Michael Owen (now retired)

[Guest neesy111]

You've "heard it all" now you've heard Patrick Kluivert was a waste of space? I'll backtrack a bit but it's hardly that outlandish; he found the net a (just about) respectable amount of times, and had a few flashes but he was barely interested in playing for Newcastle. All attributes lined up, there was hardly anything between him and Shearer that season.

 

I don't blame anyone for being dis-interested for playing for Newcastle and Graeme Souness that season especially at the tail end of their careers.

[joeyt]

Kluivert was only 28 when we signed him like, not exactly over the hill

[Guest neesy111]

Kluivert was only 28 when we signed him like, not exactly over the hill

 

Forgot about that.

[jdckelly]

the best thing we can all do about owen is try to forget he ever existed.

 

Also on a side point who the fuck would want to buy his autobiography? The fans of every club he played for either dislike/hate him or forgot he ever played for them

[Guest neesy111]

the best thing we can all do about owen is try to forget he ever existed.

 

Also on a side point who the fuck would want to buy his autobiography? The fans of every club he played for either dislike/hate him or forgot he ever played for them

 

It'll be for people who like the England Band.  Fairweather fans.

[Wolfcastle]

You've "heard it all" now you've heard Patrick Kluivert was a waste of space? I'll backtrack a bit but it's hardly that outlandish; he found the net a (just about) respectable amount of times, and had a few flashes but he was barely interested in playing for Newcastle. All attributes lined up, there was hardly anything between him and Shearer that season.

 

I don't blame anyone for being dis-interested for playing for Newcastle and Graeme Souness that season especially at the tail end of their careers.

 

Remember the paper aeroplanes against Palace that stole the show.

[GeordieDazzler]

[NEEJ]

Robson wrote about all this in his last book iirc.

 

Aye I can't remember the specifics but it's definitely in there.

 

The disloyal cunt Shearer stayed and scored 60 more goals in three seasons.

 

EDIT: Actually, I think the link came at the end of the 2003/04 season in fairness (in which Shearer had scored 28 of those 60-odd goals), when Bobby wanted to put Kluivert and Bellamy together in the coming season. Turns out Shearer was justified in feeling he deserved to stay in the team seeing as Kluivert was basically a waste of space.

 

I'm sure Bobby had as much to do with the thought of letting Shearer go. I could be miles away but I recall something along the lines of Liverpool offering £3m and Bobby being just about okay with the thought of accepting it, but didn't in the end cos he knew the fans would be fuming.

 

But even if Shearer did fancy a move; A, that happens, so what? B, he didn't actually move. C, he continued to leave everything on the pitch for another two seasons, including reversing his decision to retire because he wanted the glory of the Newcastle record.

 

Anyway, this shite coming from a person like Owen? The man is the embodiment of the modern day mercenary. An utter, utter wanker.

"An urban myth that dogged me towards the end of my time with Newcastle was that I tried to sell Alan Shearer to Liverpool - not in a million years. "

 

He basically goes on to say that Shepherd received a bid but failed to tell him about it as he had no interest in selling "the crown jewels". Bobby suggested Mpenza as his replacement for £1.2m in case Shepherd changed his mind but then requested that Al's contract be sorted ASAP when it was clear that there was no chance of him leaving.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

By the way, when KK moved him deeper into midfield, he was Scholes like in his pomp and played some really good football. Owen was a very very good player at one point, never truly world-class, but he was close, very close. His attitude stunk though, he cared more about ego, image, England and horses and considered himself above LFC for some bizarre reason.

 

 

This for NUFC?  Was that when we had a good spell at the end of the season?  Where he played in behind Viduka and Martins?  He looked half decent for a few games, granted.  But he was nothing like Scholes, FFS and he didn't even play the same role. 

