Deal being lined up to keep the right man at Newcastle

A deal is being lined up which could see Alan Shearer stay on at Newcastle United. It is though that Shearer will be offered a four year deal to try and tempt him into staying and getting the club back into the Premier League.

Newcastle were sent down much to the joy of Hull City and now the board are rapidly working away in order to get a deal done that would see Shearer stay on. No doubt he will want to as he will still be suffering from the heart break of the drop, this would make it much easier for him to say yes to a good deal as opposed to if the club had stayed up.

If they had stayed up then a number of problems at the club would not have been highlighted and Shearer may then have been persuaded to not stay on as head at St. James’ Park. Shearer is clearly a man with big opinions and ideas about how the club should be run and he will want to get these across in a better manner.

It must be remembered that he did not have long in charge of the team and a few games clearly wasn’t long enough for him to be able to stamp his style of management on the side and as a result they went down. A long and more extended deal will allow him the time and space to develop the side to the exact point to how he would want it.

He also knows how to deal with the players as he was a high calibre on himself. This will be important over the next couple of months when you take in to account the fuss that is likely to be generated over the downgrading of contracts. A lot of Newcastle’s players will be subjected to 50 per cent wage cuts and as a result many may head for the door rather than show their faith and stay on.

Another reason why a long deal would be good for both parties is the fact that Shearer has the ability to inspire. The fans are loyal and love him despite the club going down and he can inspire the younger players in the side to go out and run themselves into the ground for a club that deserves so much more.

Man journalists have been commenting in recent times about how Newcastle had become somewhat of a laughing stock to a number of other clubs in the North East and the rest of the country. This is something that will really get to Shearer, something he will take to heart and work vigorously to change.

So Newcastle would do well to give him every single assurance that he asks for and pretty much offer him whatever he wants to stay as manager of the club. Getting someone else in now would be a bad move as they would take time to settle in and develop the club to their own ends. Shearer is already there and Newcastle need to make sure he stays there.

Fergie will always be one of the greats.

Reports emerging today that Sir Alex Ferguson has missed his chance to become one of the greatest managers of all time are absolutely ridiculous and naïve. Ferguson’s Manchester United side lost last night in the Champions League final and many reporters are now saying his chance at true greatness has been missed.

Well it is hard to believe this when you bear in mind the 35 trophies he has already won including 11 Premier League crowns and two European Cups. The point is that any manager would have suffered last night and it is difficult to think of a team that actually would have beaten Barcelona, regardless of the way United had played.

Barca manager, Pep Guardiola, himself commented before the game that even if his side won that Fergie would always been an idol to him and to other managers because he has achieved so much in a huge career. The Scot will be hungry for more as well, he is a human being and will be feeling as gutted as anyone else on the United plane when it comes home.

No doubt he will want to right this wrong at some point and has already stated that he will not retire until it is clearly obvious that he can’t take a moment more of the excitement and fast pace of the domestic game.

So to suggest his chance for greatness has slipped away is a stupidly naïve statement to make. His side came up against another side that played perfectly in every single area on the pitch. This is something that can sometimes render tactics irrelevant. It seemed that however Fergie tinkered with his team then Barca would play around that problem until it worked for them.

When he does eventually retire then he will be considered as one of the greatest ever, if not the greatest manager in the last two decades. It is impossible to win absolutely everything all of the time and although there was talk of a quintuple this year for United it was an unlikely scenario. This is a side that went for everything and as a result have come out with only the Premier League, World Club Championship and Carling Cup to show for it.

However, at least they had a go. It would take a very special side to win everything they were playing for in a single season. It would take a team with a squad so deep it would seem like they had contracted players walking the streets, ready to play when necessary. It would also take a manager who wouldn’t appear to be a human being, the sort of man that has an answer for everything and knows how to turn literally any game in five minutes so it works to his advantage.

