5th February 2005
By
Jody Jamieson
Alan Shearer has been our number 9 for nearly 9 years now. Very appropriate
indeed. However what isn't appropriate is that Alan Shearer still
hasn't picked up a winners medal. Sure, he's had his chances - when
we set history as the only team in FA Cup Final history to play for
a point - but we don't need some London based Manchester United sympathising
idiot to tell us with the benefit of almost a decade of hindsight
that Shearer would have won more medals if he'd moved to Old Trafford
in the summer of 1996. It's easy to say now, and it may have been
the safe bet back then, but could we really see ourselves in a position
where we're about to wave goodbye to perhaps the greatest striker
in our clubs history still waiting for that elusive honour?
When Shearer snubbed Manchester United to come home he in turn sent
shockwaves around the world and sent the shivers up Alex Ferguson's
spine. How many people across the country believed that we'd win the
96/97 title after securing the services of Alan Shearer? Most of those
patronising tossers in the London press certainly did. They were quaking
in their boots. We were full of confidence, and we now had the best
striker in the country leading the line for his boyhood heroes. It
was Roy of the Rovers style magic that if it didn't end in the Championship,
then it would likely end with a trophy of some sort.
The worst part about this article is you can sort of see his point
that maybe Shearer could have been better suited (again with a bit
of hindsight) with a move to Old Trafford, but the writer made such
a shite attempt at making his point it just couldn't be taken seriously.
Basing the argument for best striker on the fact that he has very
few medals rather than basing it on ability shows that the writer
in question (whatever his name is) would perhaps be better suited
to a career in newspaper delivery or road sweeping. Alan Shearer is
one of the greatest strikers ever to play this game. Eric Djemba-Djemba
is a very average midfielder. But Djemba-Djemba has a medal or two
from his time at Manchester United. Who may I ask would you want?
Whoever says Djemba-Djemba should join the BBC writer in sticking
the Daily Mail through number 25's letter box at 7am.
As I said, the basic point of his article may have some basis. Shearer
will never ever come out and say "Joining Newcastle United was a mistake.
I should have ignored my heart and gone to Old Trafford" and unless
he's trying to shift autobiographies, probably never will. Deep down
though, do you think that Shearer is satisfied with the way his successes
panned out when he had an offer like that? He could have had every
medal he ever dreamed of bar a World Cup winners medal if he'd gone
to Old Trafford, but he now sits on his sole Premiership winners medal
under Kenny Dalglish at Blackburn. I would be delighted, but a man
of Shearer's quality must wonder what might have been.
Yes Mr BBC Man. Players are judged on successes. In terms of what
they achieved as part of a team. Anyone who rates a players ability
completely on how many medals they have however is a buffoon. Which
pretty much sums up the article writer who must be a buffoon to think
that Alan Shearer can be regarded as an unworthy applicant to greatest
striker to ever play the game due to the fact that Newcastle United
have underachieved. Shearer has achieved his own personal achievement
through scoring goals, and I'd say it's a testament to the player
that he's set records for domestic goalscoring in what so many people
think of as the best league in the world, despite not having a team
good enough to win honours.
Shearer wasn't exactly Linford Christie over 100 meters in his youth,
but he was quick enough and was built like a cheese string in his
youth and he got by. Scoring goals for fun. He got a bad injury and
lost his pace. Did it end him? Did it hell! He came back, bulked up
and moulded his game around a completely different style of play and
still remained the potent threat he always was. How many people can
see Michael Owen losing his pace and still scoring 30 goals a season
on a fairly regular basis? I for one would imagine that Michael Owen
would become an average footballer should injury take his pace away
from him. I remember 5 years ago when Shearer still had some of his
pace we'd ping a long ball to Duncan Disorderly to flick on for Shearer.
Now Shearer adapted his game to suit, and now he's there for the flick
on to a quick striker (or Ameobi) and that says it all about the mans
ability.
There is one paragraph of the article by the BBC guy that particularly
showed that this man should not be paid a penny for writing anything
ever ever ever.
"But England's exit at the hands of Germany in a penalty shoot-out
seems to typify Shearer's career - with it possibly being the sort
that never quite fulfilled its promise."
Never quite fulfilled its promise?!?! Correct me if I'm wrong, but
is he not the top scorer in Premiership history? That's pretty good
fulfilling if you ask me! All that typifies is what Shearer has had
around him. Comparing a Gareth bloody Southgate penalty miss to a
mythical failing to reach Shearer's full potential is ludicrous. May
I remind you that not only did Shearer open the scoring in that semi
final, but he also scored in the shootout. What more can he do?
Alan Shearer will always be one of the greatest strikers to ever wear
the 3 Lions. He'll always be the greatest English striker of this
generation, and the pathetic lack of appreciation for Shearer from
the London media is all too apparent, patronising, and appalling.
Remember this is the same *media who said that Shearer was not fit
to captain his country or ever play for his country at Euro 96 because
of his recent poor run of international form (despite the fact they
hadn't played a competitive fixture since the San Marino game in late
1993) and thankfully for you lot Venable's ignored the imbeciles and
Shearer paid back the ungrateful shites by finishing top scorer and
dragging his team to the semi finals. Don't get me wrong, the Holland
game was an exceptional team performance - one that perhaps won't
be topped, even by the 5-1 in Munich - but for the rest of that tournament
England were average. Dragged through by a select few. Namely Seaman,
Gascoigne and Shearer himself.
*(Ed: The same media that wanted him to come out of retirement for
the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2004)
Alan Shearer should be applauded for showing the one thing that is
lacking from the modern game and for showing the one thing that most
media pundits (this BBC moron included) complain about. Loyalty. Shearer
followed his heart and while it hasn't been as fruitful as he'd hoped,
it was an honour for him to play for the team he loves. But yet some
people see it fit to rather than praise the fact that he decided to
play for the team that means the world to him, they'd rather bemoan
the fact he didn't help make their beloved Manchester United invincible.
It probably says more about Shearer's ability that 9 years later these
people are still bitter about that.
Same old Shearer. Always scoring. Same old Cockneys. Still in mourning!
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