 

Some serious revisionist history here 

 

It was more a case of getting Owen out of the way without making a scene to allow to more useful and dangernous forwards to play. It improved the team around Owen and he looked less useless by being out of the firing line. Bit like bringing Fox in to allow Rob Lee to play centrally. It wasn't that Fox was better than Lee but that Lee would excel in that spot.

 

Nah, it was because Owen could make intelligent runs through the middle coming forward from deep if Martins stretched defences to create gaps and Viduka held play up. In theory anyway. My Scholes comment was obviously hyperbole at the time, but Owen in that brief spell was very good for us in general play and in front of goal and as a footballer, he was underrated in many ways. Whenever he did play prior to the Kinnear debacle, he was no mercenary or played in a half arsed manner. He was just half arsed in terms of being one of the players around the club, as a Captain, as a record signing, as a personality and a presence.

 

Him never wanting to come here in the first place, but eventually signed, says everything about him. Greed. Wanting away from Real Madrid showed his mentality up for what it was too. Weak.

 

I have it on good authority Liverpool Board wanted him back and he wanted to go back, but Rafa didn’t rate him and told him and the board in no uncertain terms, he’d be more of a squad player coming off the bench. Rafa questioned his attitude too and told the board not to bow down to his demands and high and mighty self importance, after all he he,d them to ransom over his contract and pushed for a move to Real Madrid.

 

It makes me feel good knowing how no set of fans not even England fans ever warmed to him, the opposite in fact. It also makes me feel more smug knowing he missed out on winning the Champions League with Liverpool, ended up achieving fuck all with England where his entire legacy in the 3 lions shirt will be remembered for that one goal against Argentina and then only when a World Cup comes around or if England play Argentina. He’s no more of a name for England than a Crouch or a Heskey.

 

Joining Man Utd as a bit part player rather than join someone like say an Everton and play every game also showed how selfish and uninterested he was in playing week in week out and finishing his career on a high note. He just wanted to add more footnotes for his brochure and CV.

 

Man Utd fans won’t remember him, Liverpool fans can’t stand him, he’s obviously hated here and Real Madrid fans probably wouldn’t even be able to tell you what year he played for them.

 

He’s a narcissistic, arrogant, typical wormy self centred jumped up prick, the type who considers himself better than everyone else and everyone isn’t worthy of his presence or time, unless they pay him of course and pander to his ego or demands.

 

He’s only a pundit because he’s considered a big name and even then he’s a shot one. I guarantee he has no real friends inside of football and regardless of what Shearer ended up thinking about him, he did so in private and I’m pretty sure Shearer let Owen know to his face in a way that wouldn’t hurt his poor little sensitive soul. Owen being a timid timmy type, would, rather than confront his detractors face to face like a real man, do so behind their back.

 

Having ‘spoke his mind’ and ‘said his piece’ years after the fact regarding his detractors over the pages of a book and followed up on social media, it’s obviously more than some snide form of rebuttal setting the facts straight or getting his side of the story out, because before this ‘revelation’ whatever differences between him and Shearer was not a story at all. It is now and clearly a deliberate ploy to promote an otherwise banal and boring story truly reflecting who it’s about, as something with an edge, with a bit of controversy. The desperation to sell it as a must read and portray its central character as a hard done by, unfairly maligned figure, is pathetic. Just like this so-called ‘beef’.

 

I know people who know Shearer and he doesn’t suffer fools easily and doesn’t tolerate slackers or people who take the piss, for someone like him to just unfriend Owen who he actually went out of his way to help the club to get him to join and also to help him as a person away from the pitch after he signed and indeed with England, just shows how big of a cunt Owen as a person really must be.

 

If Owen was a true friend, he’d have rallied around the man who put him up, took him out, give him career advice when he was young, stuck up for him in the media, was willing to give him his 9 shirt and helped convince the club to go all and and get someone he thought was a winner like him, a professional and above all else a great player who could help make his team a better team.

 

He got more effort out of Viduka more support from someone like Joey Barton who as much of a cunt he is, was or could be, he’ll speak his mind and say his piece to your face or in person.