It is very easy to ignore just how well Barca played last night and look at how United clearly were the worse team. It’ll be a hard push for Barca to get into the final again next year as there are a lot of teams who will be gunning for them when the competition starts again. It is certain however, that the statues being made of Fergie are not going to be smashed to bits because of one final defeat.

Vacancy at Newcastle United

Can Shearer say no?

There’s a rather high-profile vacancy at Newcastle United Football Club. For a manager. But don’t bother applying as it’s already been filled. Well, the Toon Army hopes it has anyway.

All the signs are pointing in the right direction of caretaker manager Alan Shearer taking on the job permanently.

When the MD tells the world the candidate has his 110 per cent backing, it’s got to be a fait accompli.

The big question is whether or not Shearer will take the job. Or rather, can he turn it down?

It’s the classic Catch 22 situation. If Shearer accepts the position, he will continue to be Newcastle’s hero. If he turns it down, the Magpies will take it as a slap in the face, very unfair given Shearer’s devotion for the last eight matches of the season and for taking the job on in the first place. He risked not only his health – such pressure just cannot be good for the heart! – and his reputation but igniting the anger of Newcastle supporters if he failed.

In the end, despite valiant attempts to keep the club up, he was unable to prevent the drop to the Championship but, as predicted, fans kept faith. There was still only one man they wanted for the job and the board seems to agree.

MD Derek Llamblas says Shearer is their number one target for the full-time job, describing him as a straight-talking guy and the man who could take Newcastle back into the top flight next season. It would be a huge challenge but that’s probably the key to Shearer taking the job. He has never been a man to give up, on or off the pitch, and coupled with his love for Newcastle, it would be a huge shock if he turned the job down.

The only slight cloud on the horizon is why it is taking such a long time to make an announcement. What exactly is the stumbling block or is Shearer actually having to think about committing to the club full-time?

Fans have been promised an update or an announcement as soon as possible and let’s hope that it comes within the next few days. Newcastle were dealt a huge blow with relegation and if Shearer is confirmed as the new manager, it will lift the whole city.

Newcastle owner Mike Ashley, meantime, has apologised to the fans for wrong decisions in recent seasons and says he fully accepts mistakes were made. He says the supporters have been magnificent, turning up in their thousands match after match.

Is the slate being wiped clean to make way for Shearer’s new regime? It would certainly seem that way.

If so, comments also made by former Newcastle owner Sir John Hall are pretty irrelevant. He has criticised the attitude of the current squad, describing them as rubbish, useless and yesterday’s men. Talk about kicking a dog when it’s down.

What Newcastle need now is to go forward, not look back. It’s time to rebuild the team, rebuild the club and rebuild confidence and, above all, to start winning when the new season begins. Let’s just hope the man at the front is Alan Shearer.

Young and old conflict at Arsenal.

Arsenal winger, Theo Walcott, has gone head on against the comments made by his manager, Arsene Wenger, and insists that playing for your country at any level should be an honour. Wenger had said that Walcott being picked by both the England U21 side and the full first team would not allow one of his best young players enough time to rest over the summer.

Walcott has met these statements head on and says that whatever the level and whatever the game if England come calling then he is never going to say no. Wenger’s point is a good one considering the physical stress that modern day players are put under but you cannot help but admire Walcott’s ambition and almost childish nature.

Walcott said: “You should be proud to play for your country. I’m happy to play for both teams and put 100 per cent in and that’s what I will do.” Walcott is clearly a very talented and modest young man that takes playing for his country as seriously as he takes playing for his club.

No doubt that if Walcott picks up a bad injury this summer that keeps him out of Arsenal’s pre-season then the story will be reproduced in endless quantities until both parties have had their say to the FA cup. It is clear Wenger is not happy and even after Walcott ripped out the heart of Croatia in a World Cup qualifier he stated his fears that the euphoria surrounding Walcott would become too much for the young man to handle.

Wenger said: “I’ve let it be known to the FA that he should not play in both national teams during the holiday period. Capello is understanding and Pearce is less understanding. It is difficult for us to accept, but we cannot do anything about it.”

