Is Alan Shearer About To Be Named Newcastle Manager?

Charlie

Word flying around the forums is that Wor Al is set to become the new full time Newcastle United manager. His odds have tumbled this afternoon, falling from about 10/1 this time yesterday, to as low as 2's. The last time there was this sort of movement in this market was in the hours before news broke that Keegan was meeting Ashley in London with a view to returning.

Other factors to take into account is the fact that Shearer was shown on camera sitting in a corporate box with John Carver (Bobby Robson's assistant) during the Villa game. With the word being that a U.S based takeover is imminent, Carver, who has been coaching in the MLS, would make sense.

Personally, I feel very mixed about this. I have never wanted to see Shearer in the job, unless he headed to the lower leagues and cut his teeth like Moyes and Ince. However, I really feel we are going nowhere under JFK. Tactically, he is ay out of his depth. So in that respect, I wouldn't feel any worse if Al was in th job then if JFK is.

However, the one big positive about all these rumors is that, if true, it should signal the end of Fat Ashley's reign. There is no way Shearer would work under the Ashley regime, so if he is taking the job, its on the back of a takeover. For me, that is music to my ears, as I cannot say I much I loathe Ashley and his cronies, for fear of banning.

Watch this space.

Edit:

Skysports.com is now running with this story.

Odds cut on Shearer for Toon

Magpies legend in link to Newcastle manager's role

By Chris Harvey Last updated: 10th November 2008

Speculation is mounting that Alan Shearer could become the next manager of Newcastle United.

Following reports talks over a takeover at the North-East club are at an advanced stage, Sky Bet have cut odds on Shearer taking charge of the Magpies from 8/1 to 6/4 following significant support on Monday from the Newcastle area.

Interim manager Joe Kinnear is out to 9/2 (from 3/1) to be appointed on a permanent basis.

The latest name linked with buying out Magpies owner Mike Ashley is Philip Anschutz, the billionaire LA Galaxy supremo.

And it would appear Anschutz is keen to win favour with the fans by bringing in Geordie legend Shearer as boss.

According to the Daily Telegraph, only two US-based investors are left in the race to buy the troubled club.

While Anschutz is being billed as the Magpies' most credible suitor, Dallas-based businessman Clark Hunt, who owns MLS side FC Dallas and NFL outfit Kansas City Chiefs, is also being mooted as a serious rival.

Since hanging up his boots, Shearer has often been linked with a move into management at St James' Park and had discussions with former boss Kevin Keegan about a role alongside him earlier this year.

Only last month, he re-iterated his desire to move into a managerial role, admitting: "Management interests me.

"I can't turn round and say 'yes, I would be delighted to come here (to Newcastle)', because that would be wrong of me.
Successful

"But management interests me, at some stage of my career. I wouldn't rule anything out."

It is thought Ashley, who put the club up for sale following a fans' revolt over Keegan's resignation, will put Newcastle's future ahead of personal gain with the highest bidder not necessarily bound to be successful.

Instead, Ashley is expected to place emphasis on the prospective purchasers' financial credentials.

Newcastle's books are expected to be scrutinised soon under the due diligence process and a formal bid is expected to be lodged before the end of the month.

The favourable exchange rate for the dollar against the pound has strengthened the position of would-be American investors.

Keith Harris, the London-based investment banker who is handling the sale of Newcastle on Ashley's behalf, confirmed last week a field of seven potential buyers had been drastically narrowed down.

"We have two very serious contenders to buy it (Newcastle)," Harris said.

"Mike wants to get a maximum price but he also wants to make sure that it goes into hands that will look after it and nurture it for the future."

"It is not easy doing anything in this world whether it's selling a football club or anything else, but it will come through. It's not been a question of dropping the price from that level. It's been a question of making sure people have the absolute facts."

Frisbee

Very Silly move by Shearer imo.
He's has no experience whatsoever and I think will just taint him in the eyes of a lot of the Newcastle fans who view him as a legend...

bigstar

wouldnt fancy this if i was you, i agree about shearer cutting his teeth in the lower leagues, theres a lot of pressure on managers to succeed instantly in the PL. i dont know many who have done well by getting straight into a top club, i thought kinnear was doing ok

Charlie

bigstar wrote: »

wouldnt fancy this if i was you, i agree about shearer cutting his teeth in the lower leagues, theres a lot of pressure on managers to succeed instantly in the PL. i dont know many who have done well by getting straight into a top club, i thought kinnear was doing ok

Like I said, I am really skeptical of Shearer, and I want to see him in the lower leagues first. However, it is hard not to get a little bit optimistic with this news as, like I said previously, it should signal the end of Ashley's reign. This is something in itself that many Toon fans have been waiting for with baited breath.

