point was again driven home by Diego Maradona, coach of Argentina, whose team was recently pummeled by Bolivia 6-1, a defeat not seen in the last 51 years.

Shearer may end up following their footsteps but I am inclined to believe that he will galvanize the dressing-room and lead the team out of the current malaise. What the future holds, in terms of winning trophies, will depend on the support of Mike Ashley and Shearer’s own ability to learn and transform his team into a more organized outfit on the pitch.

Stay tuned for more updates.