Surely Stuart Pearce just wants the best players at his disposal as England’s U21s go into the European Cup this summer hoping to avenge the heart break of semi-final defeat last time round. It is not a case of Pearce not being understanding enough, it is a case of him just wanting his country to win and he feels that picking Walcott, despite other commitments, is his best chance of doing this.

If Walcott comes out the European U21 finals as top scorer and also plays a blinder in the first team’s World Cup qualifiers then no one can be unhappy. The FA and England will be satisfied as their picking of Walcott will be justified and Wenger will be happy as one of his younger players has a lot more experience and has come through the summer unscathed.

It seems that Wenger should maybe just let Walcott off the leash a little and trust the young man to know when to say no, enough is enough, I’m too tired to play and need a rest. It is no good wrapping a player up in cotton wool because if you do then it will not get him anywhere.

There have been numerous occasions this summer where it has been quite clear that Walcott has not been good enough. He is still a very young man and the only way he will get better is through consistency and this will come through more games.

Hip hip hooray for Hyypia

Just how brilliant are the Liverpool supporters! Not only can the Kop raise the roof when the going gets tough, they can now dictate the tactics too.There was a brilliant flash of humour on the final day of the Premiership season as the Reds confronted Tottenham at Anfield.

Liverpool had already secured their creditable second place to Manchester United but Tottenham still had everything to play for with a place in the Europa League at stake.Liverpool also had a record to maintain – an entire season unbeaten at home for the first time in 21 years.

Fernando Torres had already secured a place in the history book by scoring his 50th goal of the season for Liverpool and with the Reds coasting to victory, it was the fans, as opposed to Rafael Benitez, who wanted a change on the pitch. Bring on hero Sami Hyypia, they cried.

Benitez later admitted it had always been his intention to bring the big Norwegian on a minute or two from time so the Kop could wish him a fond farewell. After a brilliant ten seasons with Liverpool, Hyypia is joining Bayer Leverkusen to see out his playing career.

His cool head, brilliant defending and a crucial goal or two made him a firm favourite at Anfield and the crowd had absolutely no intention of letting him go without a rip-roaring send-off.Managers aren’t normally dictated too by the supporters but on this occasion, Benitez just had to concede.

Ten minutes before time, on came Hyypia and what a great touch it was for captain Steven Gerrard to pass on his armband. The icing on the cake would have been scoring and Hyypia very nearly did that too.Afterwards, as Hyypia did a lap of honour, applauding the crowd, he admitted there were tears in his eyes.

Liverpool are losing a grand servant and their loss is Bayer Leverkusen’s gain. It’s great players like Hyypia who form the backbone of clubs, working consistently and silently in the background but always being there when needed.It’s odds on that Sami Hyypia will one day return to Anfield in some sort of coaching capacity and Liverpool will welcome him back with open arms.

Meantime, attention turns to Xabi Alonso who is being tipped to leave Liverpool, possibly for Real Madrid. Benitez says no, this is not the case. Alonso is happy at Anfield, has no plans to leave and is a great player they still want around.Liverpool fans will be waiting to see just who remains in the squad and what new signings will be made for the next season.

The Kop will be hoping to go one step better and secure the Premiership and avoiding those costly draws at home will be the key. Even the fans won’t be able to dictate that one.

Fitting reward for a season of hard work

Fulham will be playing European football next season and it is just what the club deserves as they have prospered under the management of Roy Hodgson. Fulham have developed from a mid-table club who had to fend off the threat of relegation each season to become one of the most efficient sides outside of the top four.

Fulham have attracted a lot of praise from every section of football this season and have created a defence, which rivals even the best in the game. Hodgson, whose appointment was one of much debate in West London when it was announced not too long ago, has created a lot of this.

What Hodgson has brought to the side is the experience that you need to steady a Premier League side that want to jump from one end of the table to the other. Before he arrived you didn’t really know which Fulham side you would be playing, the one capable of beating Manchester United 2-0 or the one capable of caving in to a good thrashing.

