I'm fed up reading that Shearer can only operate effectively alongside a target man of the Big Dunc variety. It seems to me that we have ploughed a great deal of money down this avenue and judging by the outcome so far it is much to much of a high risk strategy.

For the record, Shearer cost 15m and suffered a career damaging injury 1 year after his purchase. At the time, BTW, it seems as though TSM intended to play him as a LONE striker - or possibly as a lone midfielder protecting the back 9 (left backs). (-;

Gullit brought in Big Duncan for 8m. Fantastic player. Rarely have I loved any as much as I loved Big Dunc in the B&W shirt. His passion was tremendous and his effectiveness, when fit (and there's the rub) was awesome. Sadly, he had so many injury problems that Robson decided to cut the losses.

Now Robson buys Cort, and true to (Toon) form, Cort suffers an injury keeping him out till when - after Xmas someone told me?

Now supposing he comes back and the Shearer/Cort partnership is resumed. Will Shearer stay fit?

I think I'm right in saying that I've just listed the 3 most expensive transfers in our history so there's lots of evidence there for those who believe in a Toon jinx. We buy a player (for a World record fee) who apparently needs a striking partner alongside before we can get the best out of him. We've spent a further 15m on 2 players to fill that role and hardly ever seen Shearer play with either of them. Now people are asking when will the board release more money on someone else to partner Shearer. Shall we make it Flo and boost the spend to over 40m on the search for Shearer + whoever?

We need different options IMHO. A certain Andy Cole used to score freely for this club. As did Sir Les. Did they need a big target man alongside? Well no, Pedro wasn't noted for his towering aerial ability on crosses. It would be silly to say that we need a Pedro in the team (we should be so lucky - we were very priveledged to see just one in our lifetimes) but it does illustrate the fact that there are many routes to goal and they don't all terminate in Shearer alongside a big target man.

There's talent in abundance in the squad. Cordone, Dyer, Solano, Gallagher, Lua-Lua, Bassedas, Acuna, Gavilan, Glass. (A front 2 or 3 from those would leave the big defenders chasing shadows). Cort when he's fit again. Oh, and Shearer himself of course.

Shearer + A N Other? I'd rather we thought in terms of A N Other + A N Other, one of which might usually be Shearer but needn't always be so.

I'm not knocking Shearer. I just think we're too hung up on him and can't conceive of playing without him, when in fact, we've done slightly better when he has missed games due to injury. It's always said that Dyer, or Cordone or whoever is the wrong type of player alongside Al. Well, maybe Al could alter his game to fit in with them, and we might see a more fluid and mobile performance up front.

Or maybe Al is the only one in step on this parade...

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2000

Answers

briefly....

I don't think anyone is disagreeing with you -that we have to get over the 'we need AS' thing. However - two things strike me about Cole & Ferdinand. Cole was playing alongside Pedro - even Cole admits he's never played with a better partner and never captured the form of 93/94. He had youth [and some experience] on his side to develop another side of his game when he went to NH.

Sir Les [and Cole] were playing in a world class team who could [just about] sweep all before him. He's achieved exactly nowt since he left.

AS in contrast has watched a team disintegrate around him. I think there's many on here who will testify that his all round game, passing, determination is clearly a class above the calibre of players we currently have.

Something is not right. 15 league goals from 14 league games says it all. 8 of those have been at home. Simply not good enough.

Now, there are numerous reasons but the fact remains we aren't getting the best out of our strikers. or midfield. or defence.

Naturally, as the captain and leading profile of the team, the focus will more likely be on AS. We aren't getting the best out of him. Why? That's why i'm not a football manager....

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2000

Excellent point about Shearer. I wonder if it's in Bobby's mind to start trying to play different combinations of the Cordone/Dyer/LuaLua/etc when/if we seem to be in a secure enough position that he can rest Shearer without everyone going nuts. We will have to learn not to rely on him in thenext few years anyhow as he gets older. I dunno. I'm pretty well resigned to being on the rollercoaster for another year or two at least.

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2000

The sad thing is Jonno, we had one of the most devastating partnerships in the EPL with Shearer and Les. Sad that I was to see Cole go, we got over that particular incident. Yes, there is life withoot Shearer. But to be honest, with so much tied up in him, it's gonna take a big man to replace him (or a brave one - player and manager).

What would we have to pay for Sheri? Ooh, wash me gob oot. Aah'm off ti the bar.

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2000

Would Shearer accept an 'A. N. Other' role ? At the moment he's probably the first name on the sheet, and even if all of the options were available, I think that would still be the case.

I think BR might have to call on a fair amount of his man management skill to convince AS of the wisdom of taking a more squad oriented role.

