Alan Shearer, after just four game in charge at Newcastle, has said he thinks football management is no harder than he expected it to be.
Alan Shearer – management is tough – but he expected that
And that’s probably because Alan expected to be very difficult, and he’s already been proven right in that judgement. We thought, and hoped, that Alan could turn things around within a couple of games, but that has not proved to be possible, and was probably unrealistic on our part, in the first place.
Shearer, who is only contracted until the end of the season, but most Newcastle fans hope he will kept on at the club, whichever division we are in next season, remains quite positive about his managerial experiences so far, in his extremely short career:
“Is it everything I thought it would be? Yes. Is it difficult? Yes,” “But it’s probably no more difficult than I thought it would be.”
“I was coming into it with my eyes open.” “But I am enjoying it – despite not winning.”
With four matches to go, Newcastle are by no means down yet, and even though the team has performed just hopelessly in the last 9 games, with just 4 measly points, other teams have almost been as bad, and Newcastle are still a mere 3 points from safety.
We have a tough trip to Liverpool on Sunday, but we could hardly do as bad as we did against the Red Devils at home in December, when Liverpool thrashed us 5-1. and it could have easily been 10 but for the brilliance of our then goalkeeper Shay Given, in the first half.
At one point when it was still 0-0 after 30 minutes Shay had already made 5 breathtaking saves, before he was finally beaten.
Shearer talked about the game on Sunday:
“We know it is going to be a very, very tough game at Anfield. We go there as underdogs, but nothing is impossible in life,”
“Not many players and managers have got a good record at Anfield to be quite honest, so I am not alone in that. Whether that can change, I hope so.”
“There have been a few teams gone to Anfield this season – Hull, Fulham, Stoke – and come away with points. We will be looking to try to do the same.”
“I know we are relying on other teams now, but what it is safe to say is the teams around us won’t pick up maximum points between now and the end of the season.”
“If they do slip up, we have got to make sure we are in a position to take advantage of that.”
A point on Sunday would be a surprise but very welcome, and a win would be just fantastic, and definitely cause for celebration on the streets of Newcastle.
We like to think, as Alan does, that anything is possible in life and in football. But to have these fantastic successes like Fulham did last season, when they won 4 of their last 5 games, you have to be brave, because as we keep saying – fortune favors the brave.
If the lads go for it with all their hearts on Sunday they could even surprise themselves, not to mention the loyal Newcastle fans
Howay The Lads!!
160 comments so far
AlexanderNUFC21
May 1, 2009 at 5:27 PM
Comment #1I see us getting a draw, I dont like Joey or Smith, but we do need those kind of players who arent afraid to give it a go. Maybe this is the game that Owen can find a goal or two. I notice that with liverpool they arent good with teams that do a lot of short pass and crosses. Lets use it to our advantage.
HOWAWAY THE LADS
Tooony
May 1, 2009 at 5:30 PM
Comment #2Hope we do well and get smth from the game. We need to score goals but if we play 4-3-3 we risk to have some defensive troubles.
Howay the Lads!!!
Toon_Factor
May 1, 2009 at 5:34 PM
Comment #3We NEED to play 433, our defence is much better because the balls up top much more so we dont have to keep reling on the defenders
AlexanderNUFC21
May 1, 2009 at 5:35 PM
Comment #4Thats true mate, our defense isnt all that good, but im happy to say that Harper has stepped up real well, bassong has been great, Beye is back in his old form, but im worried about our midfield is what we are lacking but i believe that smith, joey, Jonas, guthrie would do a fine job at midfield. I would rather see loven over Owen. he has more speed and control and a great left foot.
Geordie-Gerrard7
May 1, 2009 at 5:37 PM
Comment #5wel lads. i know this isnt hundred percent going to happen but i have it in very, very, very good authority, that carlos tevez will join liverpool ths summer, deal close to 30 million, i know people will say yeah, just a rumour and im making it up but this is from a very very good source.
i know it has nothing to do with the toon but how good would l’pool be with tevez and torres together, i think they would be close to unstoppable.
and another rumour i have heard, this isnt from a v.good source, but santa cruz to spurs for 5 mill plus bentley, i would say b’burn have the better deal here dont you??
