Give Shearer The Job Now And Then Do One
So how many bankers does it take to sort out Alan Shearer's contract? It sounds like the start of a bad joke doesn't it? But this is no laughing matter, this is deadly, deadly serious.
Quite why we are still waiting for an answer is beyond me and, if anything, I'm being given the distinct impression Mike Ashley has no intention of appointing Shearer as manager.
Instead, the rotund businessman who has, despite his good intentions, made a complete and utter cock up of his time at St James's Park, decides to run away as soon as the real problems start following relegation. No feeling of responsibility, no intention of trying to right the wrong, just a rapid escape to lick his own self-inflicted wounds.
He doesn't care if Newcastle United don't have a manager, he doesn't care if Alan Shearer is the only man who can do the job in these circumstances and he doesn't care if the club is drifting along without any sort of direction and planning. It seems to me that all he cares about is cutting his losses and walking away with £100m in his pocket.
Surely it doesn't take a bunch of accountants more than a week to sign off on a financial package which would make Shearer manager. Was that information just a smoke screen, given to the media and Shearer himself to buy some time? It's starting to look like it.
Well I'm sorry Mike but that is going to have to change. If you don't appoint Alan Shearer as manager, even though you are trying to sell the club, then you will be making a monumental blunder - even by your standards.
If the new owners don't want Shearer they are stupid. Why wouldn't they want the man who is the overwhelming choice of those who support and, ultimately in the Championship, l bankroll the club.
If a four-year contract is too long for prospective owners why isn't there a compromise? Why isn't Alan offered a three-year or even a two-year deal because in the short term at least he is the only appointment that makes sense, financially and emotionally.
With Shearer as manager I can see Newcastle starting next season with crowds hovering around the 40,000 mark. Without him there will probably be less than 20,000 as the feelings of disillusionment and betrayal really start to kick in.
With Shearer as manager I can see enough good players coming to St James's Park to get the team back into the Premier League at the first attempt. Without him I can see a shell of a first team squad which might even struggle to stay in the Championship. Alarmist? Perhaps, but who will be left and who on earth is going to sign for them?
Every day that passes without a resolution is costly and I wonder whether we are getting close to the stage where Shearer decides enough is enough and walks away, hoping new owners will be in place in time to appoint him (or someone else) before the damage done during this state of limbo is irreversible.
He wants to help his football club in their hour of need, but time is of the essence. As things stand Newcastle United are in more of a mess than ever before.
Relegation was bad enough but it could just have been the start of something a lot worse....
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Luke Edwards - is Chief Sports Writer of The Journal and uses his blog to give a unique and entertaining insight into events at Newcastle United and Sunderland.
I foolishly thought that the end of the season, survival or relegation, would bring to an end a year of the bewildering nightmare inflicted by the idiots running this club.
But no, how wrong I was, the joke continues without any sign of letting up and it really would come as no surprise to me if Shearer, as you suggest Luke, says enough is enough and moves on leaving us to look forward to mid-table Championship obscurity for the forseeable future - and that's if we're lucky.
How much more must we endure with this lot?
What an awful article.
What if one of the interested parties have made their feelings known that they wouldn't want Shearer as manager and would prefer someone with experience as was suggested over the weekend?
Any new owner should be able to pick their own manager and not just be lumped with Shearer, what we don't want is another situation like we had with Allardyce where the new board don't want the newly appointed manager, only this time it will be far worse as they won't be able to just sack him like they did with Allardyce as there will be mass protests on the scale of what we had when Keegan walked.
Then what? More protests to get the next lot of management out?
In an ideal World whoever buys out Ashley will appoint Shearer because it's what they want, at least that way we know they have the 100% backing of the board.
But yet again it seems a case of the inmates trying to run the asylum.
Luke, I have to agree with Matt. This is a ridiculous sycophantic blog. Why would you offer someone a four year contract on massive wages when you are trying to sell a club already burdened by huge debts and overpaid mis-fits with hearts the size of a pea (yes that's you Michael Owen). Yes Shearer will put some bums on the seats, but if we are really critical, can anyone say his 8 games in charge were a success? I personally have never witnessed so many team changes and alteration of tactics, yes we were a sinking ship, but one win in 8 was shambolic.
Personally I hate Mike Ashley for what he has done to our club, but I agree with him on the Shearer front. If the club is sold shouldn't the new owners be able to choose who the next manager is? Surely £100m buys you that right? And if Alan Shearer gets the job i will back him 110%, but I do not agree that he has a divine right to the job. Were I to be the new owner then I'd re-appoint Kevin Keegan, he has a proven track record of getting teams promoted and establishing them as a top flight force. Yes he did a runner, but can anyone really blame him? I'd be keen to gauge public opinion on this one, perhaps you should set up a online poll........Keegan or Shearer?
I wouldn't call it sycophantic, just a realistic appraisal of the situation. Newcastle need a manager now, not in five weeks time and Shearer is willing to do it - he would be overhwelmingly backed by the fans and he is the sort of big name manager who will attract players. He is precisely what they need at this stage. He might turn out to be a crap manager but the time is right to give him the chance to show what he can do. I saw the effect Roy Keane had at Sunderland and Shearer can do something similar at SJP.