 

I never wanted us to sign Owen, I wanted us to sign Anelka as we didn’t quite have the players to get the best out of Owen nor the manager, Souness wanted to play a front 3 with wide attacking forwards that’s why he wanted Boa Morte (he got Luque instead). Owen was not worth 16m even back then, never wanted to be here, was a negative presence (when he actually graced his team-mates, the manager, the coaching staff and other club staff with his presence that is) and was injury prone and committed to England duties far more.

 

He come for the money, his sheer arrogance and self importance made him believe his ‘hell’ on Tyneside wouldn’t last long anyway so take the money, score a few goals, have the fans chanting his name, keep his place as the main man up front for England and Liverpool or Man Utd or AC Milan or some big huge club will come in for him.

 

While he was here though, when he did play, he was often our one player who put in 7s and the odd 8s and 9s. Hw was obviously a good player and in training he was professional, ate right, trained hard, worked hard on his fitness and wanted to do the business on the pitch. Not for his manager, his big pal Al, his team-mates, the fans, the chairman or his club of course, but for Michael Owen.

 

I can’t fault his performances in the main and once Kinnear come and the likes of Viduka were told to come and go as they please and everyone else started taking the piss, he was one of a handful who turned around and thought, this is a fucking joke, they are a joke. Get me out of here, I don’t want to have any part of this charade and I respect that.

 

When Shearer come in though, he should have been Shearer’s biggest ally, asset, cheer leader, dressing room voice, a strength and source of help. Instead he hid like the coward he is and abandoned his duties even to himself. And hey, why not, 8 games left to leave as a free agent.

 

The damage by then was 100% done, Shearer had no chance, not with the shower of shite around him, his so-called mate numero uno.

 

I hope one of his horses falls on him one day and he ends up sipping milkshakes from a straw wedded to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. Now that’s one story I’d love to read about involving him! The cowardly cunt he is!

 

As for Shearer - he’s a legend, a great man.

 

 

[Yorkie]

NEEJ. Fair dos, my recollection is some way off.

 

That extract doesn't help (or hinder) the accuracy of Owen's claim. I doubt there's any truth in Shearer being desperate to leave.

[NEEJ]

NEEJ. Fair dos, my recollection is some way off.

 

That extract doesn't help (or hinder) the accuracy of Owen's claim. I doubt there's any truth in Shearer being desperate to leave.

There's a bit later in the chapter where Bobby says they didn't discuss the matter for a while until Shearer thought to bring it up.

"You didn't tell me about Liverpool, did you?" That suggests to me that Shearer wasn't exactly itching for a move but sure as hell would've used it in his contract negotiations.

[Yorkie]

So either: Shearer wasn't itching to go to Liverpool, Bobby was an outright liar, or Michael Owen's a daft little know-nowt bit of pondlife.

[Mattoon]

So either: Shearer wasn't itching to go to Liverpool, Bobby was an outright liar, or Michael Owen's a daft little know-nowt bit of pondlife.

 

Really not sure on that one, pretty hard to determine who's telling the truth really

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Don't see any problem with Shearer considering a move anyway. He was actually a good servant and loved the club, unlike the little fuckwit.

[Mattoon]

It happened again

 

[D. Yimentov]

Upon learning how much money Zlatan was set to earn at his new club, co-commentator and renowned haemorrhoid, squeaky Mick piped up, "I think I played in the wrong era."

 

Absolute turd of a person. I've never liked an ex-toon player less.

 

 

 

 

[Guest Howaythetoon]

I won’t have a bad word said against Shearer and especially not take anything the likes of Owen and in the past Bellamy say seriously. Shearer’s time at Newcastle towards the end, however, raised a few question marks relating to player power, but I dismiss such talk as nothing out of the ordinary which leads me to a big issue I have where a big percentage of fans are concerned and that is how so many fans especially Newcastle fans seem to be naive, ignorant or totally unrealistic when it comes to the myriad dynamics that exist in the world of the players and the managers within the structure of a football club.