Toon_Factor
May 1, 2009 at 5:40 PM
Comment #6imo Tevez is crap and not worth 10 mill never mind 30!
DevonMag
May 1, 2009 at 5:43 PM
Comment #7Blackburn deff don’t have the better deal even though they’re technically dealing with two blackburn players, bentley is utter shite and santa cruz is not! They’ll make a big return having sold bentley for close to 17mill but why bother when they could get like 40 mill from city for cruz??
Geordie-Gerrard7
May 1, 2009 at 5:44 PM
Comment #8tevez crap, you having a laugh, i put him in the top 3 strikers in the prem
DevonMag
May 1, 2009 at 5:46 PM
Comment #9surely ferguson wouldnt let tevez leave to another prem league side? Remember when pool tried to sign heinze?
Toon_Factor
May 1, 2009 at 5:47 PM
Comment #10Geordie-Gerrard7
What is the purpose of being a striker? ……… to score goals! Something that Tevez doesnt do very often, He maybe be a good actual player but not a great striker.
Geordie-Gerrard7
May 1, 2009 at 5:48 PM
Comment #11blackburn wouldnt hold out for 40, theyd snap ther hands off at about 23 mill, i wish we had players we could sell for big money to make more money for up and coming players.
if you had 5 choices outside of the prem, apart from messi what players would you hve??
1. Cassano
2. Ibrahimovic
3.Iniesta
4.Hamsik
5.Cana/Benzema??? hmmm!!
Geordie-Gerrard7
May 1, 2009 at 5:50 PM
Comment #12tevez is not an out and out striker, he is more of an attacking midfielder, he is very creative. i would say he was worth 18-20 mill.
he works soo hard, great at set-pieces and score’s goals.
Geordie-Gerrard7
May 1, 2009 at 5:52 PM
Comment #13devon mag- just remember tevez isnt ferguson’s to sell.
but i was thinking, could that kia bloke be saying this, to make united buy tevez
Toon_Factor
May 1, 2009 at 5:55 PM
Comment #14He doesnt have many assists this season or last and you rate him top 3 in the prem ??
Geordie-Gerrard7
May 1, 2009 at 5:59 PM
Comment #15yah i do, its maybe a personal opinion.
Geordie-Gerrard7
May 1, 2009 at 6:00 PM
Comment #16sh*t me, 25 games, 3 goals, 3 assists. that is a poor season, how many has he started though?
DevonMag
May 1, 2009 at 6:01 PM
Comment #17Id also rate him top 3 in the prem. Tevez would walk into every single team in the world. No question
DevonMag
May 1, 2009 at 6:02 PM
Comment #18strikers need a bit of consistency to get into the flow of things, buying berba for 30mill was stupid on fergies part, that money could have been invested so much better, should have bought a 10mill striker to warm the bench instead of wasting tevez on there!
PaceOba
May 1, 2009 at 6:03 PM
Comment #19Wish u all the best lads. Just get clean sheet or draw for us on Sunday.
Lets click my link.
Geordie-Gerrard7
May 1, 2009 at 6:03 PM
Comment #20he would cempliment tevez brilliantly imo. with gerrard behind them
Toon_Factor
May 1, 2009 at 6:03 PM
Comment #2117 starts
DevonMag
May 1, 2009 at 6:05 PM
Comment #225 players outisde the prem (I assume if your excluding messi your excluding kaka?)
1. Bojan
2. De la Red
3. Ribery
4. Dani Alves
5. Higuain
Not neccesarily the best 5 but there’s 4 big up and comers there, with ribery the oldest by a long way
DevonMag
May 1, 2009 at 6:06 PM
Comment #23Top 3 strikers in the prem:
Torres
Tevez
Rooney
Geordie-Gerrard7
May 1, 2009 at 6:08 PM
Comment #24Top 3 strikers in the prem:
Torres
Tevez
Rooney
DevonMag
May 1, 2009 at 6:09 PM
Comment #25Liverpools midfield and strikers looking like this:
———–Mascherano————
Kuyt/alonso——riera/babel
————-Gerrard————–
———-Tevez—Torres———
That strike force would challange for the title i’d say. Maybe buy a world class right winger, keep competition up. God I wish I was talking about our potential team haha
Geordie-Gerrard7
May 1, 2009 at 6:10 PM
Comment #26de la re is an intresting one, just hat we need in the middle, and very reaistic if we stayed up, yes, i did mean to put kaka in excluding him.
