After the disappointment of Sunday's game, it was refreshing to read Monday's Daily Mail. On the road, I sat down for a beer and a meal in my hotel, somewhat down after a loss when we should have won. I've been isolated from much of the TV and press coverage of the game, so I was interested to see what was written about us, having witnessed the game only from the distant seats above the Wembley Tunnel End. Are you reading Dougal?

In no particular order. Martin Lipton wrote:

"Hoping that Frank Leboeuf would be up to the physical presence of Alan Shearer was the triumph of belief over reality. Trusting Chris Sutton finally to deliver on his #10million transfer fee was a faith the striker did not deserve nor even look like fulfilling"

"Shearer, so impressive, so sharp, so willing, estalished mastery over Leboeuf within five minutes.................."

"Leoeuf was so outclassed it was frightening.................."

".......Shearer once again humiliated Leboeuf out wide to whip the ball in and Lee's header - his first goal since penetrating Chelsea in the Premiership 23 months ago - flew past De Goey from eight yards."

(discussing Poyet's attack on Steve Howey before Chewsee's crucial second) "The importance of the referee missing the incident became evident..............."

Then, no less than Nigel Clarke had a headline:

Shearer roasts uneasy Leboeuf........, followed by his article:

He had reduced Frank Leboeuf to something close to a nervous breakdown, but Alan Shearer trod off the Wembley turf a loser again."

".......for Shearer had won his persoanl dual with Leboeuf........"

"His handshake at the end with Leboeuf was the closest the France World Cup centre half had got to the England captain......."(I disagree - he was more physical than that!)

"If ever a defender had been exposed it was Leboeuf"

And talking about Shearer, Clarke writes:

"He didn't deserve to lose and his play and attitude only enriched his reputation"

And finally, Clarke again in the leading article:

"Poyet appeared to shove Howey in the face, (substantiated by a photgraph)an incident missed by referee Dermott Gallagher"

Nice to see some positive press. It certainly helped me. Now I know we are once again a force to be reckoned with.

-- Anonymous, April 10, 2000

Answers

Well Screacher, you may well have read sone of the poitive items, but how about this one:

The Toon Child Molesters XI

Shay Given  6 Ed De Goey  9 Warren Barton  7 Albert Ferrer  6 Steve Howey  8 Jon Harley  6 Nikos Dabizas  7 Frank LeBoeuf  6 Aaron Hughes  6 Marcel Desailly  10 Nobby Solano  5 Roberto Di Metteo  6 Gary Speed  6 Didier Deschamps  8 Rob Lee  7 Dennis Wise  7 YKD  8 Gus Poyet  9 Big Yin  5 Chris Sutton  6 Big Al  8 George Weah  7

Didier Domi  6 Petrescu  7 Temuri Ketsbaia - 5 Flo - 6 Zola - 7

These rankings are taken from The S*n this morning. Sorry, but can someone remind me, who play who off the park yesterday. Or was Steve Howard watching a different game to me?

How can he only give Dabs 7 when he kept both Weah and Sutton at bay for the whole of the first half and a lot of the second, he was an absolute rock.

Then he goes and gives Desailly a full ten. Yes he played well, but no better that Dabs. Mind you, the one that really surprised me was Wise getting 7 points, did he play?  I cant remember much from him, but he gets the same points as The General who was all over the field and scored arguably the best goal of the game.

Mind you, it shows the level of the Bun reporters, he gave the Banbury Blockhead 6, I would have been hard pushed to give him 3 on that performance.

-- Anonymous, April 10, 2000

Sorry, formatting ot stuffed up there, but at least the 'opposite numbers' are show next to each other.

One of these days I will get Softie to explain how to put columns in ;0)

-- Anonymous, April 10, 2000

Tuesday April 11, 2000, 12:36 AM London Time Shearer shows it's too early for a swansong By Martin Lipton If Kevin Keegan was seeking any further evidence to back his view that Alan Shearer remains without doubt the man to lead England into Euro 2000, the case was made on Sunday.

Shearer's Wembley club hoodoo may have been extended by Newcastle's FA Cup semi-final defeat by Chelsea, but his personal display could not have been more illustrative of his powers.

It was not only in Shearer's aptitude and appetite for the physical dimension of the game and his utter mastery of hapless Frank Leboeuf.

Even more persuasive was the England skipper's movement and intelligence, capped by the superb run and cross which provided Robert Lee's headed equaliser.

For Keegan, it was a reminder of what he, and England, will lose if Shearer stands by his intention to turn his back on international football at the end of this summer's tournament.

While Emile Heskey, Michael Owen and Robbie Fowler represent terrific options as strikers for the future, Shearer will not turn 30 until August and any question of him approaching his sell-by date was surely answered against Chelsea.

His departure from the international scene will leave England without a proven international scorer and Keegan would love to be able to call on him for the 2002 World Cup campaign, which begins with October's Wembley showdown with Germany.

However, Keegan knows he will gain nothing by attempting to make Shearer change his mind because he is too strong-willed. But, as Keegan revealed last month, Shearer made his initial decision in September, towards the end of his bitter Newcastle battle with Ruud Gullit and when his form was at its lowest ebb.

Keegan explained: 'Alan told Arthur Cox he wanted to see us. When we sat down one of his first sentences was "I did try to tell you six months ago". I had no idea it was that important. I thought he was going to ask for a game of golf!'

Shearer wants to spend more time with his young family and concentrate on Newcastle but he did leave the international door open.

In February, he said: 'I'm not saying I would never play for England again. If there was an injury crisis or real need for me to help out, I would be honoured to answer the call.'

Euro 2000 could remind Shearer of what he would miss and Keegan recalled: 'The only thing I said to him was "I can promise you this: you will not find anything to replace international football".'

Given three weeks to reinforce the message, he may change Shearer's mind. No-one would complain.

-- Anonymous, April 10, 2000

Very rare positive report on Newcastle in the Telegraph too. Couldn`t praise us enough! (:o)

-- Anonymous, April 11, 2000

Conversely, despite the usual patronising platitudes (brave but ultimately outclassed Newcastle; magnificent fans etc,), the Grauniad seemed to think Shearer was well marshalled by Desailly and lost the battle totally! Hmmmm.

The R5 report and the telly highlights suggested Al playing perhaps one of his most impressive performances in a B&W shirt. MOTD had Alan Hansen repeatedly mentioning Shearer in association with excellent movement, quality touch and skinning Lebouf time after time.

I really don't care about England getting hold of him after Euro 2000 - but it's a definite proof of what we all knew: we've got something special in Shearer.

-- Anonymous, April 11, 2000

When AS retires from the international scene we will finally see just how good all the other "pretenders" really are - Cole, Heskey, Fowler, Owen, Munchkin.

Owen is not really an out and out striker, and in any event still has a lot to prove. My firm suspicion is that we'll find none of the others are fit to lace Shearer's boots leaving England with a real problem in their WC Qualifying campaign.

In that event, I'd just love to read the gutter journo's who have roundly criticised AS begging him to come back.

-- Anonymous, April 11, 2000