 

A reality check is needed badly with some fans. Take the issue of player power for example and using Shearer, Captain, record signing, Geordie hero, fans favourite, number 9 goal scorer, the chairman’s most valuable asset and one day golden boy to mange the club for him.

 

A player like that is almost bigger than the manager, the team, the club even and any player of that standing is a powerful figure and that can be a dangerous thing if that player decides to use his status as a powerful figure for all kinds of things, from refusing to play in a different position, be rested, subbed off, dropped or benched. Such a player could use their power to demand no-one else gets paid more than him, no-one gets signs to take his place in the team or challenge his place or for some other purposes.

 

Has Shearer used his power to his advantage to get a better contract and get a bigger pay cheque? Of course. Has Shearer used his power to influence signings, even managerial appointments? Of course. Has he used his power to influence the managers decision or not to rest, sub, drop or get rid of him? Of course. But has he used his power to hold the club at ransom, a manager? As he used his power to get a manager the sack? To get a player dropped, sold or prevented from getting into the team?

 

I very much doubt it and that’s because someone like Shearer is a rare commodity in football in that whatever player power of his he used to suit what’s best for him, he also used his power to influence to suit what’s best for his club too. And for Shearer that was him, he was what was best for Newcastle and although some might think well he would do wouldn’t he and some would argue differently, especially towards the end of his career, fans need to realise and accept when someone like Shearer uses his power it’s not some simple example of a player abusing his power or or him putting himself above the club or anything else and even if that was the case, right or wrong, we can’t or shouldn’t hold players and managers to some kind of higher standard we may subscribe to because it’s wrong to expect and demand everyone puts what’s best for the club first. But fans do hold players and managers to that and get upset when they don’t or don’t always or as much as fans want them to. Reality check, the only loyal people in the game who have the best interests of their club at heart first and last and always are the fans and those who think players and managers should too even just a tiny bit are deluded, because that’s not who it works and the dynamics allow.

 

If they did, Shearer would have played for nowt, Rafa would have stayed and Sir Bobby would have resigned from Barcelona without even saying good bye and hitchhiked his way back to here.

 

Where we have been fortunate is we’ve had managers and players who wanted what’s best for the club as much as or even more than what was best for them. Kevin Keegan walking away from a multi million pound a year job he could have just turned up to work on match days only and played golf all day all week and no-one would have raised doubts about him not having the club’s best interests at heart. Sir Bobby genuinely would have worked for nowt or that covered his expenses, the job his civic duty as a Geordie he once said which if he was to choose as his final job in football, Newcastle would be the one regardless of division. The job was a civic role trusted to him by the city and people, a job his father if qualified enough to carry out would have left his family for to do or as a boy, would have given anything to pull on the shirt. Rafa wanted what’s best for the club too and not just what was best for him. That’s why he come first, stayed to bring the club back up and fought so hard to get the owner to do what’s best for the club too.

 

Ultimately though, what was best for Newcastle wasn’t what was best for Rafa, but he at least wanted what was best and used his power to influence what he could as Shearer did. Fans need to understand, when someone like Shearer uses his power to try and influence things like making it difficult for the manager to leave him out, put him on the bench or drop him, it’s not because he thinks he’s the almighty and powerful or because he’s thinking of only himself.

 

It’s different. First of all, he’s someone who wants to play every game and every minute and we should all be happy when a player gets upset with the manager when not selected or subs him. As long as they do so in private and I can’t ever remember Shearer kicking off publicly with a manager or ever berating someone in the media or showing any public descent. Secondly Shearer trains hard, does things right and no-matter his level of ability, in his own mind he will think he’s good enough to be starting and will be confident enough he’ll be able to do a good job. Thirdly, someone like Shearer isn’t going to take too kindly to being dropped, benched or someone take his place. He’s had to fight his way to the top and at Newcastle no-one has given more to the cause than he has and no-one will have his commitment, passion, desire and will to win for his club more and even if he’s older, slower, the club do not have anyone better to lead, to play centre-forward, to put chances away, to fight back, to score goals.