Higuain- is also a very intresting one, but he seems to be getting better and better, last year he had hell of a goal drought on.
the only reason id say cana in my list is because the man is an absolout beast, has anyone seen much of him?
Geordie-Gerrard7
May 1, 2009 at 6:14 PM
Comment #27i remember the days of us talking about getting torres, tevez, mascherano, even beckham when he got spotted with freddy sheppard.
if l’pool bought in a pacy winger much like walcott or lennon, i believe the would be unplayable.
i really wish we had signed kuyt instead of martins sometimes. i like him alot
workyticket
May 1, 2009 at 6:14 PM
Comment #28Toon_Factor // May 1, 2009 at 5:47 PM
Geordie-Gerrard7
“What is the purpose of being a striker? ……… to score goals! Something that Tevez doesnt do very often, He maybe be a good actual player but not a great striker.”
It depends on the striker Toon as there are several different kinds.
Toon_Factor
May 1, 2009 at 6:14 PM
Comment #29Are you guys forgetting Drogba, Santa Cruz, Anelka, Robinho, Arshavin?, Van Persie, Adebayor etc
DevonMag
May 1, 2009 at 6:16 PM
Comment #30higuain had a shocker last season but he’s been onf fire this season! He’s gonna be world class. Doubt we could get de la red if we stayed up but it’d be amazing if we did, not seen or heard of cana I dont think…although the name does ring a slight bell
Toon_Factor
May 1, 2009 at 6:16 PM
Comment #31workyticket
I would prefer the kind that scores, wouldnt you?
batty
May 1, 2009 at 6:19 PM
Comment #32worky your spot on m8
DevonMag
May 1, 2009 at 6:19 PM
Comment #33not forgetting them at all mate, they’re the rest of the quality strikers in the prem but they’re not in the top 3. Drogba’s on the way out, still class but no where near prolific, santa cruz has had a quiet season due to injury but i still wouldnt rate him above my 3, anelka’s just anelka- good but wd u have him over tevez torres or rooney? Robinhio is too light weight for the prem, undeniably class but not top 3, arshavin’s actually more of an attacking midfielder, same as gerrard, which is why he’s excluded, van persie and adebayor are both quality but not as good as tevez, torres or rooney. Simple
Geordie-Gerrard7
May 1, 2009 at 6:20 PM
Comment #34Santa Cruz, Anelka, Robinho, Arshavin- santa cruz shouldnt be in that list, robinho is not an out and out striker, i dont rate anelka to highly, arshavi is a wing/att midfellder.
adebayor is good but not better than tevez, he is worse. (IMO).
Van persie- very creative begkamp striker always injured.
IMO, they dont make strikers like they usedto- i would say ruud and huntelaar are last of a dying breed. anyone agree??
Toon_Factor
May 1, 2009 at 6:20 PM
Comment #35DevonMag
Tevez- Yes, Rooney and Torres- NO
batty
May 1, 2009 at 6:20 PM
Comment #36like u sa worky decent player no where near a top stiker and dont think he ever will be
batty
May 1, 2009 at 6:22 PM
Comment #37devon mag drogba not prolific m8 but tevez and rooney dont score many m8
Geordie-Gerrard7
May 1, 2009 at 6:22 PM
Comment #38name one proper traditional cntre forward in the premier league, thats a striker who just gets played as a striker? Defoe thats all i can think of, maybe berbatov but he often drops deep
batty
May 1, 2009 at 6:24 PM
Comment #39Geordie-Gerrard7 ide say they dont make them like shearer no more scored loads made loads and defened loads
workyticket
May 1, 2009 at 6:26 PM
Comment #40Toon_Factor // May 1, 2009 at 6:16 PM
“workyticket
I would prefer the kind that scores, wouldnt you?”
With all due respect Toon, you have a very shallow knowledge of the game if that is your view. By your logic, strikers such as Sheringham or Heskey would never be bought or used by top clubs because there scoring ratio is relatively low. Go and study the game, you will learn that it is much more complicated than you seem to think it is now.