As for Kinnear, most fans don't want to see him get the job, and feel he is doing poorly. The Villa result kinda painted the cracks, and I really feel that had a fit and rested Villa turned up, it could have been a very different game. Villa aside, our last 3 performances )Sunderland, West Brom, Fulham) have been very poor from a tactical point of view. Strange selections, and even stranger substitutions. Not too mention the horrible long ball stuff he is trying to play.

Joe hasn't helped things by using the meedia to practically beg for the job on a daily basis, using any means necessary, including bigging up Mike Ashley.

Savman

Oi, Alan, Noooooo.

leninbenjamin

i'd be very surprised. I'd hazard someone may be manipulating the market to get a quick buck out of all the uncertainty surrounding Newcastle. as much as I dislike Shearer's personality, i would really doubt he'd be foolish enough to take the Newcastle job so soon.

zAbbo

Great news if it's true.

He won't be boring the holes of us on MOTD anymore

bigstar

i havent seen enough of newcastle to comment on tactics, but hes keeping yous in touch with the rest of the league, which is an achievement, considering your form before he joined. to be honest is there even anyone else interested

DmanDmythDledge

Has Shearer started to do any coaching at all/even got basic coaching badges? If he's a bad a manager as he is pundit Newcastle are going to be in an even worse state if he's appointed...

Charlie

bigstar wrote: »

i havent seen enough of newcastle to comment on tactics, but hes keeping yous in touch with the rest of the league, which is an achievement, considering your form before he joined. to be honest is there even anyone else interested

I think if a new owner comes in, clearing out the cancerous element at the club, plenty of managers would be interested. I'll get slated for saying this, but Keegan will probably be interested in it if he knows some dwarf like man isn't interfering with the buying and selling of players, and I would have him back in a heartbeat. Before this sh/t hit the fan, he had us playing the best football I have seen us play since Sir Bobby was knifed in the back.

Charlie

DmanDmythDledge wrote: »

Has Shearer started to do any coaching at all/even got basic coaching badges? If he's a bad a manager as he is pundit Newcastle are going to be in an even worse state if he's appointed...

He's got his badges alright, and was interim assistant manager when Roeder was caretaker manager (guiding us to a great finish for the season).

People can slate Shearer for being a boring cnut on the box, but in footballing terms, I know many pros rate him highly. By all accounts, he was one of the best england captains in the last 20 yrs, and I know that he was instrumental in convincing Owen to come to us, and could possibly be instrumental in keeping him at the club. That aside, I would still be nervous about his appointment, as I fear the media will place a mammoth amount of pressure on him.

bigstar

well whoever takes over, hopefully he wont start downing pints in a jersey, thats when the alarm bells should start going off, what about curbishley he said he itching to get back to club, he was doing well at west ham until they started selling all his players

Charlie

bigstar wrote: »

well whoever takes over, hopefully he wont start downing pints in a jersey, thats when the alarm bells should start going off, what about curbishley he said he itching to get back to club, he was doing well at west ham until they started selling all his players

Not trying to sound like a prick, but Curbishley, imo, is a small team manager, like Fat Sam. Give him a few creative players (like he had at West Ham) and he struggles to get anything out of them. His style of football would not be appreciated with the fans, and I reckon he would be under pressure from day 1 to prove otherwise. The one positive with Shearer is that he will get buckets of time from the fans.

bigstar

fair enough but when your bottom of the league you cant afford to be picky. the thing with shearer is yes he would get time but relegation battles dont afford time to learn the ropes. i dont think theres much time for attacking football in the bottom half of the table, just look at city all attack and nothing to back it up with, and this is a mark hughes team.

also i think curbishley was undermined similar to keegan, you cant expect any manager to do well in those circumstances. he did do well the last couple of seasons

Mr Alan

Charlie, you get mad when people take the mick out of Newcastle? yet think it might be a decent idea for Shearer, a man who has never managed a club, to take over at yous and virtually rebuild the club? its decisions like that which make Newcastle a laughing stock so often, please dont condone the daft decision, and then be pissed off when people make fun of Newcastle.

are you for real?

quarryman

charlie mchugh wrote: »

Not trying to sound like a prick, but Curbishley, imo, is a small team manager,

And the Newcastle squad are a "big team"?

I think you are suffering from delusions of grandeur here and while sitting in the relegation zone should take whatever half decent manager is willing to take the risk.

The one positive with Shearer is that he will get buckets of time from the fans.

I think that says everything about a club when the deciding factor on a manager comes down to whether the fans will "give him time".

Charlie

Mr Alan wrote: »

Charlie, you get mad when people take the mick out of Newcastle? yet think it might be a decent idea for Shearer, a man who has never managed a club, to take over at yous and virtually rebuild the club? its decisions like that which make Newcastle a laughing stock so often, please dont condone the daft decision, and then be pissed off when people make fun of Newcastle.

are you for real?