As for the last eight games of the season look at the mess he inherited. A team which had won just one game in 2009. Yes he only won one game, but if it hadn't have been for a load of missed chances against Portsmouth and a goal incorrectly ruled out against Fulham, Newcastle would have been safe. Those are the thin margins we are working with. As for Keegan, he threw hos toys out of the pram for the last time as far as I'm concerned. He's more interested in getting an £8m pay off then returning to management!
Agreed Luke, but I still feel he had more tools at his disposal than the likes of Stoke, Hull, Scumderland. As for the thin margins????? We could go on and on about the penalty we never got, the goal that was ruled offside. The fact is we are in the Championship, and we need to get out of it quickly. Two years of parachute payments does not give Newcastle the luxury of time. As for all this 'We could get relegated again in today's chronicle. I have never heard anything so ridiculous.....we are favorites to win the championship.....the bookies are not often wrong are they? Lets get the club sold, and unite behind whoever has proved brave enough to take us on in these dark times. If it is Alan Shearer, then brilliant, but let the new guys decide.
Favourites to win the Championship??
We have an owner who wants out ASAP.
No manager.
The entire first team are supposedly up for sale.
No sign of new players arriving.
Pre-season starts in 23 days. Where is the preparation? Are any friendlies arranged?
Managers and players always say that a good pre-season is key to a successful campaign.
Remember all our rivals have already been preparing for a month.
If there is no sale imminent, at what point does Ashley decide to hire a manager?
If he brings Kinnear back, remember he has a record for relegating teams from the Championship and the players would be disillusioned before the season even starts.
At this point, I would say we are far more likely to be relegated than promoted next season.
If the reason for not appointing Shearer is because new owners may not want him, then if Shearer was willing, I would give him a short-term contract to oversee the next 6 or so months and that would give new owners a get-out.
The thing is Luke there were plenty of missed chances over the whole season where if we could have just held on (Stoke and Wigan) then we would have been safe, every club has moments like that though.
I haven't got anything against giving Shearer a go even if I did think he lacked tactically in the last few games, until he does get a run his shadow will always be hanging over any other manager that takes the job, I just think that the owners should be the ones to pick him so that we know that he's their man and there can be no question marks over their backing of him.
We seen the fans reaction when Keegan left and I wouldn't want to see this new lot hounded out because they didn't want the local hero managing the club, I would quite like to see Shearer take up the chairmans role under the new lot like Quinn has at Sunderland as I think he knows whats best for the club.
If Shearer does get the job then I hope it's because all of the groups interested have agreed to it, like when Doug Ellis gave Martin O'Neill the job at Villa, rather than because of fan pressure.
It wouldnt be unreasonable to offer Shearer a 12 months rolling contract at this stage. Should a new owner come in who wants Shearer as manager then they can extend the contract. Should a new owner come in who doesnt want Shearer as manager then the severance pay is minimal.
I would hope Shearer requests and receives a salary that reflects out Championship status and his lack of managerial experience i.e. Less than £1m p.a.
But can you imagine the reaction of the fans if they sack Shearer, Matty? More mass protests and calls for the new lot to sell up and go.
Of course the tat merchant doesn't care. He never has. He went on a night out in summer 2007 and woke up with a headache, a traffic cone, the remnants of a donner kebab and a premier league football club. Only the cone and the salad from the donner remain.
Hi Luke. Well as you point out things could not get much worse. Ashley has truly made a pigs ear of the job -pity he never listened to the fans -but there again why would he. Since he came he has made one big mess after another -how could any one so astute in business get it so wrong. I do think if things are not sorted quickly then we wont even survive in the championship. It makes no sense season tickets going out next week -who on earth wants one -we dont know who the manager will be -we dont know what players we will have -and they dont even reduce the prices. Having one last laugh is Ashley before he goes-really would you buy a house Luke if you dont know beforehand what is inside of it- Ashley and Llambias need to get real -they should at least have the manners to tell us whats going on -oh I forgot -they never have before so why change the habit of a lifetime.
Hi Luke. Well as you point out things could not get much worse. Ashley has truly made a pigs ear of the job -pity he never listened to the fans -but there again why would he. Since he came he has made one big mess after another -how could any one so astute in business get it so wrong. I do think if things are not sorted quickly then we wont even survive in the championship. It makes no sense season tickets going out next week -who on earth wants one -we dont know who the manager will be -we dont know what players we will have -and they dont even reduce the prices. Having one last laugh is Ashley before he goes-really would you buy a house Luke if you dont know beforehand what is inside of it- Ashley and Llambias need to get real -they should at least have the manners to tell us whats going on -oh I forgot -they never have before so why change the habit of a lifetime.
Luke et al, Don't get mixed up between Shearer who was a good player and Shearer who is a garbage manager. He has no experience or training forthe job!
If you think that the Championship can be won by a novice like Shearer you are balmy.