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2000

I honestly think Shearer would make a real great provider for the main striker(someone other than him, of course). He has the experience, ability and is a good passer of the ball but it boils dow to whether he is willing to accept that role in the team instead of being the main man.

It probably won't happen at the moment but I would like to see us getting a good striker in who can score anywhere between 18-30 goals a season and pairing him up with Alan playing a more withdrawn role like Sheringham, Bergkamp type.

Some of you might say he is not suited for that role and you might be right and Al won't accept playing second fiddle but considering how the top teams seem to function much better with a provider and a main striker (Zola/Hasselbaink, Heskey/Owen or Fowler, Sheri/Cole or Yorke/Cole, Bergkamp/Henry) maybe it's time we drop the 'two big strikers routine' and adopt a change. And imho it will only work if Al becomes the provider as that will free him up to cause more problems for the opposition. But that's just little old me with my two-cents worth.

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2000

Some would say he is more suited to that role than most. His ability to head the ball in the right place and with his passing, he has all the attributes.

On another aspect has also has one thunderous shot and would benefit from not being expected to sit on the six yard box and finish every move off. Shearer following in from a knockdwon or a cut back will probably result in one of two things, a goal or a broken keeper!

Whether he plays with a target man or a smaller finisher type of player there is no doubt he needs someone else up there to occupy the defenders or else it is all too easy for them to make Shearer look ordinary.

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2000

We should be building for the succession, not throwing more money after a partner for Shearer, specifically.

I also think that we sometimes focus excessively on our strikers. The reason we haven't been scoring so well this season is the lack of any decent contribution from midfield, as shown by our appalling statistic of goals from outside the area.

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2000

Goals from midfield are few and far between this season. Surely some of that can be put down to the lack of space being opened up by the personnel up front. Shearer can make the run to take his marker away but with most teams we are left with another three defenders waiting to close down whatever comes next.

If the opposition defence is being pulled apart or all to one side then the space arises for breakers from midfield to start taking shooting practice. The way we play, like it or not, is all about patient build up and that compresses the play into a small band somewhere around the edge of the box where it normally takes something special like Dyer's pass to Speed at Leicester to break the line and score. Unless it is played wide and crosses fly in.

All of the above seems to suggest to me that Shearer must have a partner who can move markers and be called upon to stick it in the onion bag when a cross comes in.

Of course the supply line for the crosses has to come. We're okay with Solano when he's playing on the right wing (not wing back) but the left side is non-existent and until we solve this then teams of the caliber of Liverpool will find it so easy to keep us out and that is why we are not scoring goals. No balance, movement only by Shearer and our best crosser of the ball worried that he will be stung on the counter, oh and Dyer pussyfooting around.

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2000

We couldn't replace him for what we could sell him for. Simple as that. If we really want to be a big club, we need at least 4 good forwards. We currently have ONE. Rather comforting that we didn't buy Bellamy givem the whingeing from Coventry about how crap he is.

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2000

You're spot on Dougal.
When we have quality like Sheringham and Solshaer sitting on the bench we can safely think about resting Shearer. However, if anyone seriously thinks we could even contemplate leaving AS out and simply "pick two from Cordone, Dyer, Solano, Gallagher, Lua-Lua, Bassedas, Acuna, Gavilan, Glass" then I'm afraid the discussion goes beyond credibility as far as I'm concerned.

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2000

sometime in the next 18 months we are going to have to get used to playing without shearer. i can't see him carrying on much longer. that time can't come too quickly as far as i'm concerned. his game has deteriorated - as a result of wear and tear - to the point that he isn't even half the player we paid 15 mill for.

true he can still finish when he gets the chance, but as he demonstrated on saturday, his game is now very limited, he's easy to mark, he relies on the physical side instead of losing his marker.

shearer still has enough presence that he dictates the way the team play. but, do you need a power player in a quick passing game that suits the rest of the squad? no. so the quick passing game is compromised or abandoned. as well as he did on sat. would anybody want niall quinn in our team?

the solution is to bite the bullet and introduce some of the younger players - lua,ameobi, coppinger, whoever - if we can rest shearer play him say 20-25 games per season we may get more out of him in the next couple of years, we should also get more out of the players coming in, and release ourselves from the playing style that his presence dictates.

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2000

I remember listening to 5 live when TSM was here, Mark Lawrenson was (for a change) not slagging the Toon & was talking about Sheringham going to Man utd. The interviewer (Alan Green) said he was surprised Newcastle didn't try to buy him as he'll be perfect with Shearer. Lawrenson said that he had mentioned it to TSM but TSM "didn't think much of him". Now I can't say I like Sheringham but Doh!

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2000