Howay Al, did you even read my posts!

I have expressed alot of skepticism about Shearer getting the job, both in this and many other threads, and I have never advocated him getting it. I am firmly in the belief that he is not yet ready (and possibly never will be).

The only things I said in his favour were; that he would do no worse than Kinnear, and; that he would be given time. Both of these I believe to be true, but are in no way an endorsement of him getting the job.

I only get peeved and annoyed when people claim Newcastle fans are deluded fools, expecting title challenges, when the vast majority expect nothing of the sort (The vast majority of us see us as a midtable side, you should be pushing for top 8). I get pissed when people believe that we believe we're the best fans in the world (I think no one team can ever hold this title). Its a label thrust upon us by Sky, as part of their marketing machine. Finally, I get peeved when people label Toon fans a fat thick louts, much like you probably get peeved when people refer to Liverpool fans as thieving bin-dippers.

When people have referred to the running of my club as a joke, I think you'll find I have rarely disagreed.

Mr Alan

charlie mchugh wrote: »

Not trying to sound like a prick, but Curbishley, imo, is a small team manager

at least he is a ****ing manager!

name me one big team that would appoint Joe Kinnear? Alan Shearer? Kevin Keegan?

Xavi6

Mr Alan wrote: »

at least he is a ****ing manager!

name me one big team that would appoint Joe Kinnear? Alan Shearer? Kevin Keegan?

England/City. Two bigger teams than Curbishley's ever managed.

Charlie

quarryman wrote: »

And the Newcastle squad are a "big team"?

I think you are suffering from delusions of grandeur here and while sitting in the relegation zone should take whatever half decent manager is willing to take the risk.

No, not a big team, but we certainly possess creative players who need a manager who believes in playing proper football to get the best out of them. You only need to look at tapes of us under Allardyce to understand how long ball won't get you any where with the likes of Michael Owen, Oba Martins, Damien Duff, Jonas Gutierez, and Charlie N'Zog.

quarryman wrote: »

I think that says everything about a club when the deciding factor on a manager comes down to whether the fans will "give him time".

Deciding factor, no. But if a manager is going to come in, who has no links to the club, and has a reputation for playing boring football, should it not be a concern of the Chairman/Owner that the fans are going to be at least onside with his appointment.

As a set of fans, we have been royally fcuked and had the piss taken by those who have run the club. We have had managers who have been bullish to say the least in their approach to communicating with the fans. We're not looking for much. If someone comes in, who we know will be honest and upfront with us, and will do their best to send out 11 players who will give their all and play to the best of their abilities, that'll do.

Charlie

Mr Alan wrote: »

at least he is a ****ing manager!

name me one big team that would appoint Joe Kinnear? Alan Shearer? Kevin Keegan?

I love how fans of the top 4 sit on their pedestals, and dictate to the peasants below, that we should be happy with whoever we get. For fcuk sake, I support a team as much as you do, and I have certain expectations, whilst may be on a different scale, are as valid as yours.

I have no doubt you would be throwing a hiss fit if a United fan tmade a similar argument that Liverpool fans shouldn't give out about being linked to a certain player/manager, because they haven't won or challenged for the league in gods know how long.

And for the record, where have I claimed or said that Newcastle are a 'big team'?

Mr Alan

Xavi6 wrote: »

England/City. Two bigger teams than Curbishley's ever managed.

i meant would hire keegan NOW smartarse.

Mr Alan

charlie mchugh wrote: »

I love how fans of the top 4 sit on their pedestals, and dictate to the peasants below, that we should be happy with whoever we get. For fcuk sake, I support a team as much as you do, and I have certain expectations, whilst may be on a different scale, are as valid as yours.

I have no doubt you would be throwing a hiss fit if a United fan tmade a similar argument that Liverpool fans shouldn't give out about being linked to a certain player/manager, because they haven't won or challenged for the league in gods know how long.

And for the record, where have I claimed or said that Newcastle are a 'big team'?

apologies Charlie if it seemed condesending, didnt mean it to.

all i meant was, you refered to Curbishly as a small club manager, in reality, he has managed at a small club and kept em in and around the european places for years....is that not wat Newcastle want?

think he'd be a great appointment.

Charlie

Mr Alan wrote: »

apologies Charlie if it seemed condesending, didnt mean it to.

all i meant was, you refered to Curbishly as a small club manager, in reality, he has managed at a small club and kept em in and around the european places for years....is that not wat Newcastle want?

think he'd be a great appointment.

No worries.

