Shearer Knee Operation Report

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Teamtalk reports "undisclosed sources" as saying that Alan Shearer does now need an operation to cure the tendinitis in his knee, and will miss the Leeds match today. However, this is not mentioned in the local Journal today.

The Teamtalk report says Shearer will miss Newcastle's game today with Leeds and that he will need to rest before going under the surgeons knife.

Further, they reckon this has led to a falling out between Bobby Robson and Freddy Shepherd, as Robson tries to get the cash he needs to strengthen the squad by buying a replacement for Shearer in the short term, and a striking partner for him in the long term.

Robson is said to be desperate to spend some cash but Shepherd is reluctant to release the purse strings and wants to see value for money.
Shepherd is also said to be reluctant to let the manager buy any foreign strikers who have not proved their worth in English football.

When the Chairman and Team Manager can't effectively work together, one them needs to go. No prizes for guessing who most fans would prefer to bog off in this particular case!

-- Anonymous, December 26, 2000

Answers

This article and the comments made in the Journal dont match up do they?

From the latter it would appear that Freddie IS prepared to bankroll a deal IF the right player is made available. If the qoutes from YBR are accurate then it would appear money is there and was being made available for Robbie Keane.

Which one we believe I guess is up to us.

For some bizarre reason though, the club are keeping VERY quiet regarding Big Al, unless of course he's had no further reaction.

-- Anonymous, December 26, 2000


I think the inference is that the Club were prepared to bankroll a loan signing of Keane, with the option to sign him in the close season, Pete.

The most worrying aspect of all this to me is the growing indication of a deteriorating working relationship between BR and FS that can have only one conclusion.

-- Anonymous, December 26, 2000


I think the board should take note of the reason why Keane went to Leeds. He wanted to play for them: not only because he felt he might win things, not only because he might improve himself as a player but because he THOUGHT he would.

The shambolic PR the BOARD have been responsible/involved with over the last three years has not only affected our finances but now our ability to attract players. A frightening trend which should set alarm bells ringing loudly. The should be ashamed and should take the responsibility for it.

-- Anonymous, December 26, 2000


Sky News are now also carrying the report that Shearer is out - and for a long time. They say he will have the operation on his knee early in the New Year.
I just wonder if they'll be crazy enough to allow him to play either today or against manure?

-- Anonymous, December 26, 2000

There were reports after the game on Saturday night , then all the speculation stopped. They are covering it up by the sounds of things.Maybee they didn't want to spoil our Xmas.

Wish they would just tell us the truth, what's with all this secrecy at the club? Why don't they just come clean about injuries and finances? Are they all members of a secret masonic society or something?

-- Anonymous, December 26, 2000



Today's chronicle says that shearer will have an op t'morra and will be out for two months. My immediate reaction was one of relief, I knew it was going to happen, it was just a matter of when. Come on we all knew he was on borrowed time. This will force Newcastle's hand, we have to do without him now there are no other options. Long term I think this is for the best, short term obviousley we don't want to be without him. We must adapt, we must be frugle most of all bobby needs to step up and show us how good he really is. Back's to the wall time lads and lasses.

-- Anonymous, December 26, 2000

this can obviously bring to an end all hopes for this season. We must pray we get past Villa in the cup and hope for a good draw the rest ofv the way. Hopefully the board will finance a few new players to come in ASAP!!!!!

-- Anonymous, December 26, 2000

At least it will force us to play the likes of LuaLua/Cordone/Coppinger and who knows, one or more could come good big time. The team will benfit from the experience they get long term anyway.

-- Anonymous, December 26, 2000

Might makes us more mobile, less predictable up front good in some games. cock up in others , the trick is to sort out the games to play

-- Anonymous, December 26, 2000

You're right Spud - its the chance of a lifetime for the likes of Shola, Coppy etc. They will probably all get a chance - looks as though Shola did his prospects a bit of good today.

They'll get all the support from the fans and won't be criticised if they miss a few.

-- Anonymous, December 26, 2000



Min

>>>>The shambolic PR the BOARD have been responsible/involved with over the last three years has not only affected our finances but now our ability to attract players

Financially most of our losses have come from "player trading" NOT adverse PR. (That is not to excuse the PR which has been very poor particularly over the new St James seating.) The price has been paid for the poor buys of TSM and Gullit.

Buff

>>>>Might makes us more mobile, less predictable up front

Couldn't agree more - what I have argued for, for a long time. Apparently we were very good up front today from drunken reports received over mobiles in The Strawberry. Maybe when Al comes back he will be coming back into a changed team - I think his absence might paradoxically do us a bit of good - and hopefully his return will do us even more good.

-- Anonymous, December 26, 2000

Has anyone discussed the dilema of signing a new striker? I don't know how indepth the discussion about BR purchasing a new striker has been but I see a slight problem, even though more than half our strikers are injured. We already have 7 strikers on our books, not counting Chopra signing a three year professional contract. What happens when they're all fit?

Gallacher's not likely to see much playing time in the future, so will he be content being a squad member.

Shearer needs the operation and the rest. The question is, will he be out for 2 months or the rest of the season?

Cort's due back and february, and needs to be a starter when healthy.

I can't develop an opinion of Cordone, as I hear conflicting opinions of him. Either he's an improved headless chicken on Ketsbaia, or he's a tricky south american who just hasn't been able to put his chances away.

That leaves the three bairns, Lua Lua, Amoebi and Coppinger. They all need some playing time over the rest of the season to continue their development. If we sign a new striker permenantly, is he a) going to be a fill in while Shearer is injured, or b) the consistant goal scorer that we have been crying out for this season.

Yes we need depth up front, but at what expence to the development of our youth.

I say we sit tight with what we've got, even if it is the bare bones, and if things get so desperate, we can always throw on young Michael Chopra, he has after all signed a professional contract and has turned 17.

-- Anonymous, December 26, 2000


I believe we need another striker, Tre.

IMO, Gallagher and Cordone will leave at the end of the season, and possibly Coppinger. That leaves AS, CC as the main strikers, backed up by Ameobi. Chopra is just a promising kid who we should disregard for the time being. That leaves LuaLua as the only support striker going forward - if we class YKD as a m/f player.

IMO we need another mobile main striker, in the Robbie Keane mould. I believe the plan is that that man should/will be Michael Bridges in the close season - the question is can we get through the rest of this season without bringing in someone else?

-- Anonymous, December 27, 2000


Clarky,

Yes I would like to see Michael Bridges in a Newcastle strip. He played well for Leeds last season. But what will his price be? and there is no way we add Dyer in a money plus players deal.

However I don't see bridges as the Robbie Keane type of mobile forward. He's more of a traditional centre forward, not the fastest of players. But that's where Shola, Lua Lua and to some extent cort fit in.

I think it would be a shame to see Coppinger go as he is the small, nippy type of goal poacher that we need.

-- Anonymous, December 27, 2000


Tre,

I see MB as a clever, old-style inside forward who would link well with either AS or CC, score goals himself, and also make them for his partner.
IMO, he's just the kind of forward player we need - and he's a Geordie to boot.

Leeds will undoubtedly use MB as bait with which to lure the Toon into selling them YKD, and if we don't play ball with them we may not get our man without paying them silly money - this could well torpedo the deal.

-- Anonymous, December 28, 2000



Do we really want to give the Makems money because that's what would happen if we bought Bridges. Noooo!

-- Anonymous, December 29, 2000

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