So “SURVIVAL SUNDAY” turned out to be the dampest of squibs with none of the teams who had their destiny “in their own hands” doing anything of note but ended up being safe anyway because those below them were incapable of winning either.
My own team Villa were able to take care of Newcastle thanks to a somewhat fortuitous deflection and unlike other recent games where Villa have carried slender leads into closing stages of matches before throwing it away as soon as they are put under pressure, Newcastle couldn’t exert any sort of pressure and for much of the game there was a weird sense of certainty that the Geordies fate was already sealed by the football gods.
And so Newcastle will boast the biggest ground outside the Premier League and, for the first year at least, will boast the highest average attendances in their league and more than half of the Premier League above. Unfortunately and this may come as a shock to many of the Geordies I know there are no prizes for turning up and watching tripe week after week. Those same Geordies also seem to have conveniently forgotten that just prior to gaining promotion back into the top flight those attendances weren’t too flash either with 1990/91 season just topping the 16,000 mark.
The big question for me is not whether latest Messiah Shearer wants to continue but for Newcastle to ask themselves in the cold light of day whether they believe Shearer is really the man to lead them out of the Championship back to the top flight at the first time of asking. His record of 1 win in 8 wasn’t enough to keep Newcastle up with that win coming at home against and equally rubbish Boro side suggesting a man with slightly more than zero experience may be needed for the trips to Blackpool and Scunthorpe next year.
Shearer talks about a huge clearout needed.....and he’s right...but good luck trying to remove the glut of over-paid underperforming players Newcastle seem to have in abundance when they have a couple of years left on their contract and there are no takers at any sort of transfer fee. Newcastle have the double whammy of losing the Premier League TV riches but also being left with a squad assembled at huge expense but of little residual value – Michael Owen being a good case in point.
A quick look to the relegation positions in the Championship where we see Norwich, Southampton and Charlton all making the drop to England’s third tier shows how quickly things can change. Newcastle should take nothing for granted and should start at the top and choose a manager with their heads not their heart - a route they’ve taken twice in the last 12 months. It’s taken Alex Ferguson 30 years of management to run Manchester United the way he now runs it....I get the feeling Shearer wants to run Newcastle like this from game one of his coaching career. Unfortunately it’s not the way it works and players see through this lack of experience and can sense a coach out of his depth...he should know...he was a player through Graham Taylors England reign. At least he chose his assistant well with Iain Dowie more than familiar with helping teams depart the Premier League.
Time will tell if Shearer is there next season but in my view the club should, for once, put sentiment aside and look long and hard at whether he is up to the root and branch overhaul Newcastle needs before offering him the job.
The last thing they need is another managerial merry-go-round again next year – the stakes are just too high.
My own team Villa were able to take care of Newcastle thanks to a somewhat fortuitous deflection and unlike other recent games where Villa have carried slender leads into closing stages of matches before throwing it away as soon as they are put under pressure, Newcastle couldn’t exert any sort of pressure and for much of the game there was a weird sense of certainty that the Geordies fate was already sealed by the football gods.
And so Newcastle will boast the biggest ground outside the Premier League and, for the first year at least, will boast the highest average attendances in their league and more than half of the Premier League above. Unfortunately and this may come as a shock to many of the Geordies I know there are no prizes for turning up and watching tripe week after week. Those same Geordies also seem to have conveniently forgotten that just prior to gaining promotion back into the top flight those attendances weren’t too flash either with 1990/91 season just topping the 16,000 mark.
The big question for me is not whether latest Messiah Shearer wants to continue but for Newcastle to ask themselves in the cold light of day whether they believe Shearer is really the man to lead them out of the Championship back to the top flight at the first time of asking. His record of 1 win in 8 wasn’t enough to keep Newcastle up with that win coming at home against and equally rubbish Boro side suggesting a man with slightly more than zero experience may be needed for the trips to Blackpool and Scunthorpe next year.
Shearer talks about a huge clearout needed.....and he’s right...but good luck trying to remove the glut of over-paid underperforming players Newcastle seem to have in abundance when they have a couple of years left on their contract and there are no takers at any sort of transfer fee. Newcastle have the double whammy of losing the Premier League TV riches but also being left with a squad assembled at huge expense but of little residual value – Michael Owen being a good case in point.
A quick look to the relegation positions in the Championship where we see Norwich, Southampton and Charlton all making the drop to England’s third tier shows how quickly things can change. Newcastle should take nothing for granted and should start at the top and choose a manager with their heads not their heart - a route they’ve taken twice in the last 12 months. It’s taken Alex Ferguson 30 years of management to run Manchester United the way he now runs it....I get the feeling Shearer wants to run Newcastle like this from game one of his coaching career. Unfortunately it’s not the way it works and players see through this lack of experience and can sense a coach out of his depth...he should know...he was a player through Graham Taylors England reign. At least he chose his assistant well with Iain Dowie more than familiar with helping teams depart the Premier League.
Time will tell if Shearer is there next season but in my view the club should, for once, put sentiment aside and look long and hard at whether he is up to the root and branch overhaul Newcastle needs before offering him the job.
The last thing they need is another managerial merry-go-round again next year – the stakes are just too high.
