" ..he rarely moved from the realms of ineffectiveness that he has come to inhabit at this level. The standard set by the others made Shearer an irrelevance because they were able to shoulder the blame for him". Was he watching the same game as me?

-- Anonymous, June 01, 2000

Answers

So, apart from: setting up all 3 goals in the last 2 games, appearing to be the only man able to switch play intelligently or hold onto the ball, find another England player with nearly every pass, drag 2 defenders out of the way, prepared to bust a gut to keep the ball in play, what has Alan Shearer done to justify his inclusion in the team?

The answer to your question is no; you were at the game whilst he was in the bar fiddling his expenses account and transmitting his pre- prepared match report. You like football and he just milks it. Ignore him, he's vermin.

-- Anonymous, June 01, 2000

Softie, I hate Holt. He was the first journo to call Big Al a "flat track bully" while lauding Andy Cole to the High Heavens for that four he scored against us when we had no manager and had had a defender sent off (for nowt). He did an interview with Shearer about 2 years ago, just after the Lennon incident and clearly didn't take to him. Hasn't said a good word about him since. Made all sorts of dubiosu suggestions about why Shearer was retiring from the international game. Compare him with Henry Winter in the Telegraph who really rates Shearer and really likes him, too. Had the rare privilege of meeting Shearer's mam and dad, too.

-- Anonymous, June 01, 2000

Dougal, we should be used to this by now! But like you, it annoys the hell out of me!(:o)

-- Anonymous, June 01, 2000

Thank you Softie for sparing me the blood-pressure medication.
I simply don't understand what it is about AS that attracts such consistent criticism - other than him being being a Geordie lad who has captained and played for his country with dignity and skill for several years, and declined the opportunity to grab Johnny's lire/pesetas to keep his hometown Club in the PL for the last 3 seasons by scoring a boat-load of goals.
I simply can't wait for these tossers to choke on their cruel words after Euro2000 when all the pretenders prove incapable of scoring goals at international level and Englands WC qualification is at risk.

-- Anonymous, June 01, 2000