 

Fans might look at Kluivert and Bellamy as a better option, but again, we can’t expect someone like Shearer to think the same and with every right. Why would he just accept being dropped for Kluivert who doesn’t train hard, cares, puts all effort in over Shearer?

 

The reason why I truly believe Shearer didn’t just want the best best for the club, but wanted what was best for the club even if that meant not what was best for him, is time and time again he pushed himself as the best man for the job and he was. But if anyone else come in who was going to be better for the job, he would have not been happy not playing and would have banged on the door of the manager demanding answers, but he would accept it for what is best for the club and that’s why he wanted Rooney to sign so badly and later Owen because ultimately he just wanted what was best for the club, if that’s not him, he would have stepped aside. He wasn’t going to do that for a Kluivert or a Bellamy or someone like James Beattie. A Rooney or an Owen yes.

 

Players our loyalty to Shearer would go out the window for to have up front together with Shearer out of the team which ironically, when it comes to players and managers, what’s best for them doesn’t matter, only what’s best for us and our club and that’s the way it should be, but we have to accept that’s the same for players and managers.

 

Anyone who questions Shearer however can fuck off. He’s the last of a kind who playing for Newcastle meant more to him than anyone else. Colback may be a Geordie and grew up wanting to play for Newcastle like Shearer, but Newcastle never meant everything or nothing to him like it did Shearer nor to those today coming through and it never will. Shearer played as if it did, fort hard for 10 years none stop as if it did and give what was best for the club what no-one else did or could as if it did, himself. 206 goals. No-one will beat that and no-one will ever bring the kind of huge, positive, influential presence to the club, city, fans and region that Shearer did as a player. He took on a role almost of a civic duty way and above just being a player.

 

Owen man, he’s not fit to lick shit off Shearer’s boots as a player or person.

[Raconteur]

Michael Bridges did a podcast with the Australian rights holder and savaged Owen - accompanying story (and link to the podcast)

 

https://sport.optus.com.au/articles/os267/very-selfish-lad-bridges-reveals-how-shearer-owen-feud-began

 

EDIT: Text in case it's members only, spoilered because it's longer than a HTT special

 

 

'Very selfish lad': Bridges reveals how Shearer-Owen feud began

 

What on earth is going on between Michael Owen and Alan Shearer? Former Newcastle United striker Michael Bridges explains the background to the feud on Optus Sport's GegenPod.

 

The football world has been captivated this week as England legends Alan Shearer and Michael Owen have gone head-to-head in a very public Twitter spat.

 

Newcastle icon Shearer called out his former teammate after a snippet of his book emerged where Owen had written candidly and callously about his time at St James’ Park – suggesting the Magpies weren’t a big club and that he regretted ever joining them.

 

Speaking on Optus Sport’s Gegenpod, ex-Newcastle striker Michael Bridges slammed Owen over the controversial passage, which he said was typical of the ‘selfish’ former striker.

 

"I know Alan well, play golf with him, we always take the mickey out of each other, been in the dressing room with him, and I roomed with Michael Owen many years ago for the England setup at the junior level," Bridges said.

 

“What I will say about the two of them: I put Alan Shearer on a pedestal, he’s a great man, he means well by what he does. Michael was a very selfish lad. And this typifies what he’s all about, he’s hurt a lot of people and he’s going to hurt a lot more."

 

Bridges went on to reveal the origins of the feud.

 

Owen arrived at Newcastle from Real Madrid back in 2005 and played 71 matches over four seasons at the club.

 

In his final season, Shearer was installed as temporary manager as the Magpies were relegated to the Championship – sewing the seeds of this fracas.