Don't rule out Ashley simply calling in his 100M loan and selling SJP for redevelopment, because that is probbaly the best way to recoup his financial loss. Probably all that stops him is that there is zero interest in any of the players. He undoubtedly gives nothing for what the fans think. Who could blame such action FROM HIS PERSPECTIVE.
Owen will most likely go to the MLS because that will be his only option. He won't actually need to play more than 20 minutes per match as lomg as he signs autographs for the rest of the time.
Ashley's final gift may be to reduce NUFC to the history books!
Suggest you take the rest for the summer off and forget all about it!
Luke - I take it you and Lee haven't been invited to Derek's office for a cosy end of season chat? It's a pity you couldn't see through his drivel 4 months ago and decided to take a wait and see attitude despite there being several misdemeanours already on the charge sheet.
I suppose it's also my fault they were relegated sawdox. Looks, for the last time, we put questions to them, they gave their answers and we gave them the right to reply. As for Llambias, I spoke to him last week but the shutters have come up and nobody is at home! Running for the hills would be a good way to describe their attitude.
Ray Wilson - He did listen to the fans, he brought Keegan back which was always going to be a disaster and then put the club up for sale when they wanted him too which I blame as the main reason for us going down, he should have just brought another full time manager in and let him get on with it like West Ham did with Zola, then he brought in Shearer who the fans wanted.
Well I'd love Shearer to get the job but that's because I'm a Sunderland supporter. Look without any malice intended I just don't see what you guys expect to get from Shearer. He doesn't have anything like the charisma or motivational skills of Keane - and let's be honest for all the good he did us we almost came a cropper with him.
Shearer has hardly been desperate to come in and help his beloved Newcastle before now has he - he only got involved when it became a no lose situation for him - and he still lost. And if he really is asking for £2M per year................
Oh and JC - "scumderland" - you lack class and have encapsulated in one comment why so many people were so happy to see you guys get a serious dose of humility.
I honestly hope your club does not self destruct and that you find your way back to the Premiership but you will have to forgive me for enjoying your discomfort in the mean time.
Ashley's request for e-mail bids for NUFC is proving to be yet another master stroke in making himself, the club and city international jokes. With this and the Shearer waiting game happening in parallel one has to conclude that he has decided that given his investment is already lost he might as well get some laughs from the situation before quitting.
Joke offers have already ranged from 10p to Nigerian scams to Singapore Slings, but undoubtedly much more of the Michael before something concrete actually happens.
And of course there stories coming out now that the whole team is up for sale and that the total value of all NUFC players is about 20M, but only if they can be sold in Spain.
Interesting.
I am unsure about Shearer's capabilities, let's face it, we didn't play any decent football in those last 8 games. Maybe it was JFK's legacy, or even Iain Dowie's, but surely Shearer should have tried to get them to play a bit instead of that Route One tripe we were lumbered with.
I think the owner should wait til the club's sold, taking the decision of appointing a new manager out of his hands, but we do need some stability before pre-season.
Therefore, he should make a statement to the press instead of hiding out. Mr. Llambias should also concentrate on giving quotes about the current state of affairs, rather than bickeringwith The Chronicle about who is and who isn't buying the club.
This all happened last year when keegan left and look what became of the mess that was left..... I have a distinct sense of Deja Vu, but like M. Sebastian T. said I am having 2 months off football and concentrating on golf.
p.s. Luke, have a word with your web designers about this Captcha thing. Who's idea was it to put black lettering on a dark grey swirling background?
M. Sebastien T. and Stuart ... have you really got so little else going on in your lives that you regard commenting upon a football club you don't even support a valuable use of your time?
You put the 'S' in SMB.
Well thanks for that restless. I won't rise to your offensiveness as I know that you must be quite sad yourself right now preparing for life in the fizzy pop. Bottom line is that Luke writes an article once a week or so - some thought provoking some a little motherhood and apple pie - and when I see them I comment if I see fit. Since the Sunderland ones are usually a little bland as he has nothing bad to say about us and his Geordie wife won't let him be too complimentary there is often not too much to say. That said it didn't stop a couple of your toon supporting fans getting involved in his last Sunderland blog - shall I tell them how sad they are or will you?
Bland?! I've never been so insulted in my life... Everyone can comment on whatever they want as far as I'm concerned guys and girls.
A new blog will be up on Monday, I've just got to decide whether it is going to be about cricket or the continuing farce that is NUFC. Actually, I could expose who was behind the Rick Parkinson hoax couldn't it. You'll hear from me on Monday either way.
Fight, fight, fight!!!
Please put something other than NUFC up, it's getting so dull!
In my opinion Shearer has to get the job. We've had "experienced" managers before (souness, allardyce, kinnear) but they were managers that had all their success at small clubs with little ambition. They failed wheras shearer has acheived great things at Newcastle. We all associate him with better times, times that gave us the hope and optimism that we might actually win the league. It all seems so different now but we used to play to win every game and it would be unthinkable to lose to fulham or sunderland. He has already delivered the succes that we crave before and i think he can get us playing like that again. He knows what this club is about more than a curbishly, venables or o'leary and the fans will be behind him all the way.