Of course we want to be in and around the Uefa places, but we also want to do it by not being bored stiff every Saturday. When I was referring to Curbishley as a small club manager, I meant in the sense that his overwhelming experience was managing a team with very limited funds, and players of limited ability.

As good a job as he has done with that, I don't think it equates to the sort of logic that: 'if he could do wonders at Charlton on a shoestring, imagine what he could do at Newcastle!'. It's a totally different beast managing a team who play in front of 50,000, who are the only team in the city, and who dominate the culture of the city, than it is managing one of the many sides that play in front of 20,000 in London. For me, this was proved with Allardyce.

Also, Curbishley's track record, whilst impressive, has a horrible streak of settling for mediocrity and bottling the chance to push on.

Boggles

charlie mchugh wrote: »

No worries.

Of course we want to be in and around the Uefa places, but we also want to do it by not being bored stiff every Saturday.

At the moment I don't think you can have both, Newcastle need stability even for a few years, the next manager will be the 10th I think since the Prem League began.

Appointing the likes of Shearer is just another leap of faith, a stab in the dark, even if he is givien time, the odds are against him.

Get a proper manager in, get the likes of Shearer and Rob Lee on the coaching staff.

JimiTime

charlie mchugh wrote: »

As good a job as he has done with that, I don't think it equates to the sort of logic that: 'if he could do wonders at Charlton on a shoestring, imagine what he could do at Newcastle!'. It's a totally different beast managing a team who play in front of 50,000, who are the only team in the city, and who dominate the culture of the city, than it is managing one of the many sides that play in front of 20,000 in London. For me, this was proved with Allardyce.

First of all, like him or loathe him, NOTHING was proved with Allardyce. A huge section never wanted him in the first place and 24 games in he was sacked. Hardly a fair crack of the whip for someone trying to build a team tbh. Though I'd have my doubts about Allardyce, I'd certainly stop short of saying anything was prooved at his tenure at NU.

Also, Curbishley's track record, whilst impressive, has a horrible streak of settling for mediocrity and bottling the chance to push on.

This is the accusation against him from his Charlton days. A very unfair one tbh. He hardly had a warchest now did he? Charlton couldn't attract big players, and their biggest player of the time, Scott Parker, could not be tempted to stay. Yet, with Charlton being a very modest club, curbishley had them as an established Premiership side who were never in the relegtion dogfight. Just because the fans thought they were stalling, doesn't mean they were. As was shown when he left, they plumetted. I would have thought this would have shown people the extent of his managerial prowess, and make the Charlton fans who were thinking he was holding them back take a long hard look. Thats my 2 cent anyhoo..

Charlie

Boggles wrote: »

At the moment I don't think you can have both, Newcastle need stability even for a few years, the next manager will be the 10th I think since the Prem League began.

Appointing the likes of Shearer is just another leap of faith, a stab in the dark, even if he is givien time, the odds are against him.

Get a proper manager in, get the likes of Shearer and Rob Lee on the coaching staff.

I whole heartedly agree, and for me, that's why Keegan is the man I back for the job. He is the best possible manager who can bring stability back on the field, whilst also laying the foundation (as he was trying to do before backstabbed) for the future.

Last time, he tried to get Shearer in as a coach, but Shearer turned him down. This is the problem with Alan. His ego is too big. Now this is not necessarily a bad thing (Mourinho), but at this stage of his career, he ahs to realise it can't be all or nothing.

Keegan is by no means the best manager in the world, but I honestly believe that there are few better candidates (that Newcastle could hope to attract) who are better placed to achieve good things with us. Certain managers (and players) seem to perform best at certain clubs, and achieve things that they wouldn't be able to at other teams.

Frankie Lee

charlie mchugh wrote: »

I whole heartedly agree, and for me, that's why Keegan is the man I back for the job. He is the best possible manager who can bring stability back on the field, whilst also laying the foundation (as he was trying to do before backstabbed) for the future.

Last time, he tried to get Shearer in as a coach, but Shearer turned him down. This is the problem with Alan. His ego is too big. Now this is not necessarily a bad thing (Mourinho), but at this stage of his career, he ahs to realise it can't be all or nothing.

Keegan is by no means the best manager in the world, but I honestly believe that there are few better candidates (that Newcastle could hope to attract) who are better placed to achieve good things with us. Certain managers (and players) seem to perform best at certain clubs, and achieve things that they wouldn't be able to at other teams.

It is blasphemy to have these two in the same paragraph.

I don't understand why Newcastle have this messiah syndrome with the likes of Keegan and Shearer.

Joe is doing a fine job at the moment, I've only seen the City and Villa games but he has installed a solid look about the team and has rejuvenated a lot of players like Duff, Martins, Ameobi and with the likes of Jonas and Barton Newcastle look like a team going in the right direction

If they bring Shearer in now it will only risk destabilising things.