 

“Both [shearer and Owen] had the same agent, a guy called Tony Stevens. Many years ago, they were very good friends; obviously as time escalated they played together at St James’ Park,” Bridges said.

 

"Where it stems from, is when Alan got the job, he kind of held Michael Owen accountable for part of the relegation."

 

"And it comes from a guy called Paul Ferris, who was the physio at the time at St James' Park - he actually did a book and he also blames Michael Owen.

 

“He said for a man that has played only 58 Premier League games for Newcastle - scored 26 goals, taken $22 million in wages out of the football club - to say that he didn’t want to be there, didn’t enjoy it ... Ferris said in the last six months of his contract we couldn’t even get him to play in games because he was more worried about the next deal that was coming.

 

“So, his heart wasn’t in it.

 

"Alan has held him accountable in the past, Alan has never spoken about it and it’s going to be coming out in the book and he’s really upset a lot of Newcastle fans.

 

"I think he’s disrespected the club massively and the area."

 

Bridges suggests that Shearer and Owen aren’t the only two high profile football personalities drawn into the spat.

 

“Sam Allardyce has also come out and said Michael would fly and get helicopters from Newcastle airport into Liverpool ... as he didn’t like the area anyway. And it’s been a massive slant.

 

“There’s going to be more.

 

"Alan Shearer has had a nibble publicly, and who’s the winner here? The winner is Michael Owen. His book is going to sell now, he’s got interest and there’s going to be a few more players dragged into it. "And David Beckham (who Owen also takes a crack at for getting sent off at the 1998 World Cup against Argentina) is one of them that’s just come up as well!”

 

Owen scored 40 goals in 89 appearances for England, on top of a stellar club career, but admitted last year on television that he was a frustrated figure due to injuries in the latter part of his career - including his time at Newcastle - where the qualities that made him flourish when he was younger, were no longer as potent.

 

Bridges added: “You know the difference between these two players and a lot of other players; your Alan Shearers, your Teddy Sheringhams, your Paul Scholes, your Ryan Giggs? They were able to evolve through all kinds of eras of football and didn’t just rely on one thing.

 

“Michael was a goal scorer, and Michael had pace. As soon as his hamstrings went, he couldn’t adapt his game to play a different style of football because he didn’t have the technical ability and the footballing brain. A lot of players know that in the England setup. He went to Real Madrid as well. Famously, nobody wanted Michael in the team at five-a-side because he didn’t have that technical ability.

 

“Raul, the captain of Spain, you’ve got a goal scorer there and you’ve got the England No. 9, and they’re kind of thinking this guy can’t play. But put him on an 11-a-side pitch and the kid was unstoppable, there’s no denying that, but he could not adapt his game. And that’s the big thing where Shearer has kind of gone, just pipe down young man.”

 

 

My favourite: Famously, nobody wanted Michael in the team at five-a-side because he didn’t have that technical ability. Raul, the captain of Spain, you’ve got a goal scorer there and you’ve got the England No. 9, and they’re kind of thinking this guy can’t play. But put him on an 11-a-side pitch and the kid was unstoppable, there’s no denying that, but he could not adapt his game. And that’s the big thing where Shearer has kind of gone, just pipe down young man

[Zero]

Thanks HTT. I don’t need to type lol

[D. Yimentov]

He never had the best touch but, in fairness to him, he was very intelligent with his tiny bursts of movement. He'd mastered the art of timing his runs for headers. 

 

He came to Newcastle to replace Bellamy though, and I knew as soon as I saw him play that we'd downgraded. Love or loathe the neckless Welshman, he worked his bollocks off on the pitch. He'd close people down, run the lines, take people on, verbally abuse their defenders, verbally abuse our defenders. Squeaky Mick did none of that.

 

When you realise how many pros think he's a knacker, it's amazing no one decked him.