The point is that Hodgson brought with him a very level head. He made sure that every element of his side had big characters and that the same players were playing together all the time, keeping rotation down to a minimum. What this created was a sense of team spirit, something that can eradicate the quality of any opposition on any single occasion.

Now this has been set up and is part of the club, Fulham can move on to bigger things and bigger adventures. The chants echoing around Craven Cottage of ‘we’re all going on a European tour’ have not been heard for a very long time and the efficiency that Hodgson has drilled into his team is the main reason for this.

The club now looks very business like, limitations and possibilities are both equally considered with every decision that the football club makes. A strong discipline regime makes sure that none of the players step out of line and if the whole improving attitude continues then Fulham could start pushing the boundaries of what they can do domestically as well as on the European front.

Efficiency is everything in the game of football. Fulham do not play the prettiest game by a long way but they play to their strengths, which Hodgson has helped them develop. The spine of the side from the defence, down the middle to the front men is strong and this often makes the team resilient when they have to take a lot of pressure playing the bigger sides in the Premier League.

Hodgson has given back some confidence to one or two players that previously didn’t really have any and he has utilised the team’s best players and made sure that they are all playing their hearts out for the white shirt every single time they walk onto the pitch.

Fulham would do well to keep Hodgson in place for a very long time. He is arguably their best manager over the last few seasons and he doesn’t look like he will be swayed by an offer from anywhere else any time soon.

Futures are on the line

It looks like Newcastle United’s relegation decider against flying high Aston Villa on Monday, May 25 will decide more than just the fate of the Geordies.

Assistant manager Iain Dowie has revealed that neither he or Alan Shearer know what their future will be after the season comes to a close. Does it depend on whether Newcastle stay up or go down? More than likely. Alan Shearer may well be in his infancy when it comes to football management but there is a feeling he will only stay if the club survives in the Premiership. The fans will certainly want him to continue.

Dowie says that when he and Shearer took on the roles it was just for eight weeks and those eight weeks have been the longest in their lives. A drop to the Championship would be a disaster for Newcastle and the supporters and Shearer and co would be gutted as well. But he would face a very difficult decision. Would he want to continue as manager in the second flight? It’s unlikely that Shearer would go elsewhere although his services will be much in demand. It’s more likely that he would opt to resume his broadcasting career and avoid the stress and strains of football management.

In any event, all hope is not lost yet. Newcastle travel to Aston Villa needing at least a point, with Hull and Sunderland also battling for survival. All eyes will be on Sir Alex Ferguson to see what type of team he fields against Hull. Fergie assures that whatever side he picks, they will be well capable of defeating Hull as promising young players will want to prove their worth and their potential as future stars.

That’s little consolation for Shearer who wants to see Hull slaughtered. Fergie has the Champions League final in Rome against Barcelona three days later very much on his mind and who can blame him for wanting to wrap his big guns in cotton wool? Other managers would do the same. That’s why they are managers. Dare to criticise Fergie for thinking about fielding a weakened team and Manchester United fans will go for the jugular. The teams in the relegation zone have only themselves to blame for the plight they find themselves in. Quite simply, they should have won more matches.

There are no favours in the big time and it will be up to Newcastle, Hull and Sunderland to make their own luck.Sunderland boss Ricky Sbragia is at least seeing sense. He believes Fergie will field a side good enough to beat Hull. Sunderland go down if they lose to Chelsea, Hull beat United and Newcastle win their game. Hull might have everything to play for but it will be a great surprise if they manage to get one over Manchester United, under strength team or not.

Meantime, it looks as though out of sorts striker Michael Owen is likely to figure in Shearer’s starting eleven. He has a big point to prove and it’s odds on that Owen is going to slot home Newcastle’s winning goal, turning himself into a hero as much as Shearer already is. May 25 is going to be a very interesting day indeed!