apart from the fat c*** releasing a statement saying that asking shearer to be manager was the best move he'd made, despite relegation.
Aye, yet he still didn't so much as return Shearers calls let along have a meeting with him AFAIR, just sound bites for the fans. This is far more concrete. If it does go wrong then that's it for me, won't even be following the club anymore, and I hope thousands do the same.
My understanding was that Shearer had a meeting with them (maybe not Ashley) and outlined his plans for a root and branch reform of the club and what was needed to get them promoted. An agreement was reached, they shook hands and then he never heard from them again.
I definitely think it was more than a statement and that Shearer thought there was an agreement in place.
My take on it was that Shearer had done nothing whatsoever in terms of tactical nous or man management to suggest he could manage the club up to that point, and yet still demanded a package for himself and Dowie alone that was bigger than some clubs in that division's total playing and management staff budget.
Like most things with Ashley we'll never know for certain, but that was possibly one of the few decisions he did get right.
Don't know anything about Shearer's alleged demands but I do know he showed nothing in those 8 games to suggest he would have been a good appointment.
Will always love the guy as a player but he wasn't good enough to see us safe as a manager and as a pundit I'm not a fan either to be fair.