[D. Yimentov]

Souness - good bloke, great former player, good pundit, absolutely s*** manager!

 

He's an absolute helmet of a bloke and a shit pundit. 

[TRon]

I won’t have a bad word said against Shearer and especially not take anything the likes of Owen and in the past Bellamy say seriously. Shearer’s time at Newcastle towards the end, however, raised a few question marks relating to player power, but I dismiss such talk as nothing out of the ordinary which leads me to a big issue I have where a big percentage of fans are concerned and that is how so many fans especially Newcastle fans seem to be naive, ignorant or totally unrealistic when it comes to the myriad dynamics that exist in the world of the players and the managers within the structure of a football club.

 

A reality check is needed badly with some fans. Take the issue of player power for example and using Shearer, Captain, record signing, Geordie hero, fans favourite, number 9 goal scorer, the chairman’s most valuable asset and one day golden boy to mange the club for him.

 

A player like that is almost bigger than the manager, the team, the club even and any player of that standing is a powerful figure and that can be a dangerous thing if that player decides to use his status as a powerful figure for all kinds of things, from refusing to play in a different position, be rested, subbed off, dropped or benched. Such a player could use their power to demand no-one else gets paid more than him, no-one gets signs to take his place in the team or challenge his place or for some other purposes.

 

Has Shearer used his power to his advantage to get a better contract and get a bigger pay cheque? Of course. Has Shearer used his power to influence signings, even managerial appointments? Of course. Has he used his power to influence the managers decision or not to rest, sub, drop or get rid of him? Of course. But has he used his power to hold the club at ransom, a manager? As he used his power to get a manager the sack? To get a player dropped, sold or prevented from getting into the team?

 

I very much doubt it and that’s because someone like Shearer is a rare commodity in football in that whatever player power of his he used to suit what’s best for him, he also used his power to influence to suit what’s best for his club too. And for Shearer that was him, he was what was best for Newcastle and although some might think well he would do wouldn’t he and some would argue differently, especially towards the end of his career, fans need to realise and accept when someone like Shearer uses his power it’s not some simple example of a player abusing his power or or him putting himself above the club or anything else and even if that was the case, right or wrong, we can’t or shouldn’t hold players and managers to some kind of higher standard we may subscribe to because it’s wrong to expect and demand everyone puts what’s best for the club first. But fans do hold players and managers to that and get upset when they don’t or don’t always or as much as fans want them to. Reality check, the only loyal people in the game who have the best interests of their club at heart first and last and always are the fans and those who think players and managers should too even just a tiny bit are deluded, because that’s not who it works and the dynamics allow.

 

If they did, Shearer would have played for nowt, Rafa would have stayed and Sir Bobby would have resigned from Barcelona without even saying good bye and hitchhiked his way back to here.

 

Where we have been fortunate is we’ve had managers and players who wanted what’s best for the club as much as or even more than what was best for them. Kevin Keegan walking away from a multi million pound a year job he could have just turned up to work on match days only and played golf all day all week and no-one would have raised doubts about him not having the club’s best interests at heart. Sir Bobby genuinely would have worked for nowt or that covered his expenses, the job his civic duty as a Geordie he once said which if he was to choose as his final job in football, Newcastle would be the one regardless of division. The job was a civic role trusted to him by the city and people, a job his father if qualified enough to carry out would have left his family for to do or as a boy, would have given anything to pull on the shirt. Rafa wanted what’s best for the club too and not just what was best for him. That’s why he come first, stayed to bring the club back up and fought so hard to get the owner to do what’s best for the club too.

 

Ultimately though, what was best for Newcastle wasn’t what was best for Rafa, but he at least wanted what was best and used his power to influence what he could as Shearer did. Fans need to understand, when someone like Shearer uses his power to try and influence things like making it difficult for the manager to leave him out, put him on the bench or drop him, it’s not because he thinks he’s the almighty and powerful or because he’s thinking of only himself.

