Jon Mcleod
Andrew MacdougallAlan Shearer - The plight of the uncharismatic leader
Despite the dense stench of desperation emanating from the corridors of power at St James’ Park as Newcastle faced up to the prospect of Championship football next season, there seemed some reasoning behind the appointment of Alan Shearer as caretaker manager at the beginning of April.
He was an injection of optimism required to lift them out of trouble. He was a figurehead for a wayward but talented team. He was a saviour in waiting.
However, Shearer’s return was not logical. It was inevitable. Sometimes a one can masquerade as the other.
And how it has all unraveled. Three games and one question remain for Newcastle. So what can the suited Shearer do to save them from relegation?
Shearer is no tactical grand master. Anyone who watched the BBC’s coverage of Euro 2008 will testify to that. Sitting next to Martin O’Neil on the pundit’s sofa, Shearer squirmed constantly. By the end of the tournament he was visibly fearful of his colleague’s persistent interjections and corrections. A seasoned football man though Shearer is, he appears no closer to solving the chalkboard equations. His recent experimentations with three at the back have proved as fruitless for him as it did for their previous high-profile employer Steve McClaren.
But such criticisms, of course, miss the point of the appointment. Shearer was recruited to galvanise the players, staff and supporters. His instruction was to inject confidence and pride. He was to win over the crowd who, in turn, he would lend to the players. He was to unite the fragmented club. Newcastle hired Shearer the person not Shearer the player.
However such expectations are to misinterpret the Shearer phenomenon. The Shearer legend was created on the pitch through his predatory powers not through his uniting personality. His early experiments in team building and man-management have fallen short. His public backing of Michael Owen could have worked but has ended in a climb down and no doubt a number of the Newcastle squad were displeased with the air-time their new manager spent eulogising their team-mate. Shearer the player was never in question. Shearer the manager has many to answer.
Shearer’s legend was created in boots not suits, on the pitch rather than off it. Which begs the question: what can he offer Newcastle now?
