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Struggle: This Toon's Not Big Enough For The Both Of Us |
Newcastle-Online comment: 5th August 2004
Caution - long article
That's the message that reads to me regarding this 'stand off' between
our Captain Alan Shearer and our manager Sir Bobby Robson. Big Al's
petulant sulk at being subbed last night at Parkhead leaves no doubts
remaining in my mind that the two don't get on and that spells trouble.
What started off as a marriage made in heaven when Bobby was brought
in towards the end of '99 where he promised to get our Number 9 doing
what he does best - which he did - has degenerated into some kind
of power struggle that is threatening to undermine our Season, if
it already hasn't.
So what has happened since that memorable day when Big Al put 5 past
Sheff Wed in Bobby's first home game, a goal glut that brought about
a personal thank you to Bobby from the Skipper? Who is to blame, who
is in the wrong for this break down in their relationship? Can this
be dealt with amicably? All questions that need answered.
The problem
The problem is as transparent as glass. Shearer wants to play every
minute (from the start) of his final Season in football, he wants
to win that elusive trophy with the club he loves with all his heart,
he wants to break Wor Jackie's goalscoring record. He wants this to
be the perfect Season, to bow out as undisputed king of his castle,
New-castle. Nothing wrong with that but Bobby has seen something that
Shearer just won't accept - something that is neither to the benefit
of the team nor Shearer himself. Quite simply Bobby doesn't believe
that Big Al is capable of playing every game (which he is not), or
more to the point having an impact in every game to justify his selection.
Slower and even more static, even when Shearer is bang on form, playing
to his strengths - which to get him to score goals we would have to,
will always hamper the rest of the team.
Last Season, because we played to Shearer's strengths, our midfield
hardly got involved in the game or contributed in the attacking 3rd
- hence we struggled, especially away from home. Bobby, being the
experienced manager that he is has decided that we can no longer play
this way because we will just be shooting ourselves in the foot. Already
in Pre-Season we have seen a change in our playing style or an attempted
change. No longer do we look long to Shearer, instead we have tried
to play it on the deck and using the pace and movement in our team
to attack the opposition. It's no coincidence that this style of play
hasn't exactly benefited Shearer who with his slow aging frame simply
can't function as a cog in a well oiled machine based on passing and
movement. This has only served to further frustrate Shearer, who likes
to be the focal point of the attack, the spearhead if you like and
with Kluivert's arrival he now has someone to rival him, someone who
can not only score the goals that he alone has done so for 8 years,
but someone who is quicker, younger and more mobile. Someone who can
fit into a game plan that is based on passing and movement, a game
plan that will allow the midfield to play a bigger part in games.
Like Shearer, Bobby too wants this Season to be perfect, he too wants
to win that elusive trophy with the club he loves with all his heart
- however playing Shearer in every game is going to make this even
more of a difficult task than it already is. In Season's gone by Bobby
has had to play to Shearer's strengths because we didn't have another
25 + goal a season man nor the money to find one. We now have Kluivert
who has proved he can score goals. He now has the players in Bellamy,
Ameobi, Robert, Milner, Butt and Bowyer who can pose a goal threat,
to chip in with goals. He now has other options and he wants to use
them. But Shearer is having none of it, he wants to play in every
game, he wants to score the goals to bring a trophy home, to break
Wor Jackie's record and he feels he has every right giving his service
and commitment to the cause in his 8 years. He more than anyone has
done enough to eat the two golden carrots dangling in front of him.
The Answer
Two identical desires, two very different views on achieving it =
friction and a broken relationship. A relationship that can't be repaired
because each knows that submission will result in failure. If Big
Al accepts that he will not play in every game, that he will be rested
he will not break Wor Jackie's record nor play a full part in any
success that may come. If Bobby plays a 34 year old striker in every
game at the expense of either Kluivert or Bellamy he jeopardises his
chances of achieving success. The desire to bring success to NUFC
from both is so strong that both are willing to cut off their nose
to spite their face...however it seems there will only be one winner
in this should it reach that stage where the Toon just isn't big enough
for the both of them.
Shearer! And he knows it.
Already on thin ground with the Toon Army for selling Nobby, for continuing
to play under performing players week in week out (JJ), for playing
players out of position (Bowyer), for masterminding a pathetic Season
(2 away wins) and not trusted with the purse strings by Freddy Shepherd
(£8.5m Viana, £7m Cort), Bobby simply can't compete with
King Al. Seen as a future Toon boss, the man who passed up 30 pieces
of silver to play for his beloved Toon, the man who is 28 goals shy
of becoming United's all-time top goalscorer, the man who deserves
a winners medal with Black & White ribbons more than anyone.
Freddy Shepherd will not push the man he regards as unsackable, and
Bobby will not resign because he is too stubborn, too proud. He believes
he can bring what we all crave to his home town team in his final
year as manager - success.
This problem isn't going to disappear though, it's going to drag on
and continue to hound Newcastle until something gives.
Ultimately the decision will probably rest on our shoulders as to
whether Bobby is sacked, resigns or stays, yes you and I - us supporters.
If Bobby has the support of us supporters he will stave off Shearer's
ultimatum and be allowed to do the job that we are ironically paying
him to do - to manage the team as he sees fit. Without our support
he may as well resign now because if he can't manage the team as he
sees fit, he is of no use to Newcastle United.
Does Bobby have your backing? He has mine, even though I have no faith
in him. I'm behind him 100% in this, no player is bigger than the
club, not even god himself. Shearer has already got rid of one manager
- can we afford a second?
The sad thing about all this is that they both want the same thing...that's
NUFC for you though.
(Sigh...) |
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