 

It’s different. First of all, he’s someone who wants to play every game and every minute and we should all be happy when a player gets upset with the manager when not selected or subs him. As long as they do so in private and I can’t ever remember Shearer kicking off publicly with a manager or ever berating someone in the media or showing any public descent. Secondly Shearer trains hard, does things right and no-matter his level of ability, in his own mind he will think he’s good enough to be starting and will be confident enough he’ll be able to do a good job. Thirdly, someone like Shearer isn’t going to take too kindly to being dropped, benched or someone take his place. He’s had to fight his way to the top and at Newcastle no-one has given more to the cause than he has and no-one will have his commitment, passion, desire and will to win for his club more and even if he’s older, slower, the club do not have anyone better to lead, to play centre-forward, to put chances away, to fight back, to score goals.

 

Fans might look at Kluivert and Bellamy as a better option, but again, we can’t expect someone like Shearer to think the same and with every right. Why would he just accept being dropped for Kluivert who doesn’t train hard, cares, puts all effort in over Shearer?

 

The reason why I truly believe Shearer didn’t just want the best best for the club, but wanted what was best for the club even if that meant not what was best for him, is time and time again he pushed himself as the best man for the job and he was. But if anyone else come in who was going to be better for the job, he would have not been happy not playing and would have banged on the door of the manager demanding answers, but he would accept it for what is best for the club and that’s why he wanted Rooney to sign so badly and later Owen because ultimately he just wanted what was best for the club, if that’s not him, he would have stepped aside. He wasn’t going to do that for a Kluivert or a Bellamy or someone like James Beattie. A Rooney or an Owen yes.

 

Players our loyalty to Shearer would go out the window for to have up front together with Shearer out of the team which ironically, when it comes to players and managers, what’s best for them doesn’t matter, only what’s best for us and our club and that’s the way it should be, but we have to accept that’s the same for players and managers.

 

Anyone who questions Shearer however can fuck off. He’s the last of a kind who playing for Newcastle meant more to him than anyone else. Colback may be a Geordie and grew up wanting to play for Newcastle like Shearer, but Newcastle never meant everything or nothing to him like it did Shearer nor to those today coming through and it never will. Shearer played as if it did, fort hard for 10 years none stop as if it did and give what was best for the club what no-one else did or could as if it did, himself. 206 goals. No-one will beat that and no-one will ever bring the kind of huge, positive, influential presence to the club, city, fans and region that Shearer did as a player. He took on a role almost of a civic duty way and above just being a player.

 

Owen man, he’s not fit to lick shit off Shearer’s boots as a player or person.

 

I disagree, and I think we've had this disagreement before. No one could ever call Shearer's professionalism into account, he was a great pro by all accounts, but I think him having too much clout at the club was counter-productive in some ways. A player should play and managers should manage. Even Freddie Shepherd was more of a fanboy than a chairman when it came to Shearer. Only Robson really got the best out of Shearer as a player, and that was because he saw him as a player, not some shining exemplar who everyone else had to fall in line with. When Shearer's mates got the job as manager, ironically that was when he was least effective.

 

That's nothing to do with his spat with Owen though. No one could ever doubt Shearer's commitment to Newcastle, whereas Owen was the worst kind of mercenary. If he just didn't care it would be bad enough, but he acted like we had twisted his arm to come here, the little shit.

 

 

[AyeDubbleYoo]

There was a point when Shearer was maybe getting too important to the club, but it was a very short time and very late in his career.

[Optimistic Nut]

There was a point when Shearer was maybe getting too important to the club, but it was a very short time and very late in his career.

 

Fuck it, in the end I’m pleased he did. Him breaking the record is the one proud thing we’ve got to hold on to for 15 years.

[Thomson Mouse]

 

Wonder who the mutual mate was, if it was a footballer

 

Neil Farrington replies to Owen in that tweet and links to a post on here