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Shearer the Saviour?

Published by Ian John on April 1, 2009

As the current encumbent of the enviable(?) position of Newcastle United manager, Joe Kinnear, sees a cardiologist just weeks after heart surgery it has emerged that for the final eight games of the season, Tyneside legend Alan Shearer will take over the managerial reigns at the club he once idolised as a boy.

It is a move that has been long mooted in arriving. Shearer was first touted for a move to Newcastle in some capacity once the news of him retiring became official. Shearer was keen on the managers role when Sam Allardyce was fired but chairman Mike Ashley opted for the more experienced Kevin Keegan. Keegan is purported to have immediately enquired as to whether Shearer would be interested in an assistant managerial role, under his tutorship, whilst he was still manager of the club. This was met with a polite rebuff and until today it seemed that even the lure of working for the club where Shearer is worshipped, was not strong enough to tempt him from the cosseted safety of football punditry.

So what has changed?

One can only guess as to the real reasons why Shearer has now accepted this somewhat poisoned chalice on offer. Owner Mike Ashley, while not as fervently despised as he was when Keegan resigned, is still persona non-grata at the club and all attempts he has made to sell the club thus far have failed, ending in the somewhat facile and contrite announcement a few months ago that he had decided to keep the club after all. The Joe Kinnear experiment hasn’t worked out, with the club in no better position now than they were when the ex Wimbledon boss initially joined. With eight games to go to save themselves from the ignominy of relegation and the inherent financial destruction that would entail, Shearer has been charged with the task of rescuing the team, His team, from the brink.

On the face of it, it is not the easiest challenge. Shearer’s tenure will start with a game against Chelsea and given the tightness of the situation at the foot of the Premier League table, there is no guarantee that even three or four wins from the final eight games would be enough to save the club. So one has to ask the question; Why has Shearer accepted the role now?

The answer is twofold, first it is safe to assume that owner Mike Ashley is well aware of the depreciating effect relegation would have on his asset, not to mention the financial loss the club would suffer as a result of missing out on being part of the Premiership prize fund. The club is already precariously poised financially and is propped up by the chairman’s vast personal wealth. Relegation would be an additional blow to a club that is already struggling financially.For Ashley to pay Shearer well now and preserve the value of his asset and their place in the top flight of English soccer, makes sound fiscal sense for both Ashley and Shearer, who will not be taking this task on through the goodness of his heart alone. The second reason is that for Shearer, this is in a no-lose situation. If Newcastle do go down, Shearer can rightly point to the fact that he only had eight games to rescue the club and that the damage was done long before he took on the role. If he saves the club from relegation, he will be a hero. In either situation his bank balance is suitably enhanced and his position as living legend to the Geordie faithful will still endure, possibly even be enhanced. That improves his bargaining power to remain on as manager for a longer term, should he choose to do so, far greater.

All too often, the term “big club” has been applied to Newcastle with little justification. The Newcastle fans now have who they want at the helm and Shearer has eight games to rescue the club that he loved as a child and professional. With Shearer being seen as a winner as a professional, it is perhaps inconcievable to many Geordie fans that the club will not be saved by the incoming manager. Already many ex-Newcastle players and former teammates of Shearer have been quick to applaud the move, while fans are said to be joyous at the news.

But, Shearer inherits a de-motivated and divided squad. Ego’s seem to have split the team. A lack of direction from the chairman downwards has left the club in limbo. Kinnear was the firefighter, but Shearer can be the saviour.

However Shearer will know that isn’t the signature of a “big club” that success is measured by simply avoiding relegation.

Shearer will only be a saviour when he turns the club’s fortunes around fully and makes them challenge for the title, as they did in the days when he was a player under Kevin Keegan.

Winning against Chelsea at the weekend, would be the perfect indication that he can do just that, but it is going to be a remarkably difficult task.

Photo Credit : **Akuppa